Ants

Argentine ants are quite small, 1.6mm – 2.6mm long.

They’re slim and dark brown in colour.

They do not possess a sting but they will bite (the bite does not hurt).

Also they prefer to travel in trails.

These ants have a social structure which includes numerous queens in each nest.

They prefer sugary foods and will travel long distances to find food.

Argentine ants are typically found in urban areas.

Argentine ants are very dominant and they will take over areas, driving out any other native species of ants. They are pests because they attack nesting birds and hatching eggs. They also raid beehives and orchards.

Argentine ants lay elliptical, pearly-white colored eggs in the warmer weather. Larvae emerge approx 28 days later. The larval stage lasts anywhere from 11 to 60 days, followed by a pupal stage of 10 to 25 days. Therefore, the entire life cycle of an Argentine ant from egg to adult takes 2 to 3 months on average.

Black house ants are small, black & shiny.

2mm – 3mm long.

The antenna has 12 segments.

They nest underground or in gaps in walls and beside pathways.

Black house ants are the most common species of ants in Australia.

They like to be close to domestic properties for a food source.

They are scavengers attracted to food scraps, rubbish bins and pet

excrement which can cause problems by spreading disease.

These ants travel in trails in search of food. They live in large colonies but are easy to eradicate, follow the trail, then destroy the nest.

They are active both day & night but more active at night or on shady days.

Black ants have 4 stages of life (egg – larva – pupa – adult).

Eggs are small, white and oval shaped.

Larvae are fed by the adults.

After several moults the larvae pupate. There are 3 different castes of adults:

1. Male: (has wings) job is to mate with the queen
2. Female: (has wings) until mating. They are the largest in body. This caste becomes the reproductive queen and  can live for many years.
3. Worker: (no wings) is sterile. Main function is to build the nests, find food, feed larvae, look after eggs and defend the nest.

Soldiers usually live for about 1 year.

Bull ants are one of the largest ants, they are between 15mm & 40mm long.

They are red/brown in colour, have large eyes providing them with excellent vision and a large mandible with which they can deliver a painful sting.

These are outdoor ants and usually nest underground, mostly in forest or bushland areas.

The nests usually have a single entry found at the top of a mound, which is often decorated with leaves, sticks and other debris to provide shelter and warmth for the nest.

This species, being one of the most aggressive will attack any intruder that comes close to the nest.

The sting is painful and can be delivered multiple times, by multiple ants.

These ants can communicate by touch and smell.

Bull ants often use their venom to paralyse small insects for food. They also eat nectar and other plants.

Bull ants have 4 life cycle stages:  (egg – larva – pupa – adult).

• Eggs hatch into small grubs which grow to be worker ants.
• Fertilized eggs hatch into females which become queens or workers and soldiers,  unfertilized ones produce males which will mate with the queen.

Most Bull ants live for 8 to 10 weeks, passing through the four stages of life. The queen can live for several years.

Coastal brown ants (aka the big headed ant) are a small ant 1.5mm – 2.5mm long.

They are light golden brown in colour.

They have very shiny abdomens and large heads.

Coastal brown ants live in dry soil, lawns & agricultural areas and paving & bricks.

They have mounds at the top of their nests which are easy to spot.

They will enter a property in search of food, they feed mostly on insects and honeydew.

These ants are a very invasive breed. They create super colonies as they often have multiple queens who reproduce rapidly.

Although they are not overly aggressive, they do have a sting (it does not hurt humans).

Coastal brown ants have 4 life cycle stages:  (egg – larva – pupa – adult).

The queen can lay up to 290 eggs per month which hatch 2-4 weeks later.

• Worker ants live for approx. 1 year
• Queen ants live for several years

Fire ants ( so named because of the burning sensation caused when they sting).

They are approx 2mm – 6mm long.

They have a light copper brown head with a darker reddish-brown body.

They have 3 segments in the body and 10 in the antennae.

They also have large mandibles.

They nest underground and try to stay hidden under logs or trees etc.

The entrance to their nest is usually a large mound.

Fire Ants are very aggressive and orchestrate attacks on their prey or when threatened.

They bite and then deliver a sting which can kill small insects and cause a burning pain to humans.

They also create very large colonies and can eradicate some local species.

Fire ants have 4 life cycle stages:  (egg – larva – pupa – adult).

• Queens can lay up to 1600 eggs per day and can live up to 7 years
• Males mate with females but die soon after mating

Funnel ants (named this because of the mound shape at the entrance to their nest).

They are approx. 3.5mm – 5mm long.

They are dark brown in colour.

They have 4 segments in the body and 12 in the antennae

Funnel ants live in soil and are usually discovered when they destroy your lawn.

They choose their location based on soil moisture, grass type & root aphids.

They are quite shy and are often not seen except for the mounded entries to their nests.

Funnel ants, although not aggressive, do have a sting.

They cause the most danger to humans by affecting the stability of the ground which can easily collapse when walked on.

These ants create super colonies and can spread across an entire property.

They feed mostly on underground root aphids and on the occasional insect that falls into the mounds.

Funnel ants have 4 life cycle stages:  (egg – larva – pupa – adult).

They mate in the air, usually in the warmer months (starting in November).

It takes approx 50 – 60 days for funnel ants to grow from egg to adult.

Green  Ants

They are approx 5mm – 6mm long.

They are metallic green in colour.

There is a sting present in these ants.

Green ants live in soil and can be found in both urban & rural areas.

Their nests are usually found in woodlands, grasslands & occasionally lawns or under rocks and / or logs.

They are wide spread across Australia.

Green ants rarely enter the home.

They have an attractive shiny green colour that can attract small insects for prey.

They mainly eat oils and proteins and sticky sap from aphids.

They are known for their painful sting which is administered when attacked or startled.

Most species of Green ants don’t have queens.

The workers will mate and females can be produced.

Pharoah ants are quite small, approx 2mm long.

They are yellow – light brown in colour.

There is a stinger that works to generate pheromones.

They have poor eyesight.

Pharoah ants are found all over the world but are particularly dominant in America & Australia.

They are found mostly in urban areas where there are plentiful food sources. They like to nest inside structures like cracks in walls however, in warmer climates they will nest outdoors as well.

Pharoah ants have super colonies and while it might be easy to spot them, it may prove difficult to locate their nest.

This species doesn’t swarm, however they can still infest an area quite easily.

These ants will not bite humans but they can still cause harm by the spread of disease.

Pharoah ants build large colonies with multiple queens.

Queens usually lay around 12 eggs at a time but can lay as many as 400.

Queens only live for 4-12 months.

Workers only live for a couple of months and usually die soon after mating.

The full life cycle only takes around 42 days.

Singapore ants range in size from 1.8mm – 3.5mm long.

They are yellowish – light brown in colour.

The body has 3 segments and the antennae has 12 and a stinger.

They have small eyes but a strong mandible.

Singapore ants are heavily populated in Australia.

They like to nest outdoors close to buildings, in cracks in walls & roofs, under rocks or beside paths.

They like the warmer weather.

Singapore ants are very slow moving, they travel in long narrow trails.

They have a very broad diet, they will eat small insects alive or dead, aphids, fats, proteins & sweets.

They have a very painful sting.

They are a pest mainly because of their chewing behaviour, they can cause damage to plastics, wiring, electrical cabling and more.

Singapore ants build large colonies with multiple queens.

The pupa does not have cocoons.