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Medium Sized, mostly shining ant with heart shaped abdomen that is often bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed. Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black. Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forge in tight foraging trails similar to white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the abdomen up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also run slower than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Arboreal ant, nesting in branches and stems and other cavities of trees and shrubs, rotten logs and stumps. In houses they will nest in damaged woods of porches, eaves, etc. Single queen per nest, but colonies occupy multiple nest sites. These ants are uncommon indoor and control should focus on limiting there access to structures.

2.6-3.2 mm (1/10-1/8 in) long. A pair of spines on propodium. Two-segmented petiole, first segment wide at front. Hanging gaster where postpetiole is attached to dorsal surface of gaster base. Gaster more convex ventrally than dorsally and with pointed end. Sting not always exerted. Subfamily Myrmicinae.

Medium Sized ant with a slender body, uniformly light brown or brown. Workers smell stale, greasy, or musty when crushed. Worker soften present in large numbers moving in trails. Trails may be similar to white footed ant trails, but ants are more slender and move more quickly so foraging trails may not appear as condensed. Workers may overwhelm outdoor eating areas, even entering parked cars.

Multiple queens in many widespread sub colonies that dominate areas with millions of ants. Open habitats, both moist and dry. Usually in heavily disturbed sites but can invade neutral environment. Nest in mulch and soil, under objects on soil or near trees, in rotten woods, and garbage piles.

2.2-2.6 mm (1/11-1/10 in) long. Twelve segmented antennae without club. One segmented petiole. Petiole with vertically projecting scale. Body hairs usually absent from thorax. No sting. Subfamily Dolichoderinae.

Large to very large ant, similar to Florida carpenter ant, but black and covered with long, yellowish or white hairs. May be seen foraging alone or in loose trails. Many sized workers. Workers may emit formic acid odor.

One queen per nest. nest in dead or living trees, rotting logs and stumps. May nest in damaged or Hollow wood of homes, occasionally in chests or trunks stored in attics or basements. This species can damage sound structure lumber.

6-13mm (1/4 - 1/2 in) long. No sting. End of abdomen with circular of hair. Twelve - segmented antenna without club. Black ant. Gaster densely covered with long pale yellow or white hairs. Subfamily Formicinae.

Larger, slender, solitary ant often seen on vegetation. Almost wasp-like in appearence and movement (quick, short dashes). Bicolored, head and gaster dark (mauve to black), rest of body with dull orange and dark shading. Large, Oval eyes. Darts quickly around branches if collection is attempted. Other smaller yellow or blackish pseudomyrmex species occur in Florida.

Single queen per nest. Nests are small and contain few individuals. Nest in hollow twigs and dried grasses barely wide enough for two or three ants to pass one another, Single small entrance. Often nests high up in large trees. Ants usually encountered by gardeners while pruning or trimming shrubs and trees. Sting can be painful.

8-10 mm long (5/16 - 2/5 in), bicolored. Two segmented petiole. Twelve - segmented antennae. Scattered erect hairs on head and body, Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae.

Florida carpenter ant is a large to very large, orange and black ant. C. tortuganus is similar but paler with less color contrast. Gaster of latter often with light spots, background color variable, and head looks narrower. Both species have many sized workers that follow loose foraging trails (individuals following each other are widely dispersed or solitary). Workers can emit formic acid. Mainly nocturnal. Female reproductive similar in appearance to larger workers but with wings folded over back. Male reproductives with small heads and larger wings. Males darker then workers but similar in size to smallest workers.

Single queen per nest. Nest in dead tree branches, rotting logs, tree stumps, piles of limber, or under yard objects (potted plants, trash cans etc.) in voids such as curtain rods, hollow porch columns, wall and attic insulation, timer boxes, and pump housing. Do little excavation and will nest in existing voids and in attics. This species does not do structural damage, but may be a sign of preexisting damage. Satellite colonies common.

5.5 - 11 mm (1/5 - 4/9 in ) long. No sting. Twelve - segmented antenna without club. End of abdomen with circular ring of hair. One petiolar segment. Thorax evenly convex. C. floridanus: Antennal scape flattened at base and broad throughout. Legs and antennal scapes with numerous long, coarse brown to golden erect hairs, shorter than those on body. C. tortuganus: Major worker head longer than broad. Tibia of all legs and antennal scapes without erect hairs. Body hairs abundant, long, and golden. About 15 Camponotus species occur in Florida. A small dark species, C. planatus is becoming more

Large dull, reddish-brown ants. Many sized workers, though largest workers are rare. Head square. Carpenter ants of the same size will be shinier and bicolored, while harvester ants are dull and uniform in coloration. Painful sting, although ant is not aggressive. Foragers leave nest in long trunk trails and disperse a few feet from the entrance to forage alone. May recruit to large sources of protein or piles of seed. They can sometimes be seen collecting seed after they drop from plants.

