Tawny Crazy Ant

Category: Ants

Scientific Name: Nylanderia Fulva (Mayr, 1862)

Identification:

Color: Body is golden brown to reddish brown

Size: Body is 2 mm to 2.7 mm long, with queens being up to 4 mm or longer

Region: Found throughout the Southern US

Important Considerations:

  • The name “Tawny Crazy Ant,” comes from the ants’ color and because they work in an erratic jerky manner when searching for food or if they are disturbed
  • These ants do not have stingers, but they can bite and spray formic acid from their Gaster’s terminal circular opening onto the bite area
  • These ant colonies are composed of large numbers and they have more than one queen
  • Activity of these ants comes to a halt in cool weather, and during the winter they nest in the soil that’s located at the base of trees or shrubs that offer food such as honeydew
  • Nesting areas may be located over hundreds of yards away from their foraging locations

Where to Find Them on Your Property?

You can find Tawny ants in multiple locations such as in places with rotting wood, mulch, in potted plants, structures and vehicles, along underground electrical conduits, and in or under various types of debris. These ants thrive in environments that are humid or moist. It is important to keep an eye out for these ants, because sometimes they will chew through insulation or wiring. Tawny ants feed on plant-feeding insects such as aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and whiteflies.