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The Wild Pest
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Ants

The cooperative outlaws — colonies that build cities, farm fungus, and herd aphids.

26 on file

On File
Eciton burchellii army ants forming a living bridge across a gap on a Panamanian forest floor.
Outlaw
Six Legs81
Alias
Eciton burchellii

Eciton Army Ant

Builds bridges out of itself. Raids 200,000 strong. Comes with its own bird entourage.

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On File
A bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) on a rainforest leaf, showing the characteristic glossy black body and prominent mandibles.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs92
Alias
Paraponera clavata

Bullet Ant

Tops the world's pain index — a sting that earned a coming-of-age ritual.

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On File
A column of African driver ants (Dorylus wilverthi) crossing a forest floor, soldiers visible at the column edges.
Outlaw
Six Legs82
Alias
Dorylus wilverthi

African Driver Ant

22 million workers per colony. Raid in columns kilometers long. Clean a house in hours.

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On File
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), reddish-brown body, on disturbed soil.
Outlaw
Six Legs90
Alias
Solenopsis invicta

Red Imported Fire Ant

Builds living rafts during floods. Floats for weeks. Costs the US $6 billion a year.

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On File
Honeypot ant repletes (Myrmecocystus mexicanus) hanging from the ceiling of an underground chamber, abdomens swollen with nectar.
Curious
Six Legs79
Alias
Myrmecocystus mexicanus

Honeypot Ant

Living food jars. Worker ants hang from the ceiling, swollen with nectar. Eaten as candy.

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On File
A leafcutter ant carrying a green leaf fragment along a forest trail.
Curious
Six Legs81
Alias
Atta cephalotes

Leafcutter Ant

Run the world’s oldest farms. Domesticated a fungus 50 million years ago. Excellent at chemistry.

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On File
A trap-jaw ant (Odontomachus bauri) in profile, mandibles held open in the cocked strike position.
Curious
Six Legs77
Alias
Odontomachus bauri

Trap-Jaw Ant

Fastest jaws on Earth — 145 mph. Uses the same jaws to bounce itself out of trouble.

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On File
Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina), green-amber bodies, in a chain pulling leaves together to form a nest.
Curious
Six Legs86
Alias
Oecophylla smaragdina

Asian Weaver Ant

Builds nests using their own larvae as living glue guns. Used as pesticide for 1,500 years.

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On File
An Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), small light-brown body, single-node waist.
Outlaw
Six Legs87
Alias
Linepithema humile

Argentine Ant

One global super-colony. Ants from Italy and Portugal recognize each other as family.

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On File
A carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus), large glossy black worker with characteristic single petiole node.
Outlaw
Six Legs74
Alias
Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Carpenter Ant

Doesn't eat wood — excavates it. Galleries through your beams. Largest ant in eastern North America.

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On File
An acrobat ant (Crematogaster lineolata), small dark brown ant with the diagnostic heart-shaped abdomen flattened laterally and pointed at the tip, six legs, side profile.
Beneficial
Six Legs79
Alias
Crematogaster lineolata

Acrobat Ant

HEART-SHAPED ABDOMEN that workers DRAMATICALLY RAISE over the back like a flag. ~500 species in the genus.

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On File
A black garden ant (Lasius niger), small dark brown to black ant with the typical formicid body plan, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs77
Alias
Lasius niger

Black Garden Ant

Most familiar ant in European gardens. Synchronized 'FLYING ANT DAY' mating swarms every summer.

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On File
A yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus), small pale yellow ant with reduced eyes, six legs, top view.
Beneficial
Six Legs76
Alias
Lasius flavus

Yellow Meadow Ant

Lives ENTIRELY UNDERGROUND. Workers are BLIND. Farms ROOT APHIDS inside underground galleries.

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On File
A bullhorn acacia ant (Pseudomyrmex ferruginea), slender reddish-brown ant with long thin legs and large eyes, six legs, top view.
Beneficial
Six Legs81
Alias
Pseudomyrmex ferruginea

Bullhorn Acacia Ant

Foundational PLANT-ANT MUTUALISM. Lives in hollow thorns of acacia. Aggressively defends tree from herbivores.

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On File
A yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes), yellow-orange ant with very long thin legs and antennae, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs87
Alias
Anoplolepis gracilipes

Yellow Crazy Ant

World's 100 worst invasive species. Killed 10-15 MILLION red crabs on Christmas Island. Catastrophic.

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On File
A European red wood ant (Formica rufa), reddish-brown head and pronotum with darker brown abdomen, six legs, side profile.
Beneficial
Six Legs79
Alias
Formica rufa

European Red Wood Ant

Massive THATCH-COVERED MOUNDS up to 2m tall. PROTECTED SPECIES across Europe. Major forest pest control.

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On File
A pavement ant (Tetramorium immigrans), small dark brown to nearly black ant with typical formicid body plan, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs78
Alias
Tetramorium immigrans

Pavement Ant

Common urban ant. Famous for spectacular ANNUAL PAVEMENT WARS — thousands of ants in mass spring combat.

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On File
A giant bulldog ant (Myrmecia gulosa), large reddish-brown ant with massive elongated sickle-like mandibles longer than the head and large compound eyes, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs85
Alias
Myrmecia gulosa

Bulldog Ant

Australia's giant primitive ants. Massive sickle jaws. Sees prey from 1 meter. Most ANCIENT surviving ant lineage.

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On File
An Allegheny mound ant (Formica exsectoides) worker, dark brown to brick-red ant with elongated body, six legs, on a soil mound surface.
Curious
Six Legs78
Alias
Formica exsectoides

Allegheny Mound Ant

Builds 1-meter dome-shaped solar mounds. Aggressively kills nearby trees with formic acid to maintain sun.

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On File
A Texas leafcutter ant (Atta texana) worker carrying a cut green leaf fragment in her mandibles, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs86
Alias
Atta texana

Texas Leafcutter Ant

US leafcutter ant. 1-2 million workers per colony. Excavates 8m-deep underground fungus farms.

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On File
An Asian needle ant (Brachyponera chinensis), small dark brown to black ant with elongated body, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs76
Alias
Brachyponera chinensis

Asian Needle Ant

Painful sting comparable to a wasp. Anaphylaxis documented. Displacing native ants in eastern US.

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On File
A European fire ant (Myrmica rubra), small reddish-brown ant with elongated body, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs72
Alias
Myrmica rubra

European Fire Ant

Invasive in Metro Vancouver since 2010s. Sharp burning sting. Excludes native ants from infested soil.

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On File
An odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile), small dark brown to black ant with elongated body, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs75
Alias
Tapinoma sessile

Odorous House Ant

Smells like rotten coconut when crushed. Most common indoor ant in North America. Budding colony defeats spray.

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On File
An acacia ant (Pseudomyrmex ferruginea), small reddish-brown ant with elongated body, six legs, on a green acacia leaflet near a swollen thorn entrance.
Beneficial
Six Legs80
Alias
Pseudomyrmex ferruginea

Acacia Ant

Lives inside hollow acacia thorns, drinks Beltian-body sap, attacks anything that touches the tree.

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On File
A tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva), small reddish-brown body with disproportionately long legs and antennae.
Outlaw
Six Legs84
Alias
Nylanderia fulva

Tawny Crazy Ant

Neutralizes fire ant venom. Displaces fire ants. Shorts out electrical gear by sheer mass.

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On File
A pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) worker, tiny pale yellow ant body with darker brown abdomen tip.
Outlaw
Six Legs75
Alias
Monomorium pharaonis

Pharaoh Ant

2 mm. Invades hospitals. Spray her and she SPLITS the colony. Queens by the dozen.

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