Belonging to the Monomorium minimum family. A very small, black ant closely related to the Pharaoh ant (an indoor pest ant). It nests in soil under rocks, logs or debris. It also builds nests in open areas of soil in lawns. The nests in the ground are small craters of very fine soil. These ants' colonies also are found under the bark of trees, in debris trapped in the crotches of trees, in wood damaged by termites, in firewood piles and in stacks of bricks and stones. Little black ants feed on a wide variety of foods, including live and dead insects and the honeydew produced by aphids. The ants are active foragers and forage in trails of a few or up to hundreds of workers. These trails can be located along sidewalks and foundations and up the sides of buildings.
Lifecycle
Ants grow up in just a few days. Each ant goes through four distinctive growing stages: egg, larva, pupa, and the adult. Ants live a very busy, but short life compared to humans. The average life expectancy of an ant is 45-60 days. However, they reproduce so quickly that the overall colony just gets larger with time.
Habitat
The Little Black ant is versatile, nesting both indoors and outdoors. The ants prefer decayed woods but will build nests in any woodwork voids or cracks in cement. Outdoor colonies are found under stones/rocks, in rotting logs, in lawns, or in open areas. Nests can be located by the small craters of fine soil, which are deposited at their entrances.