text: ochetellus ochetellus is a genus of ants first described by steve shattuck in 1992 . he placed it in the subfamily dolichoderinae of the family formicidae . the ants in this genus are small and black in colour ; workers measure 1 . 75 to 3 millimetres ( 0 . 07 to 0 . 12 in ) in length , the males at around 1 . 6 millimetres ( 0 . 06 in ) are smaller , and the queens are the largest , reaching 4 millimetres ( 0 . 16 in ) . there are seven described species and three described subspecies that mostly live in australia in a wide variety of habitats , but some species are found in asia . one species , ochetellus glaber , has been introduced into new zealand and the united states . the colonies are found in rotten wood , in the ground , under rocks or stones and in urban areas . the ants are both diurnal and nocturnal and forage on trees , in low vegetation and into human homes , where they are regarded as pests . these ants eat a variety of foods , including fruits , insects , sucrose , nectar and bird feces . they visit various flowers and attend to a variety of butterfly larvae . the thorny devil , an australian lizard , predominantly feeds on ochetellus workers , and other ant species also prey on them . taxonomy the genus ochetellus was first described by steve shattuck in 1992 , placing it in the subfamily dolichoderinae . the type species of the genus is ochetellus glaber , originally described as hypoclinea glabra by austrian entomologist gustav mayr in 1862 . the genus was originally placed in the tribe . it was later placed under the tribe , now classified as a synonym for the tribe . the genus consists of seven species and three subspecies that were previously placed in the genus iridomyrmex . the genus contains the following species : o. , o. , o. flavipes , o. glaber , o. , o. and o. . the three subspecies classified in this genus are o. glaber , o. glaber and o. glaber . description is a genus of small black ants ; each species vary in size , with workers ranging from 1 . 75 to 3 millimetres ( 0 . 07 to 0 . 12 in ) in length and males are smaller at 1 . 6 millimetres ( 0 . 06 in ) . the largest ants in the genus are the queens ; ochetellus queens measure up to 4 millimetres ( 0 . 16 in ) . while these ants were formerly placed in the genus iridomyrmex , there are several features that makes these ants distinct ; the compound eyes are differently positioned on the head , and the arrangement of the clypeal margin and mesosoma can also distinguish between the two genera . ochetellus looks similar to dolichoderus species , but they are relatively smaller and the petiole is narrow and expanded . the head is also thinner than most dolichoderinae ants . on the head , the occipital border either curves in or curves out , and no ocelli are present . the antennae consist of twelve segments . the mandibles each have six to eight teeth along with a large apical tooth . distribution and habitat ochetellus ants are native to australia and have been introduced into new zealand . in asia , they are native to india , japan , the philippines and southern burma . species are found on the islands of fiji , mauritius and new caledonia . ochetellus glaber was first sighted in hawaii in 1977 and is considered an invasive species . since its introduction , the ant has spread throughout the state , and is now found in hawaii , kahoolawe , kauai , maui and oahu . the ant has also been introduced to mainland united states , being found in north - central florida , where it is localised in orange county . ants of this genus are ; they have a widespread geographic distribution in many different climates , but they are usually found in dry and mesic habitats . they are referred to as a tropical genus , but the type specimen was collected from temperate sydney . they are found in sclerophyll woodland and forests , eucalypt woodland , casuarina forests , mallee , hillsides , beaches and urban areas . these ants are arboreal ants and nests are located in bark , logs , rotten wood , sand , soil , under rocks and stones , tree stumps and twigs or branches . in urban areas , colonies are found under cracked paths , inside house walls or in patio areas . some species are considered pests , and they forage into pastures and houses where they show a preference for fluids and sweets . ochetellus flavipes nesting habits are unique among australian ants , and they construct small runways across the ground . these nests are structurally similar to nests built by some polyrhachis ants , which construct platforms woven from plants that house the hemiptera insects they attend to . behaviour and ecology workers form foraging columns in search of food . they forage into buildings , eucalyptus trees , ground areas or on low vegetation . workers are both diurnal and nocturnal , but they are not active throughout any 24 - hour period . low activity occurs during clear sunny days ; however , colonies are extremely active shortly after rain . ochetellus ants are omnivores that feed primarily on arthropods , but they show a preference for fluids and sweets when they enter human houses . workers will prey on eggs , fruit fly pupae , larvae and attack wasp nests . honeydew , nectar , pacific reef heron feces , carrion , pandanus fruits , plants , seeds , sucrose , fats and grease will also be consumed . o. glaber is known to exploit the extrafloral nectaries on plants without providing protection . foraging workers often visit pisonia flowers and will feed on the nectar . other flowers they will visit include canavalia , , ipomoea , , plumbago and scaevola . ochetellus flavipes regularly attends the mealybug and protects it by building shelters . they also attend a number of butterfly larvae , including ( pale blue ) , ogyris amaryllis ( satin azure ) , ogyris olane ( azure ) and ogyris ( silky azure ) . predators such as other ants and the thorny devil lizard ( moloch horridus ) predominantly feed on ochetellus workers ; the number of ants that a thorny devil can consume per minute is around 24 to 45 . the total number of ants consumed in a day can be as many as 2 , 500 individuals , based on an examination of the lizard 's stomach contents . during the nuptial flight , a queen may mate with multiple males , while the males will only mate with a single queen , making them monogynous . however , ochetellus glaber queens will only mate with a single male , making them polygynous . sometimes , colonies proliferate by " budding " ( also called " satelliting " or " fractionating " ) , where a subset of the colony including queens , workers and brood ( eggs , larvae and pupae ) leave the main colony for an alternative nest site .