Destructive Trailing Ant

Monomorium destructor

Foraging Characteristics:  Small-medium sized ant with variable worker size. Bicolored yellowish-orange to light brown and shiny. Larger workers with heads disproportionally broader than long. Gaster noticeably darker. Slow moving ant following narrow trail.

Detailed Descriptions: 1.8-3.0 mm (1/14-1/8 in) long. Polymorphic (many-sized workers). First clypeal carinae and clypeal teeth absent or nearly absent. Back of head and epinotum with fine transverse ridges. Sides of epinotum and mid-thorax sculptured. Rest of body smooth and shiny. Sparse body hairs. Subfamily Myrmicinae.

Most Common Complaint: Ants foraging inside and on outside walls. Fabrics and rubber insulation surrounding wires have been damaged by this species.

Distribution: Rare in Florida except on Key West. Monroe (Florida Keys), Hillsborough, Manatee, Nassau, and Pinellas Counties.

Origin: Old World tropics.

Nest Sites & Characteristics: Large colonies with multiple queens. Nest in soil (lawns) or buildings.

Diet: Living and dead insects. Tend sap-sucking insects, collecting honeydew. Take seeds. Forage for sweets, fats and proteins in homes.