Their nests are in the ground and have characteristic large, flat disks kept free of vegetation. The single nest entrance may contain a collection of small, uniformly sized objects around, such as charcoal bits or pebbles. Single queen per nest. Nest in full sum in sandy soils. Nests may periodically relocate in response to shading.

6.4-10.25 mm (1/4 - 2/5 in ), polymorphic. Long hairs on the underside of the head form a basket used to carry damp sand. Twelve-segmented antennae. Two-segmented petiole. Sting. Subfamily Myrmicinae.

Tiny ant with dark head and pale gaster and legs, thorax often dark. May not look ant-like on casual inspection. Runs in quick, erratic movements when disturbed. Sometimes can be found trailing, where movement is more slow and deliberate. On close inspection some trailing workers can be seen carrying brood (larvae and pupae). Workers may emit acrid, coconut-like odor when crushed.

Multiple queens may be spread out into multiple sub colonies. Usually nest in disturbed areas, in flowerpots, under objects on the ground, under loose dark, and at the base of palm fronds. Indoor nests in small spaces such as cracks, spaces between books, or wall voids. Indoor foragers often come from outside. This is a very common pest inside homes.

1.3-1.9 mm (1/2-1/14 in) ling. One petiolar segment, no projecting scale. Four segments of gaster visible from above. Antennal scape exceeding posterior border of head. No sting. Subfamily Dolichoderinae.

Small honey colored to reddish ant. Gaster may be black at posterior end. conspicuous foraging trails. Conspicuously larger than bicolored trailing ant. Head is not black like bicolored trailing ant's head. Common ant indoors.

Multiple queens and multiple sub colonies. Reproduce only by budding. Nest inside buildings (homes and greenhouses) and in cracks and crevices. Can also nest between sheets of paper or layers of linens inside houses. Pest in hospitals and nursing homes and may act as mechanical vectors of pathogenic bacteria. Foragers can also be found outside or near structures. An exotic pest found almost worldwide.

Twelve-segmented antennae with three-segmented club. Each segment of antennal club increasing in sized toward the end of the club. Head, thorax and petiole dull. Gaster, clypeus, and mandibles shiny. Subfamily Myrmicinae.

Medium sized, pale orange to dark brown, slender and elongate ant. Foraging singly, moving quickly. Nest is distinctive cone shaped mound in sandy soil. Ant does not sting or act aggressively. Nests not large. Workers have strong odor when crushed described by some as rotting coconuts.

Nest in soil, sandy soil preferred. Typically, nest has a single entrance surrounded by crater-shaped mound of soil and a single queen per nest. One dark colored species, however, is a temporary parasite on the most common orange species and occupies a number of nests at a time, with multiple queens.

2-4 mm (1/12-1/6 in) ling. Integument thin. Twelve-segmented antennae. Propodeum bearing a tooth-like protuberance projecting vertically in side view. Ventral surface of head with a few very long, curved hairs, used for carrying pellets of damp sand. Subfamily: Dolichoderinae.

Small to large shining, dark brown gaster with remainder of body reddish. Multiple worker sizes, ofter forage in distinct trails. Mounds in soil during wet season are dome-shaped with many openings. Highly aggressive. If disturbed ants will rush out and attack in large numbers.

Nest in exposed soil or lawns, especially bordering concrete or pavement. After rainfall, nests in sandy soil are rebuilt with sponge-like surface. If disturbed, workers will pour out of the mound and up the leg of the offender. Nests have single queens in most areas, but multiple queen nests exist. Alates are large, rotund, winged ants that fly early summer at high altitudes then land, remove wings and may congregate in groups in crakes and crevices on the ground or under objects.

2.4-6 mm (1/8-1/4) long. Polymorphic. Ten-segmented antennae with two-segmented club. Two-segmented petiole. Medial clypeal tooth usually present, mesopleuron densely sculptured. Subfamily Myrmicinae.

Tiny to small dark brown to pale blond ants. Soft bodied, abdomen covers petiole. May be seen excitedly running up and down vertical objects in yards, such as blades of grass, chairs, and fence posts, accompanied by larger winged individuals. Most often seen as dead, winged alates floating in pools in large numbers; their swollen bodies look striped. Female winged alates are three times larger than workers, males small enough to fit through mosquito screening.

Under stones in the soil, or in rotting wood.

1.5-2 mm (1/16-1/12 in) long. Integument soft. Nine-segmented antennae. One segmented petiole, node inclined, usually concealed by base of gaster. No sting. Mesoepinotal impression distinct. Epinotum with short base and very long, sloping declivity. Subfamily Formicinae.

