A nuptial launch from the tree stump in my front yard - which fits for the species since here in the SW the genus is mostly found in association with wood, either living or on timber products and structures such as telegraph poles. The species also known from the Eastern states.

Ochetellus can be a nuisance in suburban homes, searching kitchens for sugary food.

AKA black household ant.

First described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862 as Hypoclinea glabra .

Native to Australia, but now introduced to a number of countries, including China, India, many islands around the Pacific, and Florida.

In the wild in nests in rotten wood, under rocks and dry timber, and in hollow plants, but a frequent invader of houses looking for food. Its habit of farming plant-sucking insects for honeydew adds to its pest potential.