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Ants of Florida (species list) [Florida Pest Ants] [Florida Exotic Ants]
Joe MacGown

Florida is one of the few states in the U.S. where the ant fauna has been well studied, and not surprisingly, it boasts the highest species total (231) of all eastern states. However, this high species total is not soley an artifact of collecting, as Florida has a subtropical climate that supports a large number of species. Additionally, Florida is home to 65 exotic species, which is by far, the largest exotic ant fauna in the United States. Species on the following list are from literature records and from collections made by the MEM.

Clicking on a species name will lead to a page with further information and photographs of that species. Although species pages are at various levels of progress, most pages now have representative photographs of at least workers of the species. In addition to the photographs of ants taken by Joe MacGown at the Mississippi Entomological Museum (MEM), many photos are used, with permission, from AntWeb, a web site about ants of the world with amazing photos. Another site with photographs of ants is "Discover Life." The Discover Life site provides a list of North American ants with photos at "Kinds of Ants, Ants of North America Page". On each individual MEM species page, a link is provided (at the bottom of the page) for that species on both the AntWeb site and the Discover Life ant site.

The list presented is arranged by subfamily, tribe, and genus according to Bolton (2014). For species that are introduced or considered to be pest species, that designation is given following the species name. For species whose origin is uncertain, the word "introduced" is followed by the "?" symbol. Similarly, for questionable pest species, the word "pest" is followed by the "?" symbol. Pest species include species that are considered to be serious pests, in that they may cause significant damage or health problems, to mild, nuisance pests. Species that are in the Mississippi Entomological Museum (MEM), literature records, web based records, and/or other citations of records are noted in brackets following the species name (note that not all published records are given).

Family Formicidae

Family Formicidae
Subfamily Dolichoderinae
Tribe Dolichoderini
Dolichoderus mariae Forel [Deyrup, 2003]
Dolichoderus pustulatus Mayr [Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex bossutus (Trager) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex bureni (Trager) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex elegans (Trager) [Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex flavopectus Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex grandulus (Forel) [Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex reginicula (Trager) [Deyrup, 2003]
Dorymyrmex smithi Cole [Deyrup, 2003]
Forelius mccooki (McCook) [MEM]
Forelius pruinosus (Roger) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Forelius sp.-01 [Deyrup, 2003]
Linepithema humile (Mayr) (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Ochetellus glaber (Mayr) (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Tapinoma litorale Wheeler [Deyrup, 2003] [Deyrup, 2003]
Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Tapinoma sessile (Say) (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Technomyrmex difficilis Forel (introduced, pest-previously misidentified as T. albipes (Smith), see Wetterer, 2008)
[Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Formicinae
Tribe Lasiini
Lasius aphidicola (Walsh)[Deyrup, 2003]
Lasius americanus
Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Lasius claviger (Roger) [Deyrup, 2003]
Lasius interjectus (Mayr) [Deyrup, 2003]
Lasius neoniger Emery [Deyrup, 2003]

Nylanderia arenivaga (Wheeler) [Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia bourbonica (Forel) (introduced, pest ) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia concinna (Trager) [Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia faisonensis (Forel) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia fulva (Mayr) (introduced, pest) [MEM]
Nylanderia guatemalensis (Forel) (Introduced, pest??) [Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia parvula (Mayr) [MEM, Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia phantasma (Trager) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia pubens (Forel) (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003; Trager, 1984]
Nylanderia vividula (Nylander) (introduced?, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia wojciki (Trager) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia sp.-01 [Deyrup, 2003]
Nylanderia sp.-02 [Deyrup, 2003]
Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Prenolepis imparis (Say) (pest?)
[MEM; Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Plagiolepidini
Brachymyrmex depilis Emery [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Brachymyrmex minutus Forel (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Brachymyrmex obscurior Forel (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr (introduced, pest) [MEM; MacGown et al., 2007]
Brachymyrmex sp-01 (previously identified as B. brevicornis) (introduced?) [pers. comm. Mark Deyrup, Archbold B.S., FL]
Brachymyrmex sp.-02 [pers. comm. Mark Deyrup, Archbold B.S., FL]
Myrmelachista ramulorum Wheeler (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Plagiolepis alluaudi Emery (FL) (introduced - Madagascar)

