Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants of New York City

8/12/2019 Dr. Eleanors Book of Common Ants of New York City

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Introduction
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http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/Entomology/about.htmlhttp://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/Entomology/about.htmlhttp://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/Entomology/about.htmlhttp://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/Entomology/about.html


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Just like in other landscapes, ants provide important ecosystem

functions in New York City. Here ants are taking care of a roach carcass.

Photo Gallery


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http://www.robrdunn.com/2011/01/confessions-of-a-stone-turner/http://www.robrdunn.com/2011/01/confessions-of-a-stone-turner/


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Biologists love flipping

logs. Give it a try to see

what might be living

beneath...


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You never know what you may find when you start collecting ants.

Our cities, parks and backyards may be some of our most

overlooked wild spaces. - Alex Wild


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The exotic Asian Needle Ant was collected for the first (and only) time in

New York City by a student in Manhattan. - Alex Wild

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http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013222http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013222http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013222http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013222http://www.robrdunn.com/2011/04/man-discovers-a-new-life-form-at-a-south-african-truck-stop/http://www.robrdunn.com/2011/04/man-discovers-a-new-life-form-at-a-south-african-truck-stop/


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Undergraduate Ryanna Henderson hard at work sampling

arthropods in NYC mediums. - Elsa Youngsteadt
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/science/26evolve.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/science/26evolve.html?pagewanted=all


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Dr. Amy Savage is leading e!orts to study and better understand thelives of ants in New York City. - Holly Menninger

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http://www.schoolofants.org/http://www.schoolofants.org/


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A word cloud of ant species collected in NewYork City by Dr. Amy Savage and her team

(name sizes based on occurrence data in

urban parks, forest and medians).


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Credits
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http://www.bwfund.org/http://www.bwfund.org/http://www.bwfund.org/http://www.bwfund.org/http://www.robrdunn.com/http://www.robrdunn.com/http://www.alexanderwild.com/http://www.alexanderwild.com/http://verdantword.com/http://verdantword.com/


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Ants1
http://www.alexanderwild.com/http://www.alexanderwild.com/


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Complete metamorphosis: Ants pass through egg, larva, and pupastages on their way to adulthood. - Alex Wild

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A male leaves the nest and climbs high to embark on his mating flight. - Alex Wild

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Most folks recognize these sandy desert mounds as a typical ant nest.But ants build their homes in an amazing variety of structures and

places. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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Carpenter Ant2


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Follow her home to

the nest!

Photo Gallery


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Black carpenter ants prefer to

nest in living, standing trees, but will also nest

in logs and wood in human structures.

What it eats:Omnivores, black carpenter ants

eat protein-rich foods, including other insects,

as well as sugary foods, such as plant nectar.

NYC notes:Carpenter ants can be found

anywhere in New York where there are trees

nearby. They have been found on Broadway, in

front of the Lion King and nearly anywhere else

there is a trunk in which to raise babies and

hide from bright lights.

A worker out foraging in the canopy. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery

Movie


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Black carpenter ants tending aphids on poplar. - Dick Walton

Movie


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School of Ants Map

North American distribution of the eastern black carpenter ant. Visit

www.schoolofants.org/species/1166for an interactive version.


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Lasius Ant3


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Many Lasiusants prefer open

spaces, and will set up their anthills in grassy

areas like golf courses or tra#c medians.

Sometimes they nest under stones or in logs.

What it eats:Aphid experts, Lasiusants tend

aphids like cattle, milking them for honeydew

and sometimes killing them for a big aphidsteak.

NYC notes:Lasius neonigerloves the

medians, where it thrives, though just what it is

doing there needs to be studied. Lasius

alienuscan be found anywhere it finds a patch

of open ground, where it makes a nest in the

ground in which the inside of its tunnels are

arranged so that the smooth sides of the

stones all point toward the inside, to make

smooth-bricked walkways for tender, tiny feet.


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Excavated soil outside a Lasius neoniger nest entrance resembles a little

volcano. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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A Lasius queen tucked away with her young larvae in a chamber just

below the soil surface . - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the Lasius ant (Lasius alienus). Visit

www.schoolofants.org/species/1852for an interactive version.

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Pavement Ant4


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Pavement ants most often nest

under bricks or pavement, but they are also

found in grassy areas near sidewalks and even

in extreme environments, like salt marshes.

What it eats:Ultimate opportunists, pavement

ants eat anything from dead insects to

honeydew, a sugary food planthoppers

produce. They also dine on pollen, food in your

kitchen, and garbage.

