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Solenopsis molesta
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Lateral view (low res, high res).
These are our own local relatives of the notorious fire ants from further south. But in contrast to those, who could probably run for public office given their celebrity, here they couldn't be any less conspicuous. The group of species that includes S. molesta are called "thief ants." They are extremely tiny, a little bit more than a millimeter long, and are never seen above ground. They are most often found when you lift a rock, find the nest of some larger ant species, and the little Solenopsis will be in tunnels and galleries under the same rock. Although there isn't much evidence, it is thought that they may often be thieves, nesting near other ants and sneaking into their chambers to steal food and perhaps the eggs and larvae.
Last updated Monday, August 07, 2006, by Lisa Ferrier
