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Photo#225512
Small ants

Small ants
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
September 13, 2008
Size: 5 mm long (adult)
These ants were stuck to a watering can lying on its side when I turned it over. Note how the winged ants come in two colors: light beige and dark brown.

Images of this individual: tag all
Small ants Small ants

Moved
Moved from False Honey Ant.

Prenolepis imparis I think.
I believe these are Prenolepis imparis. They must have been using the watering can to incubate their adult staged brood. Nuptial flights usually occur during the first warm day of the year after January in the late afternoon. Most often they occur in March but can occur as early as February and last as long as April-ish. Queens are a pretty orange-brown with red blushing.

The light brown males simply need to gain their full color. When they fly you can see swarms of them gathered around trees.

 
Thank you
What a surprise to discover they're considered to be pests in Ohio! Down here in NC, we usually don't notice them.

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