Its common name comes from the fact that colonies in North America usually make their nests under pavement.

It is distinguished by a single pair of spines on the back, two nodes on the petiole, and grooves on the head and thorax.

[4][5] Tetramorium nuptial flights occur in spring and summer; queens and drones leave the nest and find a mate.

They will eat almost anything, including other insects, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread, meats, nuts, ice cream, and cheese.

Although they do not usually nest inside buildings, they may become a minor nuisance to humans as they enter homes, attracted by food left out.

They may be identified by entrance holes surrounded by small crater-shaped mounds of sand in summer.

The low genetic diversity of Tetramorium immigrans across North America suggests that this population resulted from the establishment of one single, or a few closely related ant colonies, about 200 years ago.