Page 22 - Florida Pest Control Examinations
P. 22

PHARAOH ANT













                                            Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR                            Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

             1.Antenna-12  segmented w/3 seg. club  6.Thorax- uneven, no spines            PHARAOH ANT
             2.Eyes- 2 compound                  7.Petiole- 2 nodes
             3.Head                              8.Abdomen- stinger present          1            6    7
             4.Legs- 6                           9.Color- yellow to dark brown                              8
             5.Wings- on alates                  10.Other- difficult to control

             Life Cycle
             Eggs incubate for a little over a week, and go through a larval stage of   3        4
             about three weeks.  This ant has a pre-pupal stage of three days, and the
             pupal stage lasts 9-10 days before becoming an adult.  The whole egg to
             adult process can be as little as 38 days under optimum conditions.
                                                                                                Drawing by Andrew Schaible
            PHARAOH ANT                                                                     Actual size 1/16”

            Pharaoh Ants are often mistaken for the Argentine and Thief ant—they are slightly smaller, less
            than 1/16th inch, and are a yellowish to brownish color. They also have a stinger, even though it
            is very small and not effective, which the Argentine Ant lacks. This ant will nest inside buildings,
            trying to find a location near food.  It will eat just about anything that people eat—especially
            fatty, greasy foods, meat, and sweets.  It is also a predator to many insects, and will spread
            bacteria.  The unusual name comes from its original habitat in Egypt. The Pharaoh Ant seeks
            to establish nests in warm and inaccessible locations. A colony contains many queens and can
            have hundreds of thousands of workers!


             1.Antenna- 12 segmented             6.Thorax-  dark brown                     GHOST ANT
             2.Eyes- 2 compound                  7.Petiole- single node
             3.Head- colored dark brown          8.Abdomen- milky white color        1         6    7
             4.Legs- 6, colored white            9.Color- dark brown/white                                  8
             5.Wings- none                       10.Other- small, hard to see

             Life Cycle                                                                         4
             Colonies can be quite large, and contain multiple reproducing females      3
             and multiple queens.  The queens will move out and develop new
             subcolonies, so that Ghost Ants spread rapidly.  They have become
             very difficult to control.                                                        Drawing by Christopher Beck

            GHOST ANT                                                                       Actual size 1/16”
            The Ghost Ant has become widespread throughout Florida, and is considered a major
            household pest.  It is a tropical species, one that is considered a “tramp ant”.  In cooler
            locations it will only nest in structures and greenhouses, but in Florida it can nest anywhere it
            finds a favorable location—either indoors or outdoors.  Their favorite food is honeydew, and
            they tend aphids that produce it.  They will also eat dead and live insects.  Indoors they are
            usually found in kitchens and bathrooms, going after sweets and moisture.




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