Medium sized reddish-brown, grayish to blackish ant. Workers of any one species all similar in size. Run erratically and quickly. Long and slender, with long legs and antennae. P. longicornis has specially long appendages. Usually seen in large numbers running erratically. So distinct trails are difficult to discriminate.

Nest in soil or under objects resting on the ground, like potted plants, bags of soil, toys. Also in trash lies, rotten wood, and trees buttresses. Nests are transitory and ants may be seen relocating, carrying brood from one nest site to another. Males and females of P. longicornis are winged but wings are removed from females before they are fully mature, and males have never been seen to fly.

2-3 mm (1/12 - 1/8 in ) long. Twelve segmented antennae without club. One petiolar segment. No sting. Gaster with circular fringe of hairs at tip. Erect hairs usually coarse and bristle like P. longicornis (2.3-2.9mm) has very long slender antennae and legs gray to black in coloration, whitish hairs on thorax. P. bourbonica (2.6-3.2mm) has larger eyes, more hair, and longer erect hairs on the antennae than other species. P. pubens (2.75-3mm) is paler than bourbonica with longer light brown hairs on the thorax. Subfamily Formicinae.

Small, light brown to reddish brown to nearly black, dull ants. Often foraging in columns. Two worker sizes, although the major (larger, soldier worker) is rare. Majors may appear near baits. Major's head is disproportionately larger then body. No workers intermediate in size will be found. Slow moving.

Nests in soil or under stones, logs, wood, or debris. P.megacephala foraging trails are sometimes solid-Covered and resemble subterranean termite foraging tubes. Multiple queens. P.megacephala colonies can be spread out into mega colonies with multiple sub nests.

2.4 mm (1/10 in) (P.megacephala minors) and 3.8 mm (1/7 in) (P.megacephala majors) long. Front half of head sculptured, back half-smooth and shiny. Two-segmented petiole, where postpetiolar node is distinctly broader then long and sub angular on each side. Twelve-segmented antennae with three-segmented club. Epinotal spines on propodeum. There are some 15 Pheidole species in Florida. The bilobed head of P.megacephala majors is characteristic. Subfamily myrmicinae.

The spiny orb-weaver spider is one of the most colorful and easily recognized spiders in Florida. The dorsum of the abdomen is usually white and black spots and large red spines on the margin. Females are 5 mm to 10 mm long and 10 mm to 14 mm wide. The webs typically contain tufts of silk, which may prevent birds from flying into them.

The jumping spiders belong to the family Salticidae and are sometimes called salticids. All species are small, usually less than 15 mm long. They are easily identified by their eye arrangement, which is in three rows. Jumping spiders do not construct webs, but actively hunt prey during the day, pouncing on their luckless victims. Many are brightly colored, sometimes with iridescent chelicerae as in the genus Phidippus. Some species such as Plexippus are commonly found on or around buildings.

These spiders characteristically cling to a support with their short third pair of legs while holding their remaining, much longer, legs extended in front of and behind the body. They spin small webs that are 8" to 12" in diameter and catch small flying insects. They are often found in association with foliage bordering water.

The golden silk spider is found throughout Florida and the southeastern Unites States. The female is distinctively colored, and is among the largest orb-weaving spiders in the country. the female is 25 mm to 40 mm ling and has conspicuous hair tufts on her long legs. Males are about 4 mm to 6 mm ling, dark-brown, and are often found in the webs of females. These spiders feed primarily on flying insects, which they catch in webs that may be greater than a meter in diameter. They are most commonly found in forests, along trails and at clearing edges.

This is not an established species in Florida. It is recognized by the distinctive dark violin-shaped mark located on the head and thorax. The brown recluse is a medium-sized spider about 1/4 to 1/2 " long. It is light tan to deep reddish-brown. It is usually found is sheds, garages or areas of homes that are undisturbed and contain a supply of insects to serve as food. Favorite hiding places seem to be in arms and legs of garments left hanging for some time or beds that have been unoccupied for long periods of time. Persons bitten by this spider usually do not feel pain for two to three hours. A blister arises at the site of the bite, followed by inflammation. Eventually the tissue is killed, leaving a sunken sore. Healing may take as long as six to eight weeks.

This is the most wide spread widow spider in Florida. It is glossy black and has a complete hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. The southern black widow is usually found outdoors in protected places, such as under rocks and boards and in and around old buildings. The bite of the black widow and other widow spiders usually feels like a pin prick. The initial pain disappears rapidly leaving local swelling and two tiny red marks. Muscular cramps in the shoulder, thigh and back usually begin within 15 minutes to 3 hours. In severe cases, pain spreads to the abdomen, the blood pressure rice, there is nausea, sweating and difficulty in breathing.

The spider varies in color from light gray to light brown to black. The abdomen has variable markings of black, white, red and yellow. The underside of the abdomen has an orange and yellow hourglass. It is found most often south of Daytona Beach along the coast. It usually makes its web on buildings in well-lighted areas.

