INTRODUCTION
The pungent, "rotten-coconutlike" odor given off when this ant is
crushed gives it its name. It is a native species and is found throughout the United
States.
RECOGNITION
Workers monomorphic, about 1/16-1/8" (2.4-3.25 mm) long. Body brown to
black. Antenna 12-segmented, without a club. Thorax lacks spines, profile unevenly
rounded. Pedicel 1-segmented, with small nodelsegment hiddenlconceated from view from
above by base of gaster. Gaster with anal opening slitlike, lacking circlet of hairs.
Stinger absent. Workers emit a disagreeable, rotten, coconut-like odor.
SIMILAR GROUPS
- Ghost ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum) with head and thorax dark but
abdomen and legs pale.
- Argentine (Iridomyrmex humilis), crazy (Paratrechina longicornis),
pyramid (Conomyrma insana), and dark field (Formica spp.) ants have node visible, not
hidden by gaster; in addition, pyramid ants with thorax with single tooth on upper
surface, field and crazy ants with circular anal opening surrounded by circlet of hairs
and crazy ants additionally with antennae scape (lst segment) at least twice head length
and very long legs in relation to body size.
- Other small dark ants have 2-segmented pedicel and/or lack rotten
coconut odor when crushed.
BIOLOGY
Colonies may be composed of several hundred to 10,000 ants. There are usually
many queens in a colony. Developmental time (egg to adult) is 34-83 days, varying with
temperature during summer months, and up to 6-7 months during the winter. Colonies
typically produce 4-5 generations a year. Although they probably mate both inside and
outside the nest, the first swarmers appear from May to mid-July. The workers and queens
live for several years. Individuals from different colonies are not hostile to one another
and workers normally move along trails.
HABITS
Inside, these ants usually construct their nests in wall voids especially around
hot water pipes and heaters, in crevices around sinks, cupboards, etc. These ants prefer
sweets but also eat foods with high protein content and grease such as meats and cheese.
Outside, they are often found in the nest of larger ants, in exposed soil, but mostly
under objects. Workers feed on insects, seek honeydew and plant secretions, and even feed
on seeds. They are extremely fond of honeydew and attend such honeydew- excreting insects
as plantlice (aphids), scale insects, mealybugs, etc. They are most likely to enter
buildings when their honeydew supply is reduced such as during rainy weather or with leaf
fall in the autumn. When workers are alarmed, they run around in an erratic manner with
their gasters/abdomens raised up.
