Their body is curved, although the curvature decreases as the larva grows. Their posterior end is large, while their anterior end is smaller and tapered. Larvae are white, and covered in double-hooked hairs. They are elliptical and 0.25 mm in length. Eggs are pearly white, and become clear just before hatching. Their legs and antennae are yellow, while their body is brown. Males are also larger than workers, though smaller than queens, at 3.5 to 3.6 mm in length.

Before mating, they have two pairs of hyaline wings, after mating, the queens lose their wings. They have eleven-jointed antennae, with the same antennal club. They are the same shade of yellow, with a darker brown color on their head, prothorax, and in between their abdominal segments. Queens are larger, at 4 to 5 mm in length. They have ten-jointed antennae, with a large, elongate antennal club. Workers are monomorphic they are pale yellow and 1.5 to 1.8 mm in length. ( DuBois and DuBois, 1994 Grundmann and Peterson, 1953 McColloch and Hayes, 1916 Pecarevic, et al., 2010 Zenger and Gibb, 2001) Thief ants can also build nests within homes, in basements, under baseboards, or in building foundations. Nest openings are often a distance from the nest itself, with many underground tunnels and small chambers packed with solid walls. Nests are built in the ground, either in the open or under rocks. They can also be found in agricultural fields. They can live in turfgrass habitats, including golf courses and lawns, as well as grassy areas in cities, such as on the medians of major roads. Thief ants typically live in fields and meadows, although nests can be abundant in urban and suburban areas. ( Grundmann and Peterson, 1953 McColloch and Hayes, 1916 Pecarevic, et al., 2010 Wetterer, et al., 2001 Zenger and Gibb, 2001) They have been reported as far south as the middle of Mexico, although they are probably rare in that region. They can be found across the United States, although they are most common in the eastern half of the country. Thief ants ( Solenopsis molesta) are native to the Nearctic region.

The queen thief