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- Latin Name: Solenopsis invicta
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Red Imported Fire Ant
- Other Names: RIFA
Origin:
RIFA originated in South America, entered the United States in the southern states around 1930, and spread rapidly to 17 southeastern states. It has since spread to California and isolated incidents have occurred in other states.Biology:
This double-node ant is one of the worst ant pests in the U.S., in terms of human health, property damage, and environmental damage. Colonies may have several hundred thousand workers and dozens of queens in them, and workers very aggressively defend their nest with stinging. Their nests may be located in equipment, causing damage to it, as well as within structures. Nests most commonly are in the soil, identified by the large mound of soil raised above the surface, and they- Latin Name: Prenolepis imparis
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Small (False) Honey Ant
- Other Names: Small honey ant, Winter ant
Origin:
Possibly native to North America, this ant is found commonly throughout the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, but also is common in California.Biology:
This species is given the name “winter” ant due to its high tolerance for cold weather. It often is active outdoors at temperatures well below freezing, usually foraging at night, but also active on cloudy days as well. It is a single-node ant species whose colonies generally have only a few thousand workers. Nests are normally in the soil, but they may invade structures as well, although nests within structures would be very rare. While protein is needed by the colony their primary food is sugars, with honeydew from plant- Latin Name: Solenopsis xyloni
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Southern Fire Ant
- Other Names: California fire ant
Origin:
Native to the southwestern United States, and found in California and Arizona.Biology:
This fire ant is not nearly the pest and health problem of the Red Imported Fire Ant, but as a double node ant it still can sting aggressively. Nesting and activity are generally confined to the outdoors, but foraging or nesting within a structure does occur on occasion. Nests are commonly located under objects or debris on the soil as well as under slabs. Foods consist of a wide variety of protein and carbohydrate materials, including honeydew, fruit and vegetables, other insects, greases, and grains.Identification:
This species is identified by its red head and thorax and red/black- Latin Name: Nylanderia fulva
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Tawny Crazy Ant
- Other Names: Rasberry crazy ant
Origin:
These ants previously were believed to be native to the islands of the Caribbean. But, studies in 2012 confirmed that it is a species native to South America. The "common" name disagreement is not completely settled.Biology:
Beginning around the year 2000 Florida was invaded by this species of aggressive ant, and in 2002 a similar ant showed up in numbers around Houston, Texas. Subsequent studies of these two ants have determined, in 2012, that they are the same species and are the South American species Nylanderia fulva. The previous genus name of Paratrechina, linking it to other native North American crazy ants, was changed to the genus name Nylanderia. The "common" names are a continuing source of- Latin Name: Atta texana
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Texas Leafcutting Ant
- Other Names: Cutter ant, Town ant, Cut ant, Parasol ant, Fungus ant, Night ant
Origin:
This is a native species in Texas and south into Mexico.Biology:
Leafcutting ants feed only on a fungus that grows on bits of vegetation they gather and store in their underground colonies. However, these ants are active enough to cause serious defoliation of trees and shrubs that they have chosen as their resource in an area. Swarming by males and females occurs in mid to late spring and the winged adults may come to lights at night. New colonies are then established by these newly mated females and may grow and survive for many years, ultimately containing up to 2 million workers and with galleries up to 20 feet deep in the soil. Many entrances to the- Latin Name: Solenopsis molesta
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Thief Ant
- Other Names: Piss ant, grease ant
Origin:
Not mentioned in literature, but this species is found throughout the United States as a common, indoor ant pest.Biology:
This is a double-node ant, but is far too small to sting. Its name is derived due to its ability to enter the nests of other ants and steal and feed on the larvae of these other species. The small size of the Thief Ant allows it to move undetected. They feed on carbohydrate such as honeydew or sugary foods, but are particularly fond of oils and meat, even being found feeding on dead carcasses. A colony may have only a few hundred workers but many queens, and nests both indoors and outdoors can be located in very small cavities, under debris or objects on the soil, behind wall paneling- Latin Name: Liometopum sp.
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Velvety Tree Ants
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
Native to the western United States and Mexico, and found throughout California south into Mexico and east to Colorado.Biology:
This is a very fast moving, aggressive ant, and while it cannot sting it will readily bite and cause a stinging sensation with a spray of formic acid. Colonies may contain several thousand workers, all of the same size, and nests are usually associated with wood. This may be a rotting tree root system in the soil, hollow trunks or trees, or old tree stumps, and they can often be found foraging up and down very tall tree trunks, feeding on honeydew or on other insects. They commonly invade structures, particularly where tree limbs contact the building, and forage within.Identification:
- Latin Name: Camponotus modoc
- Latin Family Name: Formicidae
- Common Name: Western Black Carpenter Ant
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
This is a native species in western North America. While there are many other species of carpenter ants in North America this species is one of the most common in the West. Images for another common western species are also shown.Biology:
The usual habitat of a colony of carpenter ants is within wood, often wood buried or partially buried in the soil. They also commonly establish “satellite” colonies that may be in a structure, maintaining contact between the two colonies with the workers who travel to and from over well-defined trails. They are normally nocturnal. Generally there is a single queen in the colony but often supplementary queens as well. Colonies typically are around 15,000The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) originated in Africa, where it evolved from an ancestor that still exists there today. Its ancestor prefers to lay eggs in natural tree holes and to feed on non-human animals. At some point, the yellow fever mosquito became domesticated, breeding in artificial containers close to humans and preferring human hosts. This domestication allowed their introduction into the New World via European ships leaving West Africa with slaves and containers of drinking water also holding immature yellow fever mosquitoes.
Yellow fever existed in Africa before the Europeans arrived and followed them into the New World in the 1600s. Epidemics killed thousands of people through the early 1900s until it was discovered that the yellow fever mosquito was the disease vector. Afterwards, mosquito eradication campaigns and a vaccine developed in the 1930s virtually eliminated yellow fever from the United States. The yellow fever mosquito has been introduced
This month we are addressing a pesky weed, Crabgrass. The two most common species of crabgrass in North America are large (or hairy) crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) and smooth crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum). They are native to Europe and Eurasia and were introduced to the United States in 1849 as a forage crop. Both are now found across the U.S., in Canada, and almost worldwide. The main difference between them is the presence or absence of hairs on the leaf sheath.
These crabgrasses are summer annuals and are common grassy weeds in turf and landscaping. One plant can produce many tillers (branches or stems) that spread from its center. They can survive mowing as low as ½ an inch and still produce seeds. The seeds remain dormant unless the soil temperature reaches 55°F for four to five consecutive days, then they germinate.