Threat Level: Medium

Monomorium pharaonis, commonly known as the Pharaoh ant, is a relatively small, yellow species with a dull appearance caused by the punctate sculpture covering most of its surfaces. It lacks propodeal spines, has an 11-segmented antennae, the last three segments of which form the antennal club.

Solenopsis and Cardiocondyla are often confused with Monomorium. Monomorium and Solenopsis lack propodeal spines and are often lightly sculptured or smooth. Solenopsis papuana and its minute, small-eyed relatives are easily mistaken for Monomorium. However, the antennal club of Monomorium is three or more segments, and that of Solenopsis is two segments.

Cardiocondyla also has a three-segmented antennal club, but the presence of propodeal spines (occasionally very small) and a swollen postpetiole (in dorsal view) can help separate it from Monomorium.

Although the full covering of punctate sculpture and uniform yellow color differentiate M. pharaonis from other PIAkey Monomorium there are many other species in the genus that have spread across the Pacific Islands that are not included in the current version of PIAkey. Some of these species, such as M. latinode, M. sechellense and species belonging to the M. salomonis group can superficially look like M. pharaonis. Images of all these species are available at Antweb. Recent taxonomic revisions of the Australian and Malagasy Monomorium are also available (Heterick 2001, 2006).

For a more complete review of the biology, impacts and management of M. pharaonis, users are referred to the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) web page.

Waist with two segments (petiole & postpetiole)
Propodeal spines absent
Antennal club with three segments
All surfaces sculptured
Uniformly pale
Worker caste monomorphic (all same size)

	Monomorium	Cardiocondyla	Solenopsis
Head
Profile
Propodeal spines	absent	present	absent
Number of antennal club segments	three	three	two
	Monomorium	Cardiocondyla	Solenopsis

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	M. pharaonis	M. destructor	M. floricola	M. liliuokalanii
Head
Profile
Mesosoma sculpture	all	absent from propodeum	absent	absent
Pale portions of body	all	all except gaster	mesosoma & waist	absent
	M. pharaonis	M. destructor	M. floricola	M. liliuokalanii

• Antweb: specimen images, data & maps
  
  
• Global Invasive Species Database: information about ecology, distribution, impacts, management, references, links and contacts
  
  
• Bolton, B. (1995) A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 504 pp.
  
  
• Heterick, B. (2001) Revision of the Australian ants of the genus Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
  Invertebrate Taxonomy, 15, 353-459.
  
  
• Heterick, B. (2006) A revision of the Malagasy ants belonging to genus Monomorium Mayr, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 57, 69-202.
  
  
• Wilson, E.O. & Taylor, R.W. (1967) The ants of Polynesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph, 14, 1-109.