Household Ants

The following section highlights the most common household ants found in and around our homes.

White Footed Black House Ant (Technomyrmex albipes)

These worker whitefooted house-ants are 2.5 to 3.0mm long.  The body is elongate and shiny black with pale tarsal segments on the legs.

The head is large and rounded with large mandibles at the apex.  Antennae are long (longer than the head and prothorax), elbowed (geniculate) without an apical club.  Eyes are small (less than half the size of the head).

Wings are absent.  When viewed from above the gaster (abdomen) is heart-shaped.  Pedicel is one segmented.  Cerci are absent.

Whitefooted house-ant workers are often found on wooden structures and tree trunks.  Nests are typically around buildings and in wall voids near kitchens.  Workers move rather slowly and are omnivorous with preference for sweets.  This ant is an occasional pest of electrical switches.  When alarmed, a worker will raise the gaster toward the source of the disturbance.

Coastal Brown Ants (Pheidole megacephala)

These worker coastal brown-ants are 1.5 to 3.0mm long.  Two morphs exist.  The larger morph has a large head and functions s a soldier.  The body is elongate and light yellowish-brown to brown.

The head is large and rounded with large mandibles at the apex.  Antennae are long (longer than the head and prothorax), elbowed (geniculate) with an apical club.  eyes are small (less than half the size of the head).

The thorax has spines.  All legs are similar in shape.  Wings are absent in worker castes. The pedicel has two nodes.  Cerci are absent.

The species nests in crevices, wall voids, under logs, rocks, pavers and around building foundations.  Nests can become very large.  In Australian citrus, coastal brown-ant disrupts natural enemies of other citrus pests.  Coastal brown-ant is attracted to honeydew producing insects such as soft scales, mealybugs, flatids and aphids.  Coast brown-ant prefers food with animal protein and fat over sweet foods.

Black House Ant (Iridomyrmex glaber)

These worker black house-ants re 2.5 to 3.0mm long.  The body is elongate and black.

The head is large and rounded with large mandibles at the apex.  Antennae are long (longer than the head and prothorax), elbowed (geniculate) with an apical club.  Eyes are small (less than half the size of the head)

The thorax is without spines.  All legs are similar in shape.  Wings are absent in workerclass.  Cerci are absent.

Black house-ant is common in Australian citrus and is an important and frequent pest, which feeds on honeydew and protects homopterous pests.  the species nests in crevices and cavities such as rockeries, pavers and in brickwork.  Black house-ant invades homes and creates problems in kitchens.