Paratrechina pubens is a species of ant, commonly called the Caribbean crazy ant or the Crazy Rasberry ant, named after Texas exterminator Tom Rasberry. The ants are about one-eighth inch long and are covered with reddish-brown hairs. There is doubt about the species assignment, so the provisional name Paratrechina species near pubens is sometimes used for the Texas population. The colonies have multiple queens.
| Paratrechina pubens | |
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| Species: | P. pubens
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| Paratrechina pubens (Forel, 1893)
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There is currently a large infestation in five counties around Houston, Texas, which may have originated from a cargo ship in 2002. The ants feed on ladybugs, fire ants and Attwater's prairie chicken hatchlings, as well as plants. For reasons that are not understood, the ants are attracted to electrical equipment, such as pumps, computers, and fire alarms. The ants are not attracted to ordinary ant baits, and are not controlled by over-the-counter pesticides.[1]
References
- ^ Ants swarm over Houston area, fouling electronics, retrieved 15 May 2008
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