NYC notes:Here is an ant with a New York

ethos. It is, we suspect, more common

beneath the cement of sidewalks and roads

than anywhere else. Something about the

cement becomes it. Maybe it likes the heat.

Maybe it likes the vibration of the road. Maybe

it likes being close to New Yorks exciting

human life.

Photo Gallery


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Two colonies of pavement ants battle for territory. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery

Take a closer look at the

battle raging down below.

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the pavement ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/119for an interactive version.

School of Ants Map

Odoro s Ho se Ant5


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Odorous House Ant5


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Odorous house ants nest

indoors (under sinks and doormats and in

insulation and dishwashers) and outdoors

(under rocks and in garbage cans, potted

plants and exposed soil).

What it eats:Honeydew, a sugary liquid made

by the small insects aphids and scales, and

other sugary food left out by humans. Odorous

house ants also eat dead insects and spiders.

NYC notes:Everywhere in North America, this

ant can be found in really urban habitats and

homes and is more rare in forests and open

grasslands. Not in New York. In New York,

Tapinoma sessileis common in forests but rare

in the most urban parts of the city. Do youknow why? We dont have a clue.

Photo Gallery


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Odorous house ants can have multiple egg-laying queens in the samecolony. - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the odorous house ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/118for an interactive version.

Crazy Ant6


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Crazy Ant6


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Nylanderiaarent choosy about

where to nest and can nest under trees or in

your potted plants.

What it eats:Nuts for sugar, Nylanderiaprefer

sweet syrups produced by aphids, but will

snack on human garbage or scavenge for

insects if they get the chance.

NYC notes:This is the ant the students of

Columbia College found in the Frontiers of

Science project thanks to the leadership of

James Dano!-Burg. It is everywhere (in 28 of

48 places sampled so far in New York City)

and may well have been for decades,

ubiquitous but unnoticed. We know little about

this ant. If I were a teacher in New York City, Idcollect some colonies. Id watch them, learn

their ways. Discoveries await.

Photo Gallery


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Crazy ants will tend aphids and scale insects for their sweet secretions. -

Alex Wild


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A Raspberry crazy ant, the craziest of the crazies. - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the crazy ant (Nylanderia flavipes). Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/1470for an interactive version.

Winter Ant7


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Winter ants nest deep in the

soil near tree bases or in open ground, like

lawns.

What it eats:While winter ants wont pass up

the opportunity for a sugary snack, these

ladies prefer protein-packed food, noshing on

other insects unlucky enough to endure

winters chill.

NYC notes:Even though it gets very cold in

New York, Prenolepis imparisstill hangs out in

the fall and spring. On a cold fall day, a day

that seems too cold for ants, you can

sometimes find these lovelies on park

benches, their bellies golden with sugar, as

they pause to catch a chance sun ray.Discoveries await.

Photo Gallery


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The beautiful winter ant, also known as the false honeypot ant. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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The winter ant queen, in all her glory! - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the winter ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/96for an interactive version.

Field Ant8


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Field ants generally build their

nests against trees, under rocks, or in logs.

What it eats:More bu!et-style than picky

eaters, field ants love sugar like aphid

honeydew, soft-bodied insects like caterpillars,

and seed husks.

NYC notes:These big, lovely ants can befound everywhere in the city but are nowhere

common. If you spot them, know it was a

special moment. Take a picture. Send us a

note. Or just enjoy.

Photo Gallery


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This foraging Formica incerta is a beautiful deep red. You may see her

visiting your urban garden. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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A Formica pallidefulva forages for nectar on a dandelion in the park. -

Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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Slave-making ants (Polyergus mexicanus) have just raided a Formica

subsericea nest and made o!with field ant pupae. - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the field ant (Formica subsericea). Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/1174for an interactive version.

Asian Needle Ant9


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Urban Life

Where it lives:In forests, Asian needle ants

nest in rotting logs, under leaves and mulch,

and under rocks. In human environments,

Asian needle ants can nest anywhere from

potted plants to under doormats, in

landscaping materials, and under dog bowls.

What it eats:While they loves termites, Asian

needle ants will eat pretty much anything theycan find, from dead insects to other ants to

human garbage.

NYC notes:In New York state, the Asian

needle ant has been found several times, but

in New York City it has been spotted just once,

in one median, and when Marko Pe$arevi$

went back to look for it the next year, it was

gone, missing without explanation like the lost

colonists of Roanoke.


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Photo Gallery


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The Asian needle ant captures a termite and delivers a wallop of a sting.- Alex Wild


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School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the Asian needle ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/1157for an interactive version.

Winnow Ant10


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Winnow ants prefer to nest in

rotting wood, but will nest anywhere from soil

in open areas to human garbage.

