Spants - a mixture between Spiders and Ants!

[marianll]

Have anybody else got those horrid insects which look like half ant and half spider? Ive named them "Spants" for the time being! If anyone knows what they're called then could you please let me know? The other night I saw one in my living room. It had the round black body of a spider and then a big white sack stuck to its behind like another segment of it's body - like an ant has. Only this segment was white. At first I thought it was a pregnant spider/beetle/ant, but it looked too top heavy, like as if it needed legs on that extra segment to carry it along! Well since then there have been smaller looking ones which look more like ants than spiders - SWARMS of them. I think these are a younger group of them. Can someone please tell me what they are?! Thanks in advance for any replies.

[applebee]

YES YES! I have seen these too!! So your not seeing things! but I really cant tell you what they are

[marianll]

YAY! Its nice to hear that I am not the only one suffering with these anonymous beasts crawling everywhere! Where do you live? Because I live in Wales and I was wondering how far these things are travelling. I hope someone comes up with a name though so I can stop calling them "Spants!"

[cjk23]

we seen these things but without the white backs, I assume ours are noraml flying ants, maybe yours are a diff or new type?

We have swarms of the beggers everywhere here the past fewd ays, literally as far as you can see. Look up and all you can see is these ******* everywhere, theyre horrid.

think it must be a massive infestation due to the heat.

[applebee]

Probablly not much help...but I live in Wisconsin US

[marianll]

Well this thing doesn't look real, it looks like it has a rice krispie stuck to its back!! It doesn't have wings... hmmm I wonder what it is?!

[Cetti]

Sounds horrible marian - but fascinating as well. Possibly ants carrying egg sacs on their backs?

You wouldn't be able to post a photo of this 'thing' would you, as I'm dying to found out what has invaded Wales and Wisconsin? A pic would be very helpful. Any further clues - size of beast, number of legs.....anything that might help someone identify it.

[marianll]

I also thought that they may have been egg sacks, but still I think that it may be too big to be an egg sack. Unfortunately I dont own a camera to take any photos. Just imagine a spider, about 2 cm in diameter, with a rice krispie stuck to it's behind!!! The sack was about the same size as a rice krispie. Urggh..... the thought of it makes me shiver!!!!