Insect and Spider Identification: Swarming ants or termites, 1 by rntx22

rntx22 wrote:
This things swarmed our patio the other evening. There were thousands and thousands of these tiny winged ants/termites covering the whole patio, the glass sliding door, the brick walls, everything! I smooshed a few as gently as possible so I could get a photo. They were very fast crawlers so there was no way to get them in action.

They are very small with reddish brown bodies. The abdomen is a little little lighter colored than the rest of the body and almost looks like a slight greenish brown. They did not bite or sting me which was surprising. The tip of the abdomen had no visible stinger. It actually had 2 little tail like things on the end (they were so small you can't see them in the photos).

I think I have ruled termites as a possibility- every website I have viewed shows termites having a straight body and these have tapered waists. Also, the tentacles are bent, not straight. And lastly, they have double wings - one very small set that you nearly can't see, and a large set.

I looked around the yard for beds, just 2 small mounds in the grass, and a couple in the cracks on the pavement.

Hoping these aren't crazy ants!