Ants

Identification: If the information on these pages does not afford you a satisfactory or confident ID determination, don’t hesitate to make use of our Insect Diagnostic Lab.  You can either send us a specimen, or upload a good (clear), closeup photo (or photos) for us using our Photo Submission Form.  Depending on the particular ant in question, sometimes a really good photo is adequate.  But when a photo is not sufficient by itself, our Submitting Specimens page will guide you through the process of submitting your specimens to our lab for identification.

People in Maine often mistake winged ants–especially if they are swarming–with winged termites. Due to our generally long and cold winters, however, termites have only been found rarely in some southern and coastal areas of Maine.  For those who may be concerned, however, Mississippi State University Extension has a fact sheet with a helpful illustration that explains nicely the difference between the overall body design of a termite versus an ant: How to Distinguish Termites from Ants.  Another resource about flying ants that is worth checking out is this UK Natural History Museum feature: Flying ant day: when winged ants take their nuptial flight

Although it is true that many ants are pests and/or a nuisance from a human perspective, ants are also beneficial in many ways, as discussed in the following two publications: Ants in Lawns, UMass Extension (PDF) and Ants in Lawns (Iowa State University).

Photos of some Ants (and an ant-mimicking wasp) found in Maine:

Additional Ant Possibilities for Maine (but these are generally not encountered that often by most people in Maine):

Additional Photos and Information:

  • Acrobat Ants (also called Valentine Ants) (genus Crematogaster)
  • Allegheny Mound Ants (Formica exsectoides) — Beneficial to humans in some situations; two similar species we have in Maine: Formica pergandei and Formica aserva (BugGuide.net)
  • Carpenter Ants (genus Camponotus) — Always check firewood for these ants before bringing it indoors.
  • Citronella Ants — Ants in the genus Lasius are collectively referred to as Citronella Ants or sometimes Lemon Ants:
    • Black Garden Ants (Lasius niger) — found in fields, gardens, playgrounds, etc.
    • Cornfield Ants (Lasius neoniger and L. americanus) — Rarely nest in homes but they are very common and abundant outdoors.
    • Larger Yellow Ants (Lasius interjectus) (University of Minnesota Extension) and Smaller Yellow Ants (Lasius claviger) (BugGuide.net) — Sometimes mistaken for Pavement ants or Cornfield ants, either one of these yellow ant species may be commonly encountered by Maine homeowners in the Fall while the ants are swarming. They like to colonize in the soil adjacent to foundations, so are often encountered in basements, especially along cracks or holes in the foundation or floor where moisture and/or rotten wood is also present. See also: Citronella Ants (Penn State)
  • Pavement Ants (Tetramorium immigrans) — very common indoors and outdoors.
  • Spine-waisted Ants (Genus Aphaenogaster) — Ants in this genus are important seed dispersers.
  • European Red Ants (includes photos) (Myrmica rubra) (invasive) — The European Red Ant is also frequently called the European Fire Ant because it has a stinger; It is an invasive insect in Maine, increasing in its geographical range (particularly in coastal communities) and in its encounters with homeowners. However, these ants are only distantly related to the ‘true’ fire ants found in the southern U.S. and Latin America. Additional Resources:
  • Field Ants/Wood Ants/Mound Ants (Formica spp) (University of Wisconsin)
  • See also:
    • Ants (University of Minnesota Extension)
    • Flying Ants (Colorado State University Extension)
    • Velvet Ants — these are actually solitary wasps with females that look like fuzzy ants and are equipped with a very painful stinger, giving rise to two other common names: “mule killers” and “cow killers” because of the intensity of the pain. Dasymutilla gibbosa (BugGuide.net)