Field Ants (Allegheny Mound)Order: Hymenoptera
Allegheny Mound Ants are known for building colonies in the ground. These mounds can grow very large containing several thousand worker-ants. Field Ants are perhaps the largest genus of ants found throughout the United States. Similar to the Allegheny Mound Ant, Field Ants also construct mounds as their colony grows.
Description: Both species of ants are brown, black, reddish brown or a combination of these colors. They also range in size from 1/8" to 1/4". Both species also lack a stinger, however, they will bite. These bites can be painful, especially if they are given the opportunity to inject formic acid into the wound. Both the Allegheny Mound Ant and the Field Ant are similar in look and behavior. It can be difficult to distinguish between the two unless the specimen is placed under a microscope.
Biology: The approximate life cycle from egg to adult is two to three months. Queens need the aid of workers to establish a new colony. Therefore, a swarming queen without workers will become a temporary social parasite in other colonies. Some species will use workers as substitute queens to lay eggs as they increase the colony's size. According to the Entomology Department of the University of Kentucky, the following population sizes can be determined by the diameter of the mound.
They have even discovered an ant population at one site in Maryland that contained over one million ants per acre (or approximately 27 per square foot).
Habits: Neither of these ants normally nests indoors; however, they can trail into your home in search of food. These ants can kill the grass around the mound and can even kill small trees and bushes within 40–50 feet of the mound. |