Page 32 - Florida Pest Control Examinations

ARGENTINE ANT ARGENTINE ANT

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

ARGENTINE ANT WORKERS ARGENTINE ANT INFESTATION
BETWEEN WALL & BASEBOARD

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

1.Antenna-12 segmented parts 6.Thorax- uneven ARGENTINE ANT
2.Eyes- 2 facing forward 7.Petiole- single node
3.Head 8.Abdomen- teardrop shape 1 6 8
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- light to dark brown 7
5.Wings- on alates & budding 10.Other- multiple queens

Life Cycle 2
The eggs hatch in about two weeks into larvae. The larvae mature 4
into pupae in about a month. The pupa stage lasts only 15 days. The
whole process of egg to adult can range from as short as 33 days to
a maximum of 141 days. Drawing Courtesy of Corky’s Pest Control

Actual size 1/8”
ARGENTINE ANT

The Argentine is small—about 1/8th inch and is a brownish color. It is an introduced species in
Florida, and has widely infested urban areas. There can be multiple colonies in a relatively small
area, with each colony containing thousands of workers. Foraging columns of the ants are seen
heading out from the colony to seek food and water sources. They are the most persistent and
troublesome ant that invades houses—since they are small, they can get in through tiny cracks.
They tend and defend aphids and scale, seeking the honeydew, so they foster plant damage by
those insects. Argentine Ants live in shallow galleries in the ground—often only a few inches deep.
A single colony will have multiple queens, and can grow quite rapidly, displacing other native types of
ants. They also rapidly establish other colonies when a queen leaves and takes some of the work-
ers with her. These satellite colonies may eventually return or they may become the mother colony
to many new colonies. During the hot summer months, some may even be temporarily established
inside homes—under carpets, attic insulation, or in walls and potted plants.

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