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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets (Vespoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Formicinae » False Honey Ants (Prenolepis) » False Honey Ant (Prenolepis imparis)
Photo#288870
Ant on buddleia - Prenolepis imparis
Copyright © 2009 G Whiz

Ant on buddleia - Prenolepis imparis
Alameda County, California, USA
June 15, 2009
Size: 3 mm
These are bigger, blacker, and shinier than the ordinary black ants usually found outside and in the house. I've seen a few of them at a time on a potted buddleia for at least a month now, never on other plants or on the ground.

Taken in the afternoon.

Images of this individual: tag all
Ant on buddleia - Prenolepis imparis Another ant on buddleia - Prenolepis imparis Ants on buddleia - Prenolepis imparis
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Contributed by G Whiz on 15 June, 2009 - 8:02pm
Last updated 29 June, 2009 - 8:04am

Behavior
Additional observation: unlike ordinary black ants, they remain active at night.
… G Whiz, 16 June, 2009 - 12:29pm login or register to post comments

 
These ants work better in col
These ants work better in cold weather and turn more nocturnal over the summer. Eventually they may go dormant entirely over the summer but come winter they'll be foraging happily in temperatures above freezing and below 50F.
… MrILoveTheAnts, 16 June, 2009 - 1:28pm login or register to post comments

 
It's been cool
They came to the right place, then. This is the SF Bay Area, where it never gets so hot as inland and rarely freezes. The past week has had many overcast days with lower temps than the seasonal average.
… G Whiz, 16 June, 2009 - 4:52pm login or register to post comments

Prenolepis imparis
The Winter Ant.
… MrILoveTheAnts, 15 June, 2009 - 11:49pm login or register to post comments

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