Replete-workers
Guides
Prenolepis
Winter Ants and Allies
Prenolepis is a genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae with a wide geographic distribution spanning southeastern Asia, southern China, North America, southern Europe, Anatolia, Cuba, Haiti, and West Africa. The genus is best known for P. imparis, commonly called the winter ant or false honey ant, which exhibits unique cold-adapted activity patterns and serves as a model organism for thermal physiology research. Most Prenolepis species are small, ground-nesting ants that inhabit woodland and forest environments.
Prenolepis imparis
winter ant, false honey ant, false honeypot ant, American Winter Ant
Prenolepis imparis is a cold-adapted ant species widespread across North America, notable for being active during winter and early spring when most other ants are dormant. The species exhibits distinctive thermal physiology, with workers foraging at near-freezing temperatures and colonies undergoing summer aestivation. Workers are small (3-4 mm), brown, with shiny gasters. The species produces specialized replete workers that store fat and nutrients as living energy reserves. Five highly divergent genetic lineages occur across the continent, with limited gene flow between them. Nuptial flights occur unusually early, from February through April.