Caribbean Crazy Ant

Paratrechina pubens

Appearance

Image of Caribbean Crazy Ant (Paratrechina pubens) | Rentokil Pest Control Australia
  • Workers between 1.5 and 3mm long.
  • Golden-brown to reddish-brown in colour.
  • Appear striped after feeding as the thin membrane covering their abdomen stretches.
  • Do not sting.
  • Very long antennae that are almost twice the width of their head.

Lifecycle

  • Worker ants forage in a very erratic manner and in loosely defined trails.
  • Larvae feed on secretions from the queen's salivary glands until the first worker ants emerge.
  • Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging.

Habits

  • Worker ants scavenge for solid and liquid foods including other insects, meats, seeds, fruit and honeydew from plant sucking insects.
  • Locations tend to be in existing gaps, cracks and crevices but also in dirt, plant cavities, trash and building foundations.
  • They may excavate significant amounts of soil during nest construction.
  • They take their common name from their erratic, rapid movements.