Colony Structure inTapinoma sessileAnts of Northcentral Colorado: A Research Note

Abstract

tapinoma sessile (Say, 1836), often referred to as the “odorous house ant” or the “coconut ant,” has been considered the most widespread and adaptable of native North American ant species (Fisher and Cover, 2007). This species thrives in a diverse range of ecosystems and environmental conditions, surviving in such climatically distinct regions as southern Canada, northern Mexico (Bucz kowski, 2010, 2012), Florida, Hawaii (recently introduced), and most regions in between (Creighton, 1950; Fisher and Cover, 2007; Buczkowski et. al., 2011). In at least a few states, these ants have also adapted well to urban landscapes, often rising to ecological dominance in the wake of anthropogenic disturbance (Buczkowski, 2010). In some regions, they constitute abundant, though largely benign, urban pests (Smith, 1928). Despite this, the biology of t. sessile remains poorly understood (Menke et al., 2010).