Why Ants?

The ants are a family of insects closely related to wasps and bees.  Likely because they can form complex societies, ants are tremendously successful-- they're commonly found on every continent except Antarctica!  Their fascinating social behaviors, ability to engineer ecosystems, and roles as pests and invasive species have attracted the attention of scientists for centuries.  However, here in California's Central Valley, we still don't know much about the species of ants living right under our feet!  Backyard ANTology greatly appreciates your help figuring out the collection of ants roaming around your home, backyard, schools, park, or farm.  Below, is some information about ants you may encounter (click on the photos to learn more), as well as a little bit about the coordinators of Backyard ANTology.  

The Popular Ants

The pavement ant (Tetramorium immigrans) is only about 2.5-4 mm (1/10 of an inch) long, but it is a remarkably successful species from Europe that can be found throughout the U.S.  In the Central Valley, it is commonly found in homes and gardens-- particularly in the summer.  Click here to find out where we've collected pavement ants in the Central Valley.

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a notorious invasive species native to South America that can now be found on every continent except Antarctica.  It is small (about 2.5 mm in length) but aggressively defends its expanding ranges--the "super-colony" of Argentine ants in coastal California stretches 900 km (560 miles)!  Click here to find out where we've collected Argentine ants in the Central Valley.

The winter ant (​Prenolepis imparis) is a medium sized (3-4 mm) native ant found throughout much of the United States. It loves to stay in shady areas, usually near or on trees, and is active above-ground through many of the cooler months. It also has a potent chemical defense that allows it to compete with pesky non-native ants, such as the pavement and Argentine ant.  Click here to find out where we've collected winter ants in the Central Valley.

Supporting Cast

Moorish sneaking ant
(Cardiocondyla mauritanica)

Pharaoh ant
(​Monomorium pharaonis)

Pyramid ant
(Dorymyrmex insanus)

Crazy ant
(Nylanderia vividula)

Tiny mono ant
(Monomorium ergatogyna)

Longhorn crazy ant
(Paratrechina longicornis)

Western harvester ant
​(Pogonomyrmex occidentalis)

Carpenter ant
(Camponotus clarithorax)

Field ant
​(Formica moki)

Odorous house ant
(Tapinoma sessile)

California harvester ant
(Pogonomyrmex californicus)

Carpenter ant
(Camponotus maritimus)

Red ant
(Formica subpolita)

Black carpenter ant
(Camponotus modoc)

Rough harvester ant
(Pogonomyrmex rugosus)

Smooth harvester ant
(Veromessor andrei)

Red and black carpenter ant
(Camponotus semitestaceus)

Velvety tree ant
(Liometopum occidentale)

Wood ant
(Formica fusca)

All specimen photographs from antweb.org

The Human Elements

Dr. Zach Stahlschmidt is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at University of the Pacific.  Zach researches questions related to behavioral and physiological ecology (lab website here) and coordinated Backyard ANTology, both of which were generously funded by the National Science Foundation.

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Dustin Johnson is a former undergraduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences at University of the Pacific.  In addition to his studies and other research endeavors, Dustin performed most of the day-to-day operations for Backyard ANTology, including ant identification, data entry, and shipping logistics.

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