Ants in Hawaiʻi
In Hawaiʻi there are no native ants, but through human activity over 60 species of ants have been unintentionally introduced over the past two centuries. We are building this photo gallery as a reference for identifying ants across the main Hawaiian Islands. Check back periodically for updates. To learn more about each species, visit Antweb.
Anoplolepis gracilipes
Yellow Crazy Ant
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Anoplolepis gracilipesAnoplolepis gracilipesKnown as the Yellow Crazy Ant because of its color and erratic behavior when disturbed. This species has been listed as one of the world’s top 100 invasive species. -
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Anoplolepis gracilipesAnoplolepis gracilipesAfter a Yellow Crazy Ant nest is disturbed, workers grasp the mandibles of a queen to move her to safety.
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Anoplolepis gracilipesAnoplolepis gracilipesYellow Crazy Ant workers working cooperatively to bring back an isopod back to the nest.
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Anoplolepis gracilipesAnoplolepis gracilipesYellow Crazy Ant workers working cooperatively to bring back an isopod back to the nest.
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Anoplolepis gracilipesAnoplolepis gracilipesYellow Crazy Ant workers haul a amphipod carcass back to the nest.
Brachymyrmex sp. nr. obscurior
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Brachymyrmex sp. nr. obscuriorBrachymyrmex sp. nr. obscuriorBrachymyrmex sp. nr. obscurior is a minute, non-descript, brown ant species occuring in natural open areas, and also in roadsides and lawns.
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Brachymyrmex sp. nr. obscuriorBrachymyrmex sp. nr. obscuriorBrachymyrmex sp. nr. obscurior queen and workers.
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Camponotus variegatus
Carpenter Ant
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Camponotus variegatusCamponotus variegatusThe Carpenter Ant is the largest species of ant in Hawai`i and is primarily noctural in habit.
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Camponotus variegatusCamponotus variegatusCarpenter Ants are a common household pest. Although it is called a Carpenter Ant, it does little to no damage to wooden structures. Instead, it will establish nests in rotting wood, voids hollowed out by termites, wall voids, and hollow doors.
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Camponotus variegatusCamponotus variegatusA Carpenter Ant worker carries another worker in its mandibles. This action is reffered to as "social carrying behavior" and commonly occurs when moving to a different nest site.
Cardiocondyla emeryi
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Cardiocondyla emeryiCardiocondyla emeryiOriginally from Africa, Cardiocondyla emeryi have been broadly dispersed by human commerce throughtout the tropics and subtropics.
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Cardiocondyla emeryiCardiocondyla emeryiCardiocondyla emeryi are a small and inconspicuous species.
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Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi/venustula
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Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi/venustulaCardiocondyla kagutsuchi/venustulaCardiocondyla kagutsuchi and Cardiocondyla venustula must be seperated via discriminant analysis of morphological features to reliably tell them apart. As a result, the two species have been grouped.
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Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi/venustulaCardiocondyla kagutsuchi/venustulaCardiocondyla kagutsuchi and Cardiocondyla venustula are small and inconspicuous ants with short propodeal spines.
Cardiocondyla minutior
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Cardiocondyla minutiorCardiocondyla minutiorThe thorax of Cardiocondyla minutior is relatively smooth without a notch between the mesonotum and metanotum.
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Cardiocondyla minutiorCardiocondyla minutiorCardiocondyla minutior is a pantropical tramp species.
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Cardiocondyla minutiorCardiocondyla minutiorCardiocondyla minutior winged reproductive and worker.
Hypoponera opacior
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Hypoponera opaciorHypoponera opaciorHypoponera opacior are frequently found nesting in rotting wood, under stones, or in leaf litter.
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Hypoponera opaciorHypoponera opaciorHypoponera opacior are highly variable in color ranging from orange to dark brown and black.
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Lepisiota sp. Hi01
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Lepisiota sp. Hi01Lepisiota sp. Hi01The genus Lepisiota is recognizable by the pair of teeth on the propodium.
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Lepisiota sp. Hi01Lepisiota sp. Hi01Working together, Lepisiota workers haul a Carperter Ant carcass back to their nest.
