J. Steven York
For a couple years now, our house has seen these little visiting friends wandering through our space. They are tiny, quick, travel alone or in small groups, are elusive, and they don't eat much, so I've never gotten a photo of one before and don't worry about them enough to do anything. They seem to come in from my front yard where I suspect they nest, and enter our living room and my adjacent garage office under doors and walls. Would like to know what it is. Any guesses?
#ants #entomology
May 11 at 1:05amWeb
Show threadJ. Steven York3d ago
Yes, I know this is a terrible picture. Here's a "zoom and enhance" (literally zoomed, but NOT enhanced) from the photo. This is complicated by how tiny they are. The SD card case I momentary contained this one in might as well be a terrarium, and despite it's being closed and locked, it found a crack to escape through no more than a minute after I took this.
Show threadJ. Steven York3d ago
They will crawl and explore on anything, including people. That's how I usually notice them. I find one crawling on my bare skin and feel it. Rarely bite or sting (only when they accidently get squeezed against skin, and I suspect that's a bite, not a sting). Never seen them swarm on a food source, though they'll show up in larger numbers if I accidently leave something tasty in the living room overnight.
Show threadJ. Steven York3d ago
Additional info: Location, Oregon, North America, central coast (HIGHLY temperate climate, mostly 35-80 degrees year round), wet, salty soil.
Show threadJ. Steven York2d ago
Okay, here's a better picture of one of my mystery ants, that helpfully decided to crawl on my hand today. Based on folds on skin, I'd say it's between 1/8" and 3/16" (head and body, not including legs/antenna). Any guesses?
#ants #entomology
Show threadmyrmepropagandist3d ago

@JSteven

Going on size *alone* I think maybe Tapinoma sessile? They are tiny little ants. It's odd that they have been around for years, but never really increased in numbers. Maybe they live rather far from where you see them?

Show threadJ. Steven York7h ago
@futurebird
My impression is that they live outside the house, possibly in the plantings in the corner between my living room and the semi-attached garage that has been semi-finished for my office, both locations where the ants appear. Or perhaps they're under the lawn. There are easy accesses for the ants from there, especially when they're so small. Under the door in the living room, and under the frame wall in my office.
Show threadJ. Steven York7h ago
@futurebird
Or maybe under the poured concrete front porch? At any rate, let me go look up Tapinoma Sessile and see what I think. Thanks for the help!
Show threadJ. Steven York6h ago
@futurebird
One thing that does line up is that we mainly see them inside other than solitary foragers, is after heavy rain. Figured it might be flooding their nests, but from what I'm reading, it's that the honeydew that is their main food source washes way. Never would have guessed that!