ANTS
The control of ant infestations in and around structures
begins with ant identification.
Ant Anatomy-Identifying Characteristics
A basic knowledge of ant anatomy is necessary in order to
determine how to control their infestation. All ants have certain
basic characteristics that distinguish them from other insects. Ants most
closely resemble wasps because both belong to the Hymenoptera order of
insects - ants belong to one family called Formicidae.
Ants have three body regions shared by all insects. A
unique character of ants is the presence of a thin segment called a pedicel,
which separates the thorax from the abdomen. The pedicel
is actually the first one or two segments of the abdomen, and the thin shape
give ants the appearance of a pinched "waist". The remaining
portion of the abdomen is called the gaster. The fact that the
pedicel has either one or two segments is a key character for identifying
ants. These one or two segments are commonly called nodes and are
the first thing one looks at when attempting to identify an ant.
Ants
fall into two basic groups-they are either one node ants or two node ants.
The shape of the nodes can sometimes play a role in ant identification.
For example, the single node of the odorous house ant is flat and hidden from
view by the abdomen. In the acrobat ant, the two nodes of the pedicel are
attached at the top of the gaster, while in most ants, the pedicel attaches at
the middle of the gaster.
Once the number of nodes has been determined, the second area
we must examine is the thorax. The shape of the thorax is an important
characteristic for identifying
carpenter ants.
The carpenter ant's thorax is evenly rounded, while in all other
structure-infesting species, the thorax has an uneven shape. Some ants
have one or more pairs of spines on the thorax. The pyramid ant does not
have thoracic spines, but it does have a single pyramid-like bump on the top
rear of its thorax. In other species, a key identifying character might be
the presence of grooves on the thorax, such as those found on the pavement ant.
Ants
have elbowed antennae, with the first segment, called the scape, being
extremely long. The other antennal segments branch off of the scape at a
sharp angle, giving the antenna its "elbow" shape. An important
identifying characteristic for some species is that when counting the number of
segments of the antennae, the scape is counted as the first segment. Most
structure-infesting ants have 12-segmented antennae, but the fire ant and the
thief ant have only 10 segments in their antennae. Another very important
identifying clue for some ants is the presence of an antennal club.
A club is formed when the last two or three antennal segments are greatly
enlarged. The number of enlarged segments in this club can be a key
identifying character. For example, thief ants are quickly distinguished
from pharoah ants because thief ants have a two-segmented club, while the club
of the pharoah ant has three segments.
The gaster (abdomen) itself generally plays little role in the
identification of most ants. Certain characters, however, can be helpful in
confirming the identity of an ant when combined with the other identifying
characters.
Carpenter ants, for example,
have a circle of tiny hairs around the anus. The shape of the gaster is a
key character for acrobat ants. When viewed from above, the acrobat ant's
gaster is heart-shaped.
Some ants have a stinger present at the tip of the abdomen,
although in several structure-infesting ants, the ant may be incapable of
stinging a person. Pavement ants and thief ants are two ants that possess
stingers but do not sting. Fire ants, little fire ants, and harvester
ants, however, put their stingers to good use in defending their colonies.
A common mistake made in trying to identify ants is to rely
too much on colour and size. As professionals we can determine much about
the identity of the ant during a telephone call, especially
carpenter ants
where
we ask our caller about damage, behaviour, colour, and size. But
polymorphic ants such as carpenter ants and fire ants have many different sizes
of workers. For example, a mature carpenter ant colony may have workers
ranging in size from 1/8 inch up to 5/8 inch. Carpenter ant species also
range in colour. Over North America there are species of carpenter ants
that are brown, some red and black, and others jet black.
So,
as you can see there are a variety of factors that determine which ant is
infesting your house or cottage. Our knowledgeable Pest Management
Specialists will identify the ant and treat appropriately. At the top of this
page you will find a link catalogue of many of our common ants, their profiles, and photos/
illustrations.
Carpenter ants are also
accessed from our main menu on each page of the site and are considered the most important pest ant we
deal with.
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