Winged males and winged females mate in a nuptial flight, the females lose their wings, find a site to start the colony and begin egg-laying. There are winged and wingless males, and three types of females: queens, intercastes and workers. The ant is 2-4 mm long with legs that have white lower parts (Photos 3-5). Consequently, the populations of the pests increase to damaging levels (Photos 1&2). The ants feed on honeydew of aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and whiteflies, and prevent the natural enemies of these pests from attacking them. Symptoms & Life Cycleĭamage to plants is not done directly by Technomyrmex albipes, but indirectly. Tent-like nests made of debris occur on the ground within leaf litter, under stones or wood, among leaves of low vegetation, in holes, crevices and crotches of stems and trunks, in the canopies of trees, and on fruit. The ants also make nests in wall cavities of houses, foraging in kitchens and bathrooms. It is recorded from Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna. Asia, Africa, North and South America (restricted), Caribbean, Europe (restricted), Oceania. Many specimens previously identified as Technomyrmex albipes have subsequently been reidentified a s Technomyrmex difficilis (difficult white-footed ant) or as Technomyrmex vitiensis (Fijian white-footed ant), which also occurs worldwide. Technomyrmex albipes. Identification of the ant requires expert examination as there are several other species that are similar. White-footed ant, Technomyrmex albipes view of head.
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