Species Info General

Other common names include: Black Crazy Ant

The Robust Crazy Ant is one of four widespread ants in Hawaiʻi that share the common name adjective “crazy”, the others being Yellow Crazy Ant, Longhorn Crazy Ant and Brown Crazy Ant.  Seeing this unofficial term in an ant’s common name suggests one can safely infer that this ant tends to move around in a speedy, erratic manner.  The Robust Crazy Ant tends to be very dark: almost or entirely black.  It can be found from sea level up to at least 4000 feet elevation (Forel 1899).  It’s not aggressive towards people but is not above defending itself if it gets on you as you lounge at the beach: it doesn’t sting, but it will give a little nip if it starts to get squished in your clothing.  It can be found just about anywhere, but seems to prefer the more humid environment of Maui’s north shore to our dryer, leeward areas.  At beaches it often seems to be especially common just above the high-tide mark.  As to their abundance and ecology, Huddleston & Fluker (1968) wrote: “Abundant to common in many different habitats.  Nesting under rocks, in dead limbs and stalks, etc.  Predaceous, also attending homopterous insects.  Often observed feeding at extra-foliar nectaries of many plants.”

In discussing this ant’s habits in Florida, Deyrup (2017) wrote, “In Florida, bourbonica usually lives in wet, disturbed sites, including well-watered landscaped areas.  It is listed as one of the top eight ‘urban pest ants’ in peninsular Florida by Klotz et al. (1995), but often its chief crime seems to be that of traipsing about on the patio, where it seems to be a regular but not strikingly abundant visitor.”