Bicoloured trailing ant

harms wildlife

lives in trees

day active

Other common names: flower or floral ant

Size: 1.5-2 mm

Colour: head and abdomen dark brown to black, the middle part of its body is usually yellow to brown

General description: the bicoloured trailing ant is a very tiny, slow moving, unaggressive ant. Its head and abdomen are always much darker than the middle part of its body. Workers are all the same size.

Habitat and nesting: the bicoloured trailing ant is an almost exclusively tree dwelling species in the Pacific, that nests in small cavities, under the bark of trees and in hollow twigs and dry stems. The ant tends to invade and establish in disturbed environments, but does not readily settle in undisturbed forest. While the bicoloured trailing ant is commonly found in urban areas, it typically nests outside buildings.

Rate of spread: unknown.

Distribution: see our invasive ant distributions page for the worldwide distribution of the bicoloured trailing ant.

Reproduction: no information found.

For detailed descriptions and identification of bicoloured trailing ants:

PIAkey: Monomorium floricola (see diagnostic characters tab)

AntWeb: Monomorium floricola

Bicoloured trailing ant worker (© Alex WIld)

Bicoloured trailing ant queen surrounded by workers (© Darren McNabb)