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Little Black Ant
This page contains information on black ants, house black ants, large black ants, big black house ants and black ants with wings.
 
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COMMON NAME: Little black ant
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Monomorium minimum (Buckley)
CLASS l ORDER I FAMILY: lnsecta / Hymenoptera / Formicidae
METAMORPHOSIS: Complete
INTRODUCTION: This ant gets its name by virtue of its very small size and virtually jet-black coloration. It is known as a native species and is found throughout the United States, especially in the eastern half of the U.S., as
well as in the southern half of California, and also in the San Francisco Bay area.
RECOGNITION: Workers monomorphic, about 1/16" long; the queens are about twice as long as the workers. Their color
is dark brown to black, usually black. The antenna is 12-segmented and has a 3-segmented club. The thorax lacks spines, its profile is unevenly rounded. The pedicel is 2-segmented. This ant is very similar to
Pharaoh ants, but little black ants are black instead of being yellowish to reddish , or amber. The ant does sting yet the stinger is small and weak.
BIOLOGY: Not a great deal has been published on this ant species. The colonies are moderate to large and contain numerous queens. Winged reproductives appear from June to August.
HABITS: Inside a structure, nests are located in wood, decaying wood, and masonry. They will feed on grease, oil, meats, fruits, vegetable materials such as corn meal, and sweets.
Outside of the structure, they nest under stones / rocks, in rotting logs, in lawns, or in open areas. The workers feed on other insects, honeydew, and plant secretions. They forage in trails, which can frequently be seen on foundation walls and along sidewalks outside.
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