The Formosan termite is a subterranean termite that has several unique characteristics that make it special compared to the Eastern subterranean termite. The reproductives are brown and swarm in the evening during May to July. Colonies of Formosan termites are large and composed of up to 5 million individuals. Therefore, they destroy wood faster than the Eastern subterranean termite. Formosan termites construct nests that are composed of carton material. These nests may be in the soil or in the structure.

Drywood termite colonies are found entirely within wood in structures. Because they do not require soil contact, they do not make mud tubes. The swarmers are usually light brown and are most prevalent from September to December. Swarming usually occurs in the evening hours.

They have forcepslike cerci that can be used to capture prey or to defend themselves against predators. Earwig adults are 1/4" to 1" long. Their bodies are flattened and are pale- to dark-brown. The antennae are threadlike and about half the length of the body. They are active at night and often crawl into homes under doorsills. They are attracted to light and are beneficial, eating insects and other pests.

Eastern subterranean alate live in colonies composed of workers, soldiers, reproductives, and supplemental reproductives. During the spring, the reproductives swarm and leave the colony. The reproductives are black and have a thick waist. The antennae are straight and both pairs of wings are the same length. Subterranean termites feed on wood, but nest in the soil. They construct mud tubes from their nests to the wood in structures.

Eastern subterranean termites live in colonies composed of workers, soldiers, reproductives, and supplemental reproductives. During the spring, the reproductives swarm and leave the colony. The reproductives are black and have a thick waist. The antennae are straight and both pairs of wings are the same length. Subterranean termites feed on wood, but nest in the soil. They construct mud tubes from their nests to the wood in structures.

These are small, pale-brown to white insects shorter than 6 mm. Wings may be present or absent, and they have a large swollen area above the mandibles (clypeus). Often they are found in books, on floor molding and in closets. They do not suck blood, but feed on molds and mildews.

It has a wingspread of about 19 mm. The wings are tan on the basal one-third and coppery-colored on the rest. The larvae spin webs on the infested product. The life cycle can be completed in 60 days.

They are small caterpillars. Each bagworm spins its own grayish case that is about the size and shape of a watermelon seed. Plaster bagworms are common in garages and around windows. They eat spider webs, and can destroy fabric in houses.

These are in the order Thysanura. They are wingless, flattened insects with two or three filments at the rear end of the abdomen. Their antennae are long and filamentous. Silverfish are gray and their bodies are covered with scales. They are 3/4" long. In buildings they can feed on starch and fabric, often causing damage to book bindings.

This cockroach is almost identical to the American cockroach in appearance and is about 1 1/4" long as an adult. It is reddish-brown. The cerci at the tip of the abdomen are stubby, whereas the American cockroach is found outdoors. It readily enters houses and is often called a palmetto bug.

It is about 5/8" long as an adult. This cockroach is dark brown, and the wings range from reddish-brown to brown. There are two pale-brown bands on the wings, and the edge of the pronotum is clear. It prefers to live in bedrooms, furniture and closets, particularly on high shelves.

It is 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" long as an adult and is often called the stinking cockroach because it produces a foul-smelling fluid to protect if from predation. It is dark-reddish-brown to black. The nymphs have broad yellow bands on the top of the thorax. This cockroach is commonly found in leaf mulch, wood piles and under rotting logs. It is often called a palmetto bug.

This is the most important species of cockroach in the United States. It is about 1/2" to 5/8" long as an adult. Nymphs and adults of both sexes have two dark stripes behind the head. It prefers to live in kitchens and bathrooms of homes and apartments, restaurants, supermarkets and hospitals. The Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, is identical to the German cockroach in appearance and lives outdoors in lawns and leaf litter.

This cockroach is about 11/2 " long as an adult. It is reddish-brown with light markings behind the head. The cerci at the tip of the abdomen are long and thin. It is commonly found in sewers and basements.

It is about 11/4" long as an adult. It is mahogany brown to black with no patterns behind the head. This cockroach is abundant outdoors and is found in tree holes, wood piles and attics of houses in Florida. It readily enters homes and is called a palmetto Bug.

This adult is about 11/4" to 1 1/2" long. It is reddish-brown to dark-brown with a characteristic making behind the head. On the front edge of the base of the forewing is a light-yellow band. Nymphs have light-yellow spots on top of the abdomen. This cockroach is abundant outdoors and in greenhouses, where it can damage plants. It enters homes and is called a palmetto bug.

This cockroach is about 3-4" to 1" long. It is shiny-brown to black with golden markings on the abdomen. The pronotum behind the head has a yellow margin along the front edge. It is a burrowing spacies that lives outdoors and often infests potted plants. When plants are brought inside, the cockroach infests the premises.