Mississippi Entomological Museum, Ants (Formicidae) of the Southeastern United States - Ants of Alabama (species list) by Joe A. MacGown

Ants of Alabama (species list) [Alabama Pest Ants] [Alabama Exotic Ants]

Historically, the only list of ants of Alabama was done by L. C. Murphree in 1947. However, his collections were concentrated in urban areas and consequently his list was incomplete. Recent collections (in the last decade or so) in Alabama by the Mississippi Entomological Museum (MEM), collections by Jason Forster at Auburn University Entomological Museum (AUEM), and published records in revisional works by various authors have dramatically increased the total number of species reported from Alabama. The list presented below is largely based on a recently published paper documenting ants of Alabama by MacGown and Forster (2005) and recent collections since that publication. The list below includes 176 species of Formicidae, plus the hybrid fire ant, Solenopsis invicta X richteri, from 9 subfamilies and 39 genera. Many of the species records included in this list are based on collections made during the last 12 years, with 138 species collected during this time period. The remaining species records are from examination of older specimens stored at both the AUEM in Alabama and the MEM at Mississippi State University, as well as from literature records.

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. 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). 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

Subfamily Formicinae
Tribe Lasiini

Tribe Plagiolepidini

Brachymyrmex depilis Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr [MEM; MacGown et al., 2007]
Brachymyrmex sp. [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Tribe Camponotini

Camponotus americanus Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus caryae (Fitch) [Murphree, 1947]
Camponotus castaneus (Latreille) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus chromaiodes Bolton [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus decipiens Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus discolor (Buckley)[ MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus floridanus (Buckley) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus nearcticus Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus snellingi Bolton [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus socius Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Camponotus subbarbatus Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Colobopsis impressa Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Colobopsis mississippiensis (Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Colobopsis obliqua (Smith) [Smith, 1979]

Tribe Formicini

Formica archboldi M. R. Smith [Smith, 1979]
Formica biophilica Trager [MEM; Trager et al., 2007]
Formica dolosa Buren [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Formica integra Nylander [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Formica pallidefulva Latreille [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Formica rubicunda Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Formica subintegra Wheeler [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Formica subsericea Say [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae
Tribe Pseudomyrmecini

Pseudomyrmex ejectus (F. Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) [MEM; H. Richter, Per. Comm.; photo ID by MacGown]
Pseudomyrmex pallidus (F. Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pseudomyrmex seminole Ward [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Subfamily Dorylinae

Neivamyrmex carolinensis (Emery) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Cresson) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Neivamyrmex opacithorax (Emery) [Watkins, 1985; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Subfamily Amblyoponinae
Tribe Amblyoponini

Stigmatomma pallipes (Haldeman) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Subfamily Ponerinae
Tribe Ponerini

Brachyponera chinensis (Emery) [MEM]
Cryptopone gilva (Roger) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Hypoponera inexorata Wheeler [MEM]
Hypoponera opaciceps (Mayr) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Hypoponera opacior (Forel) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Odontomachus brunneus (Patton) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Odontomachus haematodus (Linnaeus) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005-reported as O. ruginodis]
Ponera exotica M. R. Smith [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Ponera pennsylvanica Buckley [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Subfamily Ectatomminae
Tribe Ectatommini

Poneracantha triangularis(Mayr) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Subfamily Proceratiinae
Tribe Proceratiini

Discothyrea testacea Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Proceratium chickasaw De Andrade [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Proceratium crassicorne Emery [Baroni Urbani & de Andrade