Identification
Ants are often confused with termites by
homeowners. Consider the following features to
separate ants from termites:
Ants
1. Strong constriction petiole or “waist” between
mesosoma and gaster (Fig. 1a).
2. Elbowed antennae (Fig. 1a).
3. Forewing, when present, much larger than
hindwing (Fig. 1b).
4. Workers are various colors and hard-bodied.
Termites
1. Abdomen broadly joined to thorax (no waist)
(Fig. 2a).
Forewing
Hindwing
b
a
Head Mesosoma
Petiole
Gaster
Elbowed Antenna
Node
Acidopore
Thorax Abdomen
Broadly jointed waist
Straight
antenna
a
Forewing
Hindwing
b
Fig. 1. (a) Profile of worker ant; (b) wings from a reproductive
ant.
Fig. 2. (a) Profile of a worker termite; (b) wings from a