The sugar ant—also known as the banded sugar ant—is a relatively large ant

Ant

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...

, identifiable by their orange-brown bodies, black head and mandibles. The sugar ants' name comes from their liking for sugar, but they are attracted to other savory food. They are commonly referred to as pests but their bites are not painful. Contrary to popular belief, the Sugar ant is not related to the Bulldog ant [Myrmecia], although they share similar colours, like the red and black sections of their bodies. They are found in many parts of the world, including the US.

Appearance

Sugar ants are one of the largest groups of ants in Australia and the US and species vary in shape, size and color. Worker ants vary from 5 to 15 mm (0.196850393700787 to 0.590551181102362 in), depending on location and species. Their bodies are of a brownish-orange color, and have relatively large black heads, with protruding mandibles. Depending on caste, Sugar ants vary in sizes. A soldier ant is easily noticed by its fairly large body and mandibles compared to workers.

Distribution and habitat

The sugar ant is located throughout all of Australia and the United States; commonly found in urban areas, forests, woodlands and heaths. Nests are commonly found in a variety of different sites ranging from holes in wood to the roots of plants, in twigs of trees and shrubs, between rocks or in the soil. In soil, sugar ant nests are easily recognised by the large dirt grain hill constructed surrounding the hole.

Diet

Contrary to their name, the sugar ant does not primarily feed on sugary foods. Sugar ants are in fact omnivores, collecting nectar and other liquid secretions from plants, honeydew from aphid

Aphid

Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...

s and other plant-eating invertebrates such as caterpillars. Sugar ants also feed on other insects or any other animal they can forage. Most of their meat comes from scavenging dead animals.

Behaviour

Hunting

Sugar ants are mostly nocturnal, and workers

Eusociality

Eusociality is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification....

can often be seen heading out at dusk in marked trails to forage for food. They can also be seen during the day, but are more active during the night. They are more active during the warmer seasons, especially during summer. During winter, they are of a low profile.

Aphid farming

Sugar ants collect secretions made by plant-eating insects. Of these, aphids are the most prominent. Sugar ants tend aphids much like farmers tend their stock, moving them around and protecting them from predators. This type of behaviour is mutually beneficial to both parties, as the ants protect the aphid from predation and the aphid provides a sap-like liquid to the ants.

Defense

When provoked, sugar ants will lift up their abdomen and use their large mandibles to fend off an attacker. If further provoked, the sugar ant (depending on species) can defend itself by spraying acid from their abdomens to deter predators. If the nest, however, is attacked; hundreds of ants will attack in force. Unlike some other ants, Sugar Ants do not contain stings, thus do not pose any threat to humans even when swarming.

Breeding

During late spring to early autumn, the queen sugar ant will produce eggs that hatch into 'new queens' and males (alates). These alates (winged reproductive ants) are completely black (with some variations between species), compared to the orange-coloured workers. During late autumn, hundreds to thousands of alates will mate in the air, with hundreds of workers keeping guard on the ground.

External links

• Pictures of C. consobrinus