Ants
If you have a specimen that you can provide, or a very good digital photo that you can email, don’t hesitate to make use of our Insect Diagnostic Lab for an identification (assuming our web site does not provide you with a satisfactory or confident determination/identification).
- Allegheny Mound Ants — Beneficial in some situations.
- Carpenter Ants — Always check firewood for these ants before bringing it indoors.
- Citranella Ants — Ants in the genus Lasius are collectively referred to as Citranella ants or sometimes Lemon ants:
- Cornfield Ants (Lasius neoniger) — Rarely nest in homes but they are very common and abundant outdoors.
- Larger Yellow Ants (Lasius interjectus) (University of Minnesota Extension) — Easily confused with Pavement ants and Cornfield ants, Larger Yellow ants are quite often encountered by Maine homeowners in the Fall, when they swarm. These ants like to colonize in the soil adjacent to a home’s foundation, 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.
- Pavement Ants — very common indoors and outdoors.
- European Red Ants (includes photos) (Myrmica rubra) (invasive) — The European Red Ant is also called the European Fire Ant; 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. See also: Bulletin #2551, European Fire Ant: Management for Homeowners and Bacteria from nematodes could be used to kill fire ants, UMaine research reveals
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- Allegheny Mound Ants (Bristol, ME 7/19/2017)
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- Eastern Black Carpenter Ant (worker) feeding on a drop of honey (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) (central Maine; 4/8/2009)
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Carpenter Ant Queen
(wingless stage) (the wings fall off subsequent to mating)
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Carpenter Ant
(Winged Queen)
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- A male Carpenter Ant (central Maine; 5/29/2015)
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- European Red Ant — Myrmica rubra (also referred to as the European Fire Ant) (Invasive)
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- Larger Yellow Ants (These belong to a genus that is also known collectively as Citranella Ants)
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- Pavement Ants (feeding on a cookie crumb)
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- Pavement Ants feasting on a Cheez-It® cracker (Boothbay, Maine – 5/25/2019)
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- Pavement ants (Closer and cropped view of the photo at left)
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- Cornfield Ants (Lasius neoniger) (Farmington, ME; 4/14/2021)
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- Cornfield Ant (Lasius neoniger) (Farmington, ME; 4/14/2021)
Additional Ant Possibilities (but these would generally not be encountered as often by most people in Maine):
- Acrobat Ants (also called Valentine Ants)
- Crazy Ants — quite rare in Maine
- False Honey Ants
- Pharaoh Ants (University of Minnesota Extension)
- Little Black Ants (Northeastern IPM center)
- Little Black Ant – worker (Photo) (BugGuide.net)
- Little Black Ant – Queen with Male (Photo of a mating pair) (BugGuide.net)
- Odorous House Ants (University of Minnesota Extension)
- Thief Ants (University of Minnesota Extension)
Be Aware:
- 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 been quite rare in Maine, with only isolated cases that show up from time to time in some areas (primarily southern and coastal areas). The 2nd page of the following Cornell University fact sheet has a helpful image that illustrates nicely the difference between the overall body design of a termite versus an ant: Comparison of a termite versus an ant (scroll to page 2)
- 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 this University of Iowa publication entitled Ants in Lawns
- See also: Ants (University of Minnesota Extension) and Flying Ants (Colorado State University Extension)