Appearance
"S. molesta" range anywhere from 1/32 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch long. Queens in this species measure at just over 5mm in length and range from a yellow to a light brown color. Workers are yellow and occasionally pale brown in appearance. They have very small eyes and are covered in erect and sub-erect yellow hairs. These ants have a two-segmented petiole connecting their abdomen to the thorax. They have 10 segments in their antennae, which end in large segmented clubs. Thief ants possess small stingers on their oblong abdomens. Worker ants have large jaws for carrying food, usually other ants' brood, back to the colony. The larvae of thief ants have been described from the Brazilian species "Solenopsis helena". Despite a general resemblance to the larvae of the larger fire ants, the larvae of thief ants are much smaller and present spiculate hairs on their face.Distribution
"S. molesta" are native to the United States and can be found in Eastern, Western, and Central parts of the country and northern Mexico.Behavior
Colonies of "S. molesta" usually have anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand workers. Colonies are occasionally polygynous, with a maximum of eight queens in a single nest. The number of thief ants in a colony depends on the location. Colonies with a reliable and ready food source don't have as many workers because food is readily available. Since ants of this species are so small, they can colonize just about anywhere. They can live in people's homes without them ever knowing that they have an infestation of tiny ants. "Solenopsis molesta" are common in homes, and due to their small size they can easily enter sealed packages of food. Other thief ant colonies are inside other ant colonies. They then eat the food and sometimes larva of the host ants. They will eat just about anything, including dead animals and fungal spores, and will travel great distances in search for food. Once food has been found, a trail is formed from the colony to the food so the other thief ant workers can find it.Habitat
The habitat of "Solenopsis molesta" is vast, because they can survive just about anywhere. They can live in people's homes, in the cracks or under the floorboards. They can build nests anywhere, but usually near the nests of other species they steal from. They usually nest under rocks, in any exposed soil, or rotting logs. If they cannot find any of these things, then they move into another colony. Their nests are generally large for the ants’ size, and have tunnels that lead to another ant colony for a reliable and steady food source.Food
They eat grease whenever they find it, which is why they are sometimes called grease ants. They also eat meat, cheese and other dairy products, and seeds. They also eat larvae and pupae of other ant species and other insects such as codling moths. Thief ants do not appear to be attracted to sweets, unlike most other ants. They will however, for example, consume fruits and sugary soft drinks.References:
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