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

The following list includes 185 species. Species on the following list are from literature records, from collections made by the MEM, and in a few cases from personal communication with Doug Booher.

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
Subfamily Dolichoderinae
Tribe Dolichoderini
Dolichoderus mariae Forel [MEM; MacKay, 1993; Graham et al., 2004]
Dolichoderus plagiatus (Mayr) [Smith, 1979]
Dolichoderus pustulatus Mayr [MEM; MacKay, 1993]
Dolichoderus taschenbergi (Mayr) [MacKay, 1993]
Dorymyrmex bureni (Trager) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Dorymyrmex bossutus (Trager) [MEM]
Dorymyrmex grandulus (Forel) [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Dorymyrmex smithi Cole [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Forelius mccooki (McCook) [MEM]
Forelius pruinosus (Roger) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Forelius sp.-01 [MEM]
Linepithema humile (Mayr) (introduced, pest) [MEM]
Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (introduced, pest) [UGA]
Tapinoma sessile (Say) (pest)
[Smith, 1979-listed from N.S., Que. s. to Fla.]
Technomyrmex difficilis Forel (introduced, pest-previously misidentified as T. albipes (Smith), see Wetterer, 2008)

Subfamily Formicinae
Tribe Lasiini
Lasius aphidicola (Walsh)[MEM; Smith, 1979-listed from N.S., Que. s. to Fla.]
Lasius americanus Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Lasius brevicornis Emery [MEM]
Lasius claviger (Roger) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Lasius interjectus Mayr [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Lasius murphyi (Forel) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Lasius neoniger Emery [Ipser et al., 2004]
Lasius subglaber Emery [Smith, 1979]

Nylanderia arenivaga (Wheeler) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Nylanderia concinna (Trager) [Trager, 1984]
Nylanderia faisonensis (Forel) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Nylanderia fulva (Mayr) [MEM]
Nylanderia parvula (Mayr) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Nylanderia phantasma (Trager) [MEM; MacGown et al. 2009]
Nylanderia vividula (Nylander) (introduced?, pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (introduced, pest) [Ipser et al., 2004; Global Invasive Species Database, 2008]
Prenolepis imparis (Say) (pest?) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]

Tribe Plagiolepidini
Brachymyrmex depilis Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr (introduced, pest) [MEM; MacGown et al., 2007]

Tribe Camponotini
Camponotus americanus Mayr (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Camponotus caryae (Fitch) (pest) [Graham et al., 2004]
Camponotus castaneus (Latreille) (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Camponotus chromaiodes Bolton (pest) [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Camponotus decipiens Emery (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Camponotus discolor (Buckley) (pest) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Camponotus floridanus (Buckley) (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Camponotus nearcticus Emery (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Camponotus socius Roger (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Camponotus snellingi Bolton [MEM]
Camponotus subbarbatus Emery (pest)
[MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Colobopsis impressa Roger [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Colobopsis mississippiensis (Smith) [MEM]

Tribe Formicini
Formica archboldi Smith [Ipser et al., 2004]
Formica biophilica Trager [MEM; Trager et al., 2007]
Formica difficilis Emery [Ipser et al., 2004]
Formica dolosa Buren [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Formica exsectoides Forel [Ipser et al., 2004]
Formica integra Nylander [Ipser et al., 2004]
Formica obscuriventris Mayr [Ipser et al., 2004]
Formica pallidefulva Latreille [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Grah,
Formica subintegra Wheeler [Ipser et al., 2004]
Formica subsericea Say [Ipser et al., 2004]
Polyergus longicornis Smith [Smith, 1979]
Polyergus lucidus Mayr
[Ipser et al., 2004]
Polyergus ruber Trager [Trager 2013]

Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae
Tribe Pseudomyrmecini

Pseudomyrmex ejectus (Smith) (pest?) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) [Doug Booher, per. comm.]
Pseudomyrmex pallidus (Smith) (pest?)
[MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]

Subfamily Dorylinae
Neivamyrmex carolinensis (Emery) [Ipser et al., 2004; Smith; 1979]
Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Cresson) [Ipser et al., 2004; Smith; 1979]
Neivamyrmex opacithorax (Emery) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Smith; 1979]
Neivamyrmex texanus Watkins
[Smith; 1979]

Subfamily Amblyoponinae
Tribe Amblyoponini
Stigmatomma pallipes (Haldeman) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]

