Tapinoma sessile
| Tapinoma sessile | |
|---|---|
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| Tapinoma sessile worker | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Tapinoma |
| Species: | T. sessile |
| Binomial name | |
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Tapinoma sessile Say, 1836 |
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Tapinoma sessile is a species of ant that goes by the common names odorous house ant, stink ant, and coconut ant. Their colonies are polydomous (consist of multiple nests) and polygynous (contain multiple reproducing queens). Like many social insects, T. sessile employs complex foraging strategies, allocates food depending on environmental conditions, and engages in competition with other insect species.
These ants can be found in a huge diversity of habitats, including within houses. They forage mainly for honeydew, which is produced by aphids and scale insects that are guarded and tended by the ants, as well as floral nectar and other sugary foods.
As with most other ants, T. sessile is eusocial. This is characterized by reproductive division of labor, cooperative care of the young, and overlapping generations.
T. sessile ranges in color from brown to black, and varies in length from 1/16 to 1/8 inches (1.5–3.2 mm). Their antennae have 12 segments.
Little is known about the lifespan of the ant, though it has been shown that queens live at least 8 months (and probably much longer), workers at least a few months (and show every indication of living as long as queens), while males appear to live only approximately a week.
This odorous house ant is tough; injured workers have been observed to continue living and working with little hindrance. Some queens with crushed abdomens still lay eggs, and there are documented instances of T. sessile queens surviving without food or water for over two months. They also appear highly tolerant to heat and cold. These ants are difficult to remove from the home. When killed, these ants leave a smell which leads to their nickname "stink ant".
The gaster portion of the abdomen sits directly on top of the petiole in the abdomen of this ant species. A comparison of the diagram of a normal ant body and the side view of the T. sessile shows how the gaster sits atop the petiole.
This also leads to a very small petiole and to the gaster being pointed downward. The anal pore then open ventrally (toward the abdomen) instead of distally.
This species of ant demonstrates a dominance hierarchy system, consisting of a queen and subordinate workers. The larger colonies themselves vary in size from a few hundred to tens of thousands of individuals. The bigger colonies usually have multiple queens. The queens lay the eggs and then incubate between 11–26 days. The larva stage then lasts between 13–29 days, and the pre-pupal and pupal stages last between 10–24 days.
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Wikipedia