What it eats:The tasty outer coating of seeds

and other insects like termites. Winnow ants

also like sugary foods.

NYC notes:Winnow ants and their close

relatives are rare in the most cement-caked

parts of the city, but in the refuge provided by

the big parks they remains common, found in

eight of 13 forests sampled by Amy Savage

and colleagues, for example.

Photo Gallery


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Two Aphaenogaster foragers are attracted to the ripe elaiosomes ofsome fallen bloodroot seeds. - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the winnow ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/1160for an interactive version.

Big Headed Ant11


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Photo Gallery


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Pheidole bicarinata workers gather around to scavenge the carcass of astink bug. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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Some examples of di!erent big headed ant species. Here is Pheidolerhea, North America's largest Pheidole species. - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the big headed ant (Pheidole tysoni).Visit www.schoolofants.org/species/136for an interactive version.

Little Black Ant12


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Urban Life


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Urban Life

Where it lives:Little black ants can make their

nests outdoors, in forests, or right in your

backyard, often under rocks and tree bark.

What it eats:Sugary liquid called honeydew,

made by small insects called aphids and

scales. Also, dead insects, spiders, and your

trash.

NYC notes:Although these ants are generally

abundant where people live, they dont seem

to survive everywhere in New York. They need,

for reasons we dont know, parks.

Photo Gallery


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Monomorium minimum workers tidying up the entrance to their nest. - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the little black ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/2152for an interactive version.

Thief Ant13


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Urban Life


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U ba e

Where it lives:Thief ants nest underground inforests and open, grassy areas. They also like

to nest in human structures. They particularly

like nesting near other ant species nests.

What it eats:Tiny ants with big appetites, thief

ants prefer protein like dead insects.

NYC notes:Thief ants love New York. They

can be found everywhere. They rise out of

cracks. They climb buildings. They show up on

rooftops. They are abundant and incredible

and always there.


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A colony of tiny thief ants scrambles for cover when its nest gets

disturbed. - Alex Wild


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School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the thief ant. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/2152for an interactive version.

Acrobat Ant14


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Urban Life


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Where it lives:Most often, you will findacrobat ants nesting under bark in trees, the

forest floor, or rotting wood, but sometimes

they wander into our homes, snuggling their

nests in tight spots like between shingles and

in the walls.

What it eats:Primarily sugar lovers, acrobat

ants sometimes take a break from lapping

honeydew o!aphids rear ends to forage on

protein like dead insects.

NYC notes:Two species of Acrobat ants have

been found in the city, Crematogaster cerasi

and Crematogaster laeviuscula. Both have

been found just once. Here then are two rare

Southern gems making their way among

Yankees.

Photo Gallery


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A forager up in the trees, feeding on nectar. - Alex Wild

Photo Gallery


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An acrobat ant queen receiving a lot of attention from her dedicatedworkers (C. lineolata). - Alex Wild

School of Ants Map


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North American distribution of the acrobat ant (Crematogaster cerasi).Visit www.schoolofants.org/species/1167for an interactive version.

Another kind of guest, the Myrmecophilus ant cricket, hangs out in an

acrobat ant nest. - Alex Wild

Honeyrump Ant15


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Brachymyrmexs thin skin means it needs to hang out in moist places. -

Alex Wild

Urban Life

School of Ants Map


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Where it lives:Beneath the soils surface.

What it eats:Brachymyrmexsnack on

underground bugs like root aphids and

sometimes scavenge for sweet treats above

ground.

NYC notes:This lovely little ant has been

found in the grassy, open habitats of three of

the 14 parks sampled in Manhattan and in five

of 13 forests. It isnt so choosy, though it has

not yet been spotted in medians or out on the

hot cement.

North American distribution of Brachymyrmex depilis. Visitwww.schoolofants.org/species/3734for an interactive version.

References


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http://www.antweb.org/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/


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http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=10003http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=10003http://antbase.org/http://antbase.org/http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/Researchtaxapages/Formicidaehome.htmlhttp://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/Researchtaxapages/Formicidaehome.htmlhttp://www.alexanderwild.com/http://www.alexanderwild.com/http://www.antweb.org/http://www.antweb.org/http://www.navajonature.org/ants/formicinae/brachymyrmex-depilis.htmlhttp://www.navajonature.org/ants/formicinae/brachymyrmex-depilis.htmlhttp://www.navajonature.org/ants/formicinae/brachymyrmex-depilis.htmlhttp://www.navajonature.org/ants/formicinae/brachymyrmex-depilis.html

Documents

Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants of New York City