longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) Description
English: Profile view of ant Paratrechina longicornis specimen casent0134863.
Date 9 December 2008, 09:02:46
Source AntWeb.org http://www.antweb.org/bigPicture.do?name=casent0134863&number=1&shot=p
Author Erin Prado
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paratrechina_longicornis_casent0134863_profile_1.jpg
The longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) is a species of small dark-coloured insect in the family Formicidae. These ants are commonly called "crazy ants" because instead of following straight lines, they dash around erratically. They have a broad distribution, including much of the tropics and subtropics and are also found in buildings in more temperate regions, making them one of the most widespread ant species in the world. This species, as well as all others in the ant subfamily Formicinae, cannot sting. It is said to be the most widespread species of ant in the world, although the pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) is another challenger for this position. Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae, Genus: Paratrechina, Species: Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802).
Synonyms:
Prenolepis longicornis Roger (1863)
Prenolepis (Nylanderia) longicornis Emery (1910)
Formica longicornis Latreille (1802)
Formica vagans Jerdon (1851)
Formica gracilescens Nylander (1856)
Tapinoma gracilescens F. Smith (1858)
Paratrechina currens Motschoulsky (1863)
Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (1925)