Bug FAQAfrican Thief Ant
Carebara vidua · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Also called: Black Thief Ant
Source: Wikipedia
Queens are large, about 20 to 25 mm long, while workers are tiny, only 3 to 5 mm. They build hidden underground colonies that are only noticed during seasonal swarming flights.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Queens have a shiny black body with a big, rounded abdomen. Workers have a paler abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adult queens measure roughly 20 to 25 mm. Workers are much smaller, about 3 to 5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Workers have a functional sting.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Colonies consist of extensive underground chambers under soil, rocks, or buildings. The nests are hard to spot except when winged ants swarm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Mating swarms happen once a year during the long rainy season. After mating, females dig shallow soil chambers and eggs hatch in 5 to 7 days.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Swarming occurs annually in the long rainy season. Winged males and females leave the nest between late morning and mid-afternoon.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to East Africa, especially the Lake Victoria area of Kenya.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
How big are African thief ants?
Queens are about 20 to 25 mm long, while workers are only 3 to 5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are they originally from?
They are native to East Africa, especially the Lake Victoria region of Kenya.
Source: Wikipedia
When do they appear above ground?
Winged ants swarm once a year during the long rainy season, usually between late morning and mid-afternoon.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Formicidae)
Eastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your home
Red Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan sting
American Winter AntPrenolepis imparis
Argentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerous
Immigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan sting
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebara_vidua
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.