Tribe Camponotini
Camponotus caryae (Fitch) (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus castaneus (Latreille) (pest) [MEM, Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus decipiens Emery (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus discolor (Buckley) (pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus floridanus (Buckley) (pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis Roger (introduced? pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus nearcticus Emery (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) (pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus planatus Roger (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus sexguttatus Fabricius (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus snellingi Bolton (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus socius Roger (pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Camponotus tortuganus Emery (introduced? structural pest)
Camponotus sp-01 (introduced?) [AntWeb]

Colobopsis impressa Roger [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Colobopsis mississippiensis (Smith) (Deyrup 2017)
Colobopsis obliqua (Smith) [MEM]

Tribe Formicini
Formica archboldi Smith [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Formica biophilica Trager [Trager et al., 2007]
Formica dolosa Buren [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Formica pallidefulva Latreille [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Formica subsericea Say [Deyrup, 2003]
Polyergus longicornis Smith [King and Trager, 2007]

Polyergus montivagus Wheeler [Trager 2013]
Polyergus oligergus Trager [Trager 2013]

Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae
Tribe Pseudomyrmecini
Pseudomyrmex cubaensis (Forel) (introduced?) [Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex ejectus (Smith) (pest?) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex elongatus (Mayr)(introduced?) [Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) (introduced, pest?) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex leptosus Ward [Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex pallidus (Smith) (pest?) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex seminole Ward [Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudomyrmex simplex (Smith) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Dorylinae
Neivamyrmex carolinensis (Emery) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Neivamyrmex opacithorax (Emery) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Neivamyrmex texanus Watkins [Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Amblyoponinae
Tribe Amblyoponini
Stigmatomma pallipes (Haldeman) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Prionopelta antillana Forel (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Ponerinae
Tribe Platythyreini
Platythyrea punctata (Smith) [Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Ponerini
Anochetus mayri Emery (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Brachyponera chinensis (Emery) (introduced pest) [Guénard, 2009]
Hypoponera inexorata (Wheeler) [Deyrup, 2003]
Hypoponera opaciceps (Mayr) [Deyrup, 2003]
Hypoponera opacior (Forel) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger) (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Leptogenys manni Wheeler [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Odontomachus brunneus (Patton) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Odontomachus haematodus (Linnaeus) (introduced) [MEM]
Odontomachus relictus Smith [Deyrup, 2003] [MEM; Deyrup and Cover, 2004]
Odontomachus ruginodis Smith (introduced) [MEM;Deyrup, 2003]
Pachycondyla gilva (Roger) [Deyrup, 2003]
Ponera exotica Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Ponera pennsylvanica Buckley
[Deyrup, 2003]
Pseudoponera stigma Fabricius (introduced, pest?) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Ectatomminae
Tribe Ectatommini

Poneracantha triangularis (Mayr) (introduced)
[Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Proceratiinae
Tribe Proceratiini
Discothyrea testacea Roger [Deyrup, 2003]
Proceratium chickasaw de Andrade [Baroni Urbani &. de Andrade, 2003]  
Proceratium crassicorne Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Proceratium creek de Andrade [Baroni Urbani &. de Andrade, 2003]  
Proceratium croceum (Roger) [Deyrup, 2003]
Proceratium pergandei (Emery) [Deyrup, 2003]
Proceratium silaceum Roger
[Deyrup, 2003]

