Pavement Ants

Pavement ants (Tetramorium immigrans) are very small ants that are encountered frequently by Maine homeowners. They enter structures through cracks (especially cracks in foundations and concrete slabs), and they like to nest in the soil under the floors of homes or offices, or under sidewalks, driveways, stones, logs, etc. They feed on a great variety of food sources, including sugary items, meats, grains such as breads and crackers, food garbage, other insects, pollen, pet food and nuts, to name but a few.

: Pavement Ants (feeding on a cookie crumb)

: Pavement Ants feasting on a Cheez-It® cracker (Boothbay, Maine – 5/25/2019)

: Pavement ants (Closer and cropped view of the photo at left)

: Pavement Ants feasting on a Cheez-It® cracker (Boothbay, Maine – 5/25/2019)

: Magnified view of a Pavement ant worker (as seen through a dissecting scope)

: Magnified view of a Pavement ant worker (as seen through a dissecting scope)

Additional Information about Pavement Ants:

Pavement Ants (University of Minnesota Extension)
Photos of Winged Males (University of Minnesota Extension)
Photo of a Winged Queen (BugGuide.net)

Photo of a pavement ant with a couple of diagnostic features marked on the photo that are useful for identification (two nodes on the petiole and a pair of small spines located on the back of the thorax) — There are other small ants that have two nodes (Acrobat ants, Thief ants and Pharaoh ants), but they lack the pair of ‘small’ spines on the back of the thorax. Acrobat ants have two spines on the back of the thorax as well, but they are quite large.

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