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GHOST ANT
COMMON NAME: Ghost ant
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Taphoma melanocephalum (Fabrici us)
CLASS I ORDER I FAMILY: Insecta / Hymenoptera / Formicidae
METAMORPHOSIS: Complete
INTRODUCTION. This ant gets its common name from the fact that it is very hard 10 see because of its pale color and very tiny size. It is found primarily in central and southern Florida and Hawaii in the United States. In the northern states it is unable to survive except in greenhouses and in similar heated situations.
RECOGNITION. Workers monomorphic, about 1/16 long. Head and thorax dark, antennae, pedicel, gaster, and legs pale in color. Antennae 12-segmented, segments gradually thickened towards tip. Thorax lacks spines, profile not evenly rounded. Pedicel 1-segmented, hidden/concealed from view from above by base of gaster. Caster with anal opening slitlike, lacking circlet of hafrs. Stinger absent. Workers emit rotten, coconutlike odor when disturbed or crushed.
BIOLOGY. Nests are usually located in cavities or voids, or in the soil. Nests are moderate to large in size, containing thousands of workers and numerous functional queens. New colonies are probably started by "budding" where one or more reproductive females, several workers, and possibly some brood (larvae and pupae) migrate to a new nesting site. It is not known if new colonies are founded by swarmers. There is no antagonism between members of different colonies or nests. Although ghost ant biology has not been studied in detail, it appears to be similar to that of Pharaoh ants.
HABITS. Ghost ants are highly adaptable in their nesting habits. Inside, ghost ants typically nest in cavities which include wall voids, behind baseboards, between cabinets and walls, etc. They will also nest in the soil of potted plants. Their nesting habits seem to be similar to those of Pharaoh ants.
Outside, ghost ants will nest in soil including that of potted plants, under stones, under and inside logs, under and in firewood, in the debris in tree crotches, in cavities in dead tree and shrub branches, and in hollow cavities in plants. They seem to prefer cavities and crevices found in trees and shrubs. Ghost ants will readily enter structures, usually by trailing from nests along the foundation or via branches of trees and/or shrubs that contact the structure.
Workers are very fond of honeydew and tend honeydew-excreting insects. Ghost ants also feed on dead and living insects. In Puerto Rico they have been observed destroying the eggs and first instar larvae of house flies, Musca domestica (Linnaeus). Inside, these ants show a preference for sweets.
Ghost ant workers run rapidly and erratically. They follow trails and like to trail along edges and corners. They trail under the grass and/or mulch line of sidewalks, patios, and foundation walls outside. Inside, they trail under carpet edges and along electrical wires in wall voids where they are hidden from view. Because of their high moisture needs, they can often be found trailing to water sources such as sinks, wash basins, commodes, shower stalls, tubs, potted plants, etc.
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