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urbpan
Citronella ants Lasius sp. are common ants in the environment, but unfamiliar to most people. For my part, I only became aware of them when I was called in to deal with a swarm emerging from cracks in the cement floor of a building a few years ago. They live most of their lives under the ground, feeding on the honeydew from aphids that feed only on roots. (I only became aware of root-feeding aphids when I discovered that one fungus species is known to associate with them.) According to bugguide, this early October reproductive flight in progress is toward the end of when these events are likely to happen. Unless of course the ants are nesting below a heated building, then it could happen in the middle of winter.
These ants are called citronella ants because they smell strongly of citronella when crushed. I'm not a big fan of obtaining identifications through lethal means, but it's hard to feel too too bad about killing a single colonial insect.
