Tapinoma sessile
Indiana provides a seasonal outdoor setting, with freezing winters and warm summers. The table describes Lafayette weather; it is not a nest-temperature range or a laboratory tolerance limit for this ant.
Lafayette climate at a glance
Month | Mean °F | Mean °C | Precip in | Precip mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan | 25.8 | -3.4 | 2.19 | 56 |
Feb | 29.7 | -1.3 | 1.78 | 45 |
Mar | 40.0 | 4.4 | 2.73 | 69 |
Apr | 51.1 | 10.6 | 3.84 | 98 |
May | 61.6 | 16.4 | 4.04 | 103 |
Jun | 70.7 | 21.5 | 4.56 | 116 |
Jul | 73.6 | 23.1 | 4.08 | 104 |
Aug | 72.2 | 22.3 | 3.12 | 79 |
Sep | 65.5 | 18.6 | 2.59 | 66 |
Oct | 53.7 | 12.1 | 2.91 | 74 |
Nov | 41.3 | 5.2 | 2.87 | 73 |
Dec | 31.0 | -0.6 | 2.29 | 58 |
Seasonal activity
For outdoor observations, compare spring warming with summer food availability. Heated structures can support activity when outdoor trails are quiet.
Winged forms are often reported in early to midsummer; June and July are a regional guide, not a fixed Indiana schedule. [ID]
The nest has its own climate
A shaded mulch bed and a sunlit wall may support different activity at the same air temperature. Record the surface, shade, and moisture condition beside the trail.
Sun, cover, soil depth, and indoor heating can shift exposure within a few steps. No single temperature or humidity target should be inferred from this regional climate table.
Weather extremes and future change
NOAA’s 2022 Indiana assessment projects warmer conditions and increased risks from heavy precipitation, while greater evaporation can intensify drought. These are regional projections; they do not predict the abundance of an individual ant species. [Climate]
Observation suggestion: record the first spring workers and each swarm with the date, time, recent rain, and location. Compare several years before attributing a change to climate rather than food availability, habitat change, or observation effort.