Bug FAQEastern Dracula Ant
Stigmatomma pallipes · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Also called: Common Saw-toothed Ant, Vampire Ant
The Eastern Dracula ant is a reddish-brown ant about 4.5 to 6 mm long. It lives in wooded areas, nesting in damp soil, leaf litter, under rocks, rotting logs, or at tree bases. Its range covers most southern and eastern U.S. states, extends west to California, and reaches into Quebec and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The ant has a reddish-brown coloration.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 4.5 to 6 mm (0.18 to 0.24 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are typically found in wooded areas with damp soil and leaf litter.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs across most southern and eastern U.S. states, west to California, and north into Quebec and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 43 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, New York, California, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Arkansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where can I find Eastern Dracula ants?
They are most often encountered in wooded areas with damp soil and leaf litter, nesting under rocks, rotting logs, or at tree bases.
Source: Wikipedia
What region do Eastern Dracula ants inhabit?
They are found across most southern and eastern U.S. states, west to California, and north into Quebec and Ontario.
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/Stigmatomma_pallipes
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.