Leptogenys falcigera
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Leptogenys falcigeraLeptogenys falcigeraLeptogenys falcigera are large, black ants distinctive for their long, slender mandibles.
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Leptogenys falcigeraLeptogenys falcigeraOccurring mainly in lowland elevation, Leptogenys falcigera are often found in leaf litter foraging for live isopdods.
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Leptogenys falcigeraLeptogenys falcigeraLeptogenys falcigera live in smaller colonies with less than 60 individuals, nesting in rotten logs, live stems, and twigs.
Linepithema humile
Argentine Ant
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Linepithema humileLinepithema humileRanked among the world's 100 worst animal invaders, Argentine Ants can cause significant ecological and economic damage.
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Linepithema humileLinepithema humileArgentine Ants first became established on Oahu in 1940 and have spread throughout the Hawaiian Islands preferring the cooler climates of higher elevations.
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Linepithema humileLinepithema humileIn their introduced range, Argentine Ants maintain expansive supercolonies where queens and workers move freely between nests.
Monomorium floricola
Bicolored Trailing Ant, Flower Ant
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Monomorium floricolaMonomorium floricolaThe head and gaster of the Bicolored Trailing Ant is uniformly colored, both distinctly darker than the thorax.
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Monomorium floricolaMonomorium floricolaBicolored Trailing Ant is a widely distributed tramp ant typically found in tropical and subtropical regions.
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Monomorium pharaonis
Pharaoh Ant
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Monomorium pharaonisMonomorium pharaonisCarried by commerce and trade, Pharaoh Ants have been introduced to virtually every inhabited part of the world. Although they are a tropical species, they also thrive in temperate regions persisting in heated buildings as a major domestic pest.
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Monomorium pharaonisMonomorium pharaonisEasily confused with Monomorium sahlbergi, Monomorium pharaonis instead have 2/3 of the first gaster yellow versus 1/4 (or less) of the gaster in P. sahlbergi.
Monomorium sahlbergi
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Monomorium sahlbergiMonomorium sahlbergiMonomorium sahlbergi is a tramp species with a worldwide distribution.
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Monomorium sahlbergiMonomorium sahlbergiEasily confused with Monomorium pharaonis, Monomorium sahlbergi instead have 1/4 (or less) of the first gaster yellow versus 2/3 of the gaster in P. pharaonis.
Ochetellus glaber
Black Household Ant
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Ochetellus glaberOchetellus glaberA Black Household Ant at the nest entrance in the stump of a macadamia nut tree.
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Paratrechina longicornis
Longhorn Crazy Ant, Black Crazy Ant
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Paratrechina longicornisParatrechina longicornisThis species is commonly known as the Longhorn Crazy Ant or Black Crazy Ant because of the way that the workers dart around erratically in apparently random directions. With its long legs and antennae, it is easy to distinguish them from other ant species.
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Paratrechina longicornisParatrechina longicornisLonghorned Crazy Ants tending to scale insects for honeydew.
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Paratrechina longicornisParatrechina longicornisLonghorned Crazy Ants cooperating to bring a centipede carcass back to the nest.
Pheidole fervens
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Pheidole fervensPheidole fervensPheidole fervens is a widespread invasive species with minor and major workers.
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Pheidole fervensPheidole fervensPheidole fervens can be easily confused with Pheidole megacephala. Morphologically the minor workers are best seperated by the lack of ventral bulge on the post petiole and the presence of sculpturing between the antenna and eyes versus the presence of a ventral bulge on the post petiole and lack of sculpturing between the antenna and eyes in P. megacephala.
Pheidole megacephala
Big-headed Ant
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Pheidole megacephalaPheidole megacephalaThe Big-headed Ant is considered one of the world’s worst invasive ant species found in many subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world.
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Pheidole megacephalaPheidole megacephalaBig-headed Ants workers come in two different sizes: minors are small with normal sized heads, while majors are much larger with disproportionately larger heads.
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Pheidole megacephalaPheidole megacephalaThe Big-headed Ant was first recorded in Hawai`i as early as 1879, at which time it was already well established.
