About Prenolepis imparis (Say, 1836)
Prenolepis imparis (Say, 1836), commonly known as the winter ant, false honey ant, or false honeypot ant, is an ant species belonging to the genus Prenolepis. This species is distributed across North America, ranging from Canada to Mexico, and nests deep underground. Unlike most ant species, Prenolepis imparis prefers lower temperatures, even temperatures close to freezing, and is only active outside its nest during winter and early spring. During summer, Prenolepis imparis enters a hibernation-like state called aestivation. P. imparis secretes an opaque white liquid from its abdomen to defend itself against other ants, including Linepithema humile, the Argentine ant. These defensive secretions are anatomically derived from the Dufour's gland, and have been found to contain a mixture of alkanes and alkenes: hexadecene, octadecene, tetradecene, octylcyclohexane, and hexadecane. Experiments have confirmed that P. imparis secretions often kill Linepithema humile workers.
