The Most Common Ants in the North Quabbin Area
Myrmica punctiventris
Family: Myrmicinae
Myrmica Punctiventris are common in hardwood forests. They look for seeds and plant material.
They live in small colonies under the bark of rotten logs, dead oak trees, leaf litter and under rocks.
Formica subsericea
Family: Formicinae
Formica subsericea are found in open woods and around the edges of woods. Workers forage for seeds and plant material mostly during the day. They gather the seeds for the nutritious elaiosomes, aiding in seed dispersal. They also tend aphids for honeydew.
Their colonies are large. Their nests are low mounds with many entrances, sometimes under rocks or other objects.
Aphenogaster rudis
Family: Myrmicinae
Aphenogaster rudis lives in and around hemlock and pine forests. They forage for seeds, insects, and plant material like pollen. These ants collect seeds for the nutritious elaiosomes, helping to disperse the seeds.
They nest in leaf litter, under rocks, and in rotten logs and stumps. They will often move their nests.
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Common Name: Carpenter Ant
Camponotus pennsylvanicus is found in forests around the edge of the forest, and in wooden buildings.
They forage mostly at night on the ground, in tree trunks, and tend insects for honeydew.
They nest in rotting woods in trees, logs, stumps, and buildings.
Although Carpenter ants are pests if they are nesting in your home, they serve an important function in the forest ecosystem. They help break down dead standing and fallen trees.