Pheidole navigans
Navigating Big-headed Ant
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Pheidole navigansPheidole navigansLike all other Pheidole species, Navigating Big-headed Ants have distinct major and minor workers. Majors having disproportionately large heads compared with minors.
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Plagiolepis alluaudi
Little Yellow Ant
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Plagiolepis alluaudiPlagiolepis alluaudiNative to Madagascar, the Little Yellow Ant has spread to many parts of the world through human commerce.
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Plagiolepis alluaudiPlagiolepis alluaudiBecause of its size and color, the Little Yellow Ant is commonly mistaken for the Little Fire Ant but differes from the Little Fire Ant in lacking a 2-segmented propodeum, 2-segmented antenna, and long propdeal spines.
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Pseudomyrmex gracilis
Slender Twig Ant, Graceful Twig Ant, Mexican Twig Ant, Elongated Twig Ant
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Pseudomyrmex gracilisPseudomyrmex gracilisThe Slender Twig Ant is large wasp-like ant ranging in size from 7 to 12 mm long with large eyes.
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Pseudomyrmex gracilisPseudomyrmex gracilisThe bright orange and black coloration of the Slender Twig Ant might act as a warning to predators of its powerful sting.
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Solenopsis geminata
Tropical Fire Ant
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Solenopsis geminataSolenopsis geminataTropical Fire Ants get their name from their ability to inflict painful stings. Common in urban areas, this species was well established in Hawaiʻi by the 1870s.
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Solenopsis geminataSolenopsis geminataTopical Fire Ants feeding on a stem of an amaranth plant. This species is omniverous and will chew on roots, stems, buds, and fruits of various crops, and girdle young plants.
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Solenopsis globularia
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Solenopsis globulariaSolenopsis globulariaSolenopsis globularia are a New World thief ant with polymorphic workers..
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Solenopsis globulariaSolenopsis globulariaSolenopsis globularia workers are distinguished by their enlarged post-petiole.
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Strumigenys rogeri
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Strumigenys rogeriStrumigenys rogeriStrumigenys rogeri are a small, inconspicuous ant with long and slender mandibles. Cryptic in habit, this species moves slowly in the leaf litter predating on collembola and other tiny soil arthropods.
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Strumigenys rogeriStrumigenys rogeriStrumigenys rogeri have a distinctive notch just anterior of the eyes.
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Strumigenys rogeriStrumigenys rogeri
Tapinoma melanocephalum
Ghost Ant
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Tapinoma melanocephalumTapinoma melanocephalumGhost Ants are a common household pest in Hawaiʻi. Distincintly bicoloured, Ghost Ants are easily recognized by their dark brown head and thorax and pale legs and abdomen.
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Technomyrmex albipes
White-footed Ant
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Technomyrmex albipesTechnomyrmex albipesThe White-footed Ant is a small, black ant with white legs and is largely arboreal.
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Tetramorium bicarinatum
Tramp Ant
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Tetramorium bicarinatumTetramorium bicarinatumTramp Ant is recognized as one of the world's most broadly distributed ant species.
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Tetramorium caldarium
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Tetramorium caldariumTetramorium caldariumTetramorium caldarium is a small reddish ant that can be mistaken for the Little Fire Ant, but can be distinguished by the three-segemented antennal club in Tetramorium caldarium compared to the two-segmented club in the Little Fire Ant.
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Trichomyrmex destructor
Singapore Ant, Destructive Trailing Ant
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Trichomyrmex destructorTrichomyrmex destructorCommonly known as either the Singapore Ant or Destructive Trailing Ant. This pest species is notorious for chewing on structures, vehicles, and electrical equipment casuing extensive economic damage.
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Trichomyrmex destructorTrichomyrmex destructorSingapore Ant workers come in a large range of sizes.
Wasmannia auropunctata
Little Fire Ant, Electric Ant
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Wasmannia auropunctataWasmannia auropunctataTwo Little Fire Ants meeting on a trail. Ants use special chemical signals called pheromones and touch to communicate with one another.
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