ID This Ant?

[Moltar]

So I saw this ant pacing about in front of my house the other day. It was systematically pacing off the entire sidewalk block, back and forth and back and forth...

I've never, ever seen an ant like this around my house. All I've ever seen is those tiny black, i dunno... sugar ants? Pretty harmless lil guys but annoying when they get into your kitchen.

This ant was more than 1/2" and obviously cut of a tougher cloth. I'm worried it may have been a vanguard of a new ant species coming to my neighborhood, one that will eat my T's if they find their way into my house.

Can anybody ID this ant and tell me anything about their habits, behavior, etc?

Thanks!

 

[moose35]

oh man your screwed....


moose

 

[koolkid98]

Camponatus sp i think it may be Camponotus vicinus

 

[super-pede]

I would definitely seal away your T's.If that thing gets in your house....well...you can kiss your collection good bye.

S-P
what is that on your avatar moltar?

 

[John Apple]

really I would not worry with these...from the pics I am looking at here they are carpenter ants...most likely scouts and pickers from the shape...the soldiers are bigger and more robust...they mainley eat cellulose and sweetened nectar , very little animal material. Stings are non-existant but the queens and soldiers can pinch...no threat at all to your T's but maybe the timbers in your house.....follow one someday and see where he leads you

 

[xhexdx]

what is that on your avatar moltar?

His avatar is Moltar.

 

[Moltar]

really I would not worry with these...from the pics I am looking at here they are carpenter ants...most likely scouts and pickers from the shape...the soldiers are bigger and more robust...they mainley eat cellulose and sweetened nectar , very little animal material. Stings are non-existant but the queens and soldiers can pinch...no threat at all to your T's but maybe the timbers in your house.....follow one someday and see where he leads you

That makes sense. There is a wooded area starting about 30 yards from my house that has numerous felled trees and is steadily filling in to become more and more of a wetland. They must be scouting around for better territory. I'm not that worried about my house because it's modern construction with a termite barrier and all that.

Thanks for the help folks.

And super-pede, that is, in fact, the original Mighty Moltar, sworn eternal enemy and talk show sidekick of Space Ghost. Some day I hope to be as cool as he.

 

[auroborus]

I thought it looked like an allegheny mound builder ant. If its one of them then your very screwed. Better hope I'm wrong ant its just a carpenter ant, but if I'm right then seal your containers and run away from the hills. They are a very aggresive ant that builds massive mounds (up to 3 feet tall) and conatins thousands of ants that attack anything that move and that doesnt move. If you se them again tease it with a twig and see if it bites or runs away. Also nice to see another Marylander on here.

 

[John Apple]

I thought it looked like an allegheny mound builder ant. If its one of them then your very screwed. Better hope I'm wrong ant its just a carpenter ant, but if I'm right then seal your containers and run away from the hills. They are a very aggresive ant that builds massive mounds (up to 3 feet tall) and conatins thousands of ants that attack anything that move and that doesnt move. If you se them again tease it with a twig and see if it bites or runs away. Also nice to see another Marylander on here.

That is not what they are from the pics...mound builders are more uniform in color cept for the darker gunmetal colored abdomen,,,bodies are somewhat red.
Mound builders are asmazing to watch, not really stingers , but they will spray formic acid right where the jaws are trying to break skin....this seems to work well on inverts....we have seen mounds 10 feet across and 4ft tall in northern Michigan and Wi.

 

[Moltar]

When I lived in West Virginia we had carpenter ants all over our house but, as I recall, they were completely black. I guess these would be a different species?

Also, I've never seen any ant mounds around here either (except on TV so I do know what they look like, at least) so I don't think they're native to MD's eastern shore. Hope not anyway. If they are, the mounds they're building are little enough that I've never noticed them on my many trips into the woods.

I haven't seen any more of these guys, just that one. Thanks guys!

 

[koolkid98]

As i said earlier :
Camponatus sp i think it may be Camponotus vicinus
its a carpenter ant.

 

[John Apple]

As i said earlier :
Camponatus sp i think it may be Camponotus vicinus
its a carpenter ant.

Yes you sure did...not many folk speak that....lol.. so I was speaking laymaneneese

 

[syndicate]

Def a Camponatus species as Koolkid said..

 

[myrmecophile]

Camponotus for sure but I dont know the eastern species well enough to hazard a guess.

 

[Moltar]

Ok, good. I'm glad to see some consensus and a genus. Now I feel at ease, thanks again folks.

 

[cacoseraph]

the ants i fear most: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant


fear, loathe, hate, despise, etc


they have done me at least a grand of bug damage, so far :/

 

[syndicate]

Thank god we dont have those here!
As much as I love ants hehe I'm all set with those little hellraisers!