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Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Monomorium pharaonis.

The Pharaoh ant can be found throughout the United States but is most common in the southern states. In the South, this ant can be a common pest in homes as well as other buildings. In temperate climates such as the United States, the Pharaoh ant cannot survive outdoors year-round and so is found in close association with heated buildings. Nest locations include wall voids, cabinet voids, behind baseboards and window moldings, behind insulation of appliances, inside hollow curtain and shower rods, boxes and expansion joints in slabs. They may even be found in areas such as folded paper sacks and newspapers. Outside, these ants can be found in leaf litter, flower pots and in the debris of rain gutters. Pharaoh ants are small, yellow ants about 1/16-inch long. They have two nodes and the workers are all one size. It is often confused with the thief ant which is also a small, yellow ant with two nodes. The Pharaoh ant’s antenna has 12 segments and ends in a three-segmented club. The thief ant’s antenna has only 10 segments and a two-segmented club.