Subfamily Ponerinae
Tribe Ponerini

Brachyponera chinensis (Emery) (introduced, pest) [MEM, Ipser et al., 2004]
Cryptopone gilva
(Roger) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Hypoponera inexorata (Wheeler) [pers. comm. John Graham, Berry College, GA]
Hypoponera opaciceps (Mayr) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Hypoponera opacior (Forel) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Odontomachus brunneus (Patton) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Ponera exotica Smith [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Ponera pennsylvanica Buckley
[MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]

Subfamily Ectatomminae
Tribe Ectatommini

Poneracantha triangularis (Mayr) (MEM) (introduced)

Subfamily Proceratiinae
Tribe Proceratiini
Discothyrea testacea Roger [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Proceratium crassicorne Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Proceratium creek de Andrade [Ipser et al., 2004; Baroni Urbani and de Andrade, 2003]]
Proceratium croceum (Roger) [MEM; Baroni Urbani and de Andrade, 2003; Ipser et al., 2004]
Proceratium pergandei (Emery) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Proceratium silaceum Roger
[MEM; Baroni Urbani & de Andrade, 2003]

Subfamily Myrmicinae
Tribe Myrmicini
Myrmica americana Weber [Ipser et al., 2004]
Myrmica latifrons Starcke [Ipser et al., 2004]
Myrmica pinetorum Wheeler [Ipser et al., 2004]
Myrmica punctiventris Roger [Ipser et al., 2004]
Myrmica spatulata Smith [Ipser et al., 2004]
Myrmica sp-1 [Ipser et al., 2004]

Pogonomyrmecini
Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]

Tribe Stenammini
Aphaenogaster ashmeadi Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster carolinensis Wheeler [MEM]
Aphaenogaster flemingi Smith [MEM]
Aphaenogaster floridana Smith [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster fulva Roger [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster lamellidens Mayr [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster miamiana Wheeler [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster picea (Wheeler) [MEM]
Aphaenogaster rudis Enzmann [MEM]
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis (Mayr) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster treatae Forel [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Aphaenogaster umphreyi Deyrup & Davis [pers. comm. Mark Deyrup, Archbold Biological Station, FL]
Stenamma brevicorne (Mayr) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Stenamma diecki Emery [Ipser et al., 2004]
Stenamma impar Forel [Ipser et al., 2004]
Stenamma meridionale Smith [Smith, 1979]
Stenamma schmittii Wheeler [Ipser et al., 2004]
Stenamma sp.-01 [Ipser et al., 2004]
Stenamma sp.-02
[Ipser et al., 2004]

Tribe Solenopsidini
Monomorium minimum (Buckley) (pest) [Smith, 1979-listed as Que. s. to Fla.]
Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus) (introduced, pest) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Monomorium viridum Brown [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Solenopsis abdita Thompson [MEM]
Solenopsis carolinensis Forel [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) (pest) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Solenopsis invicta Buren (introduced, pest) [MEM;
Solenopsis molesta (Say) ? (pest) [Smith, 1979-listed as Ont. s. to Fla.]
Solenopsis pergandei Forel [MEM]
Solenopsis picta Emery [Ipser et al., 2004]
Solenopsis tennesseensis Smith [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Solenopsis xyloni McCook (pest)
[Ipser et al., 2004]

Tribe Attini
Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola) (introduced) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Pheidole adrianoi Naves [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Pheidole bicarinata Mayr (pest?) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Pheidole crassicornis Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole davisi Wheeler [MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole dentata Mayr (pest?) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole dentigula Smith [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Pheidole floridana Emery [MEM]
Pheidole lamia Wheeler [Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole littoralis Cole [Ipser et al., 2004]
Pheidole metallescens Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole morrisi Forel [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole navigans Forel [MEM]
Pheidole obscurithorax Naves (introduced) [MEM; King & Tschinkel, 2007]
Pheidole pilifera (Roger) [Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Pheidole tetra Creighton [MEM]
Pheidole tysoni Forel
[Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys abdita Wesson & Wesson [Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys angulata Smith [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys bunki (Brown) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys carolinensis (Brown) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys clypeata Roger [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys creightoni Smith [MEM; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys deyrupi (Bolton) [MEM]
Strumigenys dietrichi Smith [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys filirrhina (Brown) [MEM, Doug Booher Collection]
Strumigenys hyalina (Bolton) [Doug Booher, per comm.]
Strumigenys laevinasis Smith [Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys louisianae Roger
[MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys margaritae Forel (introduced) [Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys membranifera Emery (introduced) [MEM; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys missouriensis Smith [MEM]
Strumigenys ohioensis Kennedy & Schramm
Strumigenys ornata Mayr [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys pergandei Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys pilinasis Forel [Booher, per comm.; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys pulchella Emery [Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys reflexa Wesson & Wesson [Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys rostrata Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Strumigenys silvestrii Emery [MEM]
Strumigenys talpa Weber [MEM; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys wrayi (Brown) [Ipser et al., 2004]

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook)
[MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]

Tribe Crematogastrini
Cardiocondyla nuda (Mayr) (probably Cardiocondyla minutior Forel) [Smith, 1979]
Cardiocondyla wroughtonii (Forel) (possibly Cardiocondyla obscurior Wheeler) [Smith, 1979]
Crematogaster ashmeadi Mayr (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Crematogaster cerasi (Fitch) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Crematogaster lineolata (Say) (pest) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Crematogaster minutissima Mayr [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Crematogaster missuriensis Emery [Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Crematogaster pilosa Emery (pest) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Crematogaster pinacola Deyrup & Cover [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004-listed as C. sp. undescribed]

Myrmecina americana Emery [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004; Graham et al., 2004]
Temnothorax americanus (Emery) [MEM]
Temnothorax bradleyi (Wheeler) [Smith, 1979]
Temnothorax curvispinosus (Mayr) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Temnothorax longispinosus (Roger) [Smith, 1979]
Temnothorax palustris Deyrup & Cover [MEM]
Temnothorax pergandei (Emery) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Temnothorax schaumii (Roger) [MEM; Ipser et al., 2004]
Temnothorax smithi (Baroni Urbani) [MEM; Smith, 1979; Ipser et al., 2004]
Temnothorax texanus (Wheeler)
[MEM; Graham et al., 2004]
Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander) (introduced, pest) [Ipser et al., 2004]
Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr (introduced, pest) [Smith, 1979]
Tetramorium simillimum (F. Smith) (introduced, pest)
[Smith, 1979]

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. 2000.  The Ant Tribe Dacetini.  Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute.  Vol. 65, part 1-2. 

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

Bolton, B. & G. D. Alpert. 2012. Barry Bolton’s Synopsis of the Formicidae and Catalogue of Ants of the World, in http://gap.entclub.org/ Version: 1 July 2012. Accessed on 3 July 2012.

Graham, J. H., H. H. Hughie, S. Jones, K. Wrinn, A. J. Krzysik, J. J. Duda, D. C. Freeman, J. M. Emlen, J. C. Zak, D. A. Kovacic, C. Chamberlin-Graham, and H. Balbach. 2004. Habitat disturbance and the diversity and abundance of ants (Formicidae) in the southeastern fall-line sandhills. Journal of Insect Science 4: 30, 15 pp.

Global Invasive Species Database: Paratrechina longicornis (insect). http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&si=958&sts= accessed 2 June 2008.

Ipser, R. M., M. A. Brinkman, W. A. Gardner, and H. B. Peeler. 2004. A survey of the ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Georgia. Florida Entomologist 87 (3): 253-260.

King, J. R. and W. R. Tschinkel. 2007. Range expansion and local pupulation increase of the exotic ant, Pheidole obscurithorax, in the southeastern United States (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 90: 435-439.

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.

MacGown, J. A., J. G. Hill, and M. Deyrup. 2009. Ants (Hymenoptera:  Formicidae) of the Little Ohoopee Dunes, Georgia.  Journal of Entomological Science 44: 193-197.

MacKay, W. P. 1993. A review of the New World ants of the genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 22: 1-148.

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.

Smith, D. R. 1979.  In Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of Mexico. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D. C.  Vol. 2, pp. 1323-1427. 

Trager, J. C. 1984.  A revision of the genus Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the continental United States. Sociobiology 9:  49-162. 

Trager, J. C. 1988. A revision of the Conomyrma (Hymenoptera: Fomicidae) from the southeastern United States, especially Florida, with keys to the species. Florida Entomologist 71: 11-29.

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.

Ward, P. S., S. G. Brady, B. L. Fisher, and T. R. Schultz. The evolutionof mymicine ants: phylogeny and biogeography of a hyperdiverse ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Royal Entomologica Society, Systematic Entomology (2014) 1-21.

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

Wheeler, W. M. 1919. A new paper-making Crematogaster from the southeastern United States. Psyche 26: 107-112.