INSECTS AFFECTING HOUSEHOLD GOODS 217 



The Little Black Ant * is 3/16 of an inch long. It very 

 frequently occurs indoors, where it often is as troublesome 

 as the last species, but it ordinarily makes its nests under 

 stones in the yard or in the field. It may be recognized 

 'by the little pyramids of fine grains of soil which surround 

 its entrances. By tracing the ants to the outdoor col- 

 onies they may be readily destroyed. 



Another much larger species which sometimes invades 

 the house is the Black Pavement Ant^ a species quite com- 



J> 



FIG. 152. The little red ant (Monomorium pharaonis) . Enlarged. 

 (From Riley.) 



a, female; b, worker. 



mon in Eastern cities. These ants are about one-half inch 

 long and commonly make their nests under sidewalk pave- 

 ments and stones where they are hard to reach. 



In recent years the Argentine Ant | has been introduced 

 into Louisiana and has spread to parts of Mississippi, Ala- 

 bama, Texas and California. It threatens to become one of 

 our worst insect pests over a large section of the country, for 



*Monomorium minimum Buckley. 

 t Tetramorium ccespitum Linn. 

 t Iridomyrmex humilis Mayr. 