Subfamily Myrmicinae
Tribe Myrmicini

Myrmica punctiventris Roger [Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Pogonomyrmecini
Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille)[MEM; Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Stenammini
Aphaenogaster ashmeadi Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster carolinensis Wheeler [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster flemingi Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster floridana Smith [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster fulva Roger [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster lamellidens Mayr [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster mariae Forel [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster miamiana Wheeler [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis (Mayr) [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster treatae Forel [Deyrup, 2003]
Aphaenogaster umphreyi Deyrup & Davis [Deyrup, 2003]
Stenamma foveolocephalum Smith
[Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Solenopsidini
Monomorium destructor (Jerdon) (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Monomorium ebeninum Forel (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Monomorium floricola (Jerdon) (introduced?, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus) (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Monomorium trageri Dubois [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Monomorium viridum Brown [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis abdita Thompson [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis carolinensis Forel [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis corticalis Forel [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) (pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis globularia Creighton [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis invicta Buren (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis nickersoni Thompson [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis pergandei Forel [Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis phoretica Davis & Deyrup [Davis and Deyrup, 2006]
Solenopsis picta Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis tennesseensis Smith [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis texana Emery [Pacheco, 2007]
Solenopsis tonsa Thompson [Deyrup, 2003]
Solenopsis xyloni McCook pest [Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Attini
Cephalotes varians (Smith) [Deyrup, 2003]

Cyphomyrmex minutus Mayr (introduced?) [Deyrup, 2003]
Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola) (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Eurhopalothrix floridana Brown and Kempf
[MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole adrianoi Naves [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole bilimeki Mayr [MEM]
Pheidole bicarinata Mayr (pest?) [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole carrolli Naves [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole crassicornis Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole dentata Mayr (pest?) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole dentigula Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole flavens Roger (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole floridana Emery [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole lamia Wheeler [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole littoralis Cole [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole megacephala Fabricius (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole metallescens Emery [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole navigans Forel (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole morrisi Forel [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole obscurithorax Naves (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole tysoni Forel [Deyrup, 2003]
Pheidole sp.-01 [MEM: referred to as P. diversipilosa in Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys abdita Wesson & Wesson [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys angulata Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys apalachicolensis (Deyrup & Lubertazzi) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys archboldi (Deyrup & Cover) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys boltoni (Deyrup)[Deyrup, 2006]
Strumigenys bunki (Brown) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys carolinensis (Brown) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys cloydi (Pfitzer) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys clypeata Roger [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys creightoni Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys deyrupi (Bolton) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys dietrichi Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys eggersi Emery (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys emmae (Emery) (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys epinotalis Weber (introduced) [Archbold Biological Station]
Strumigenys gundlachi (Roger) (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys hexamera (Brown) (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys inopina (Deyrup & Cover) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys laevinasis Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys lanuginosa Wheeler (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys louisianae Roger [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys margaritae Forel (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys membranifera Emery (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys missouriensis Smith [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys ohioensis Kennedy & Schramm [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys ornata Mayr [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys pilinasis Forel [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys pulchella Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys reflexa Wesson & Wesson [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys reliquia (Ward) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys rogeri Emery (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys rostrata Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys silvestrii Emery (introduced)
[Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys talpa Weber [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Strumigenys wrayi (Brown) [Deyrup, 2003]

Trachymyrmex jamaicensis (Andre) [Deyrup, 2003]
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook)
[MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]

Tribe Crematogastrini
Cardiocondyla emeryi Forel (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003; Seifert, 2003]
Cardiocondyla minutior Forel (introduced) [Seifert, 2003]
Cardiocondyla obscurior Wheeler (introduced) [Seifert, 2003]
Cardiocondyla venustula Wheeler (introduced) [Deyrup, 2003; Seifert, 2003]
Cardiocondyla wroughtonii (Forel) (introduced) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003; Seifert, 2003]
Crematogaster ashmeadi Mayr (pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster parapilosa Ward and Blaimer [Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster cerasi (Fitch) [Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster lineolata (Say) (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster minutissima Mayr [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster missuriensis Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster obscurata (Emery) (introduced) [referred to as C. agnita-Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster pilosa Emery (pest) [Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster vermiculata Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Crematogaster pinicola Deyrup and Cover [MEM; Deyrup & Cover, 2004]
Crematogaster sp.-02
[Deyrup, 2003]
Myrmecina americana Emery [Deyrup, 2003]
Myrmecina sp.-01
[Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax allardycei (Mann) [Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax bradleyi (Wheeler) [Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax curvispinosus (Mayr) [Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax palustris Deyrup & Cover [Deyrup and Cover, 2004]
Temnothorax pergandei (Emery) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax schaumii (Roger) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax smithi (Baroni Urbani) [Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax texanus (Wheeler) [Deyrup, 2003]
Temnothorax torrei (Aguayo) [Deyrup, 2003]

Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander) (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Tetramorium caldarium (Roger) (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr (introduced, pest) [MEM; Deyrup, 2003]
Tetramorium simillimum (F. Smith) (introduced, pest) [Deyrup, 2003]

Xenomyrmex floridanus Emery [Deyrup, 2003]

Literature Cited

Baroni Urbani, C. and M. L. de Andrade. 2003.  The ant genus Proceratium in the extant and fossil record (Hymenoptera:  Formicidae). Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Monografie 36:  1-480. 

Bolton, B. 2014. An online catalog of the ants of the world. Available online: http://www.antweb.org/world.jsp (accessed 31 October 2014).

Davis, L. R. and M. Deyrup. 2006. Solenopsis phoretica, a new species of apparently parasitic ant from Florida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 89: 141-143.

Deyrup, M. 2003. An updated list of Florida ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 86: 43-48. 

Deyrup, M. 2006. Strumigenys boltoni , a new species of leaf-litter inhabiting ant from Florida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dacetini). Florida Entomologist 89: 1-5. 

Deyrup, M. 2017. Ants of Florida: Identification and Natural History. CRC Presss, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 1–423.

Deyrup, M. and S. Cover. 2004.  A new species of Odontomachus ant (Hymenoptera:  Formicidae) from inland ridges of Florida, with a key to Odontomachus of the United State.  Florida Entomologist 87: 136-144.

Deyrup, M. and Cover. 2004. A new species of Crematogaster from the pinelands of the southeastern United States, pp. 100-112. In Snelling, R. R., B. L. Fisher, and P. S. Ward (eds). Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E. O. Wilson-50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 80.

Deyrup, M. and S. Cover. 2004.  A new species of the ant genus Leptothorax from Florida with a key to Leptothorax of the Southeast (Hymenoptera:  Formicidae).  Florida Entomologist 87: 51-59. 

Fisher, B. L. and S. P. Cover. 2007. Ants of North America: A guide to the Genera. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA. 194 pp.

Guénard, B. 2009. Pachycondyla chinensis , the Asian Needle Ant. Available online at: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~bsguenar/Pachycondyla%20chinensis%20page.html. Accessed 26 March, 2009.

King, J. R. and J. C. Trager. 2007. Natural history of the slave making ant, Polyergus lucidus, sensu lato in northern Florida and its three Formica pallidefulva group hosts. 14 pp. Journal of Insect Science 7: 42, available online: insectscience.org/7.42

MacGown, J. A., J.G. Hill, and M. A. Deyrup. 2007. Brachymyrmex patagonicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), an emerging pest species in the southeastern United States. Florida Entomologist 90: 457-464.

Pacheco, J. A. 2007. The New World ants of the genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). PhD dissertation, The University of Texas at El Paso. i-xxi +543 pp.

Seifert, B. 2003. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. B. Bot. Zool. 104(B): 203-338.

Trager, J. C. 2013. Global revision of tgeh dulotic ant genus Polyergus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Formicinae). Zootaxa 3722 (4): 501–548.

Trager, J. C., J. A. MacGown and M. D. Trager. 2007. Revision of the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). In: Snelling, R. R., P. S. Ward, and B. L. Fisher (editors), Advances in ant systematics. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 610-636.

Wetterer, J. K. 2008. Technomyrmex difficilis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae (in the West Indies). Florida Entomologist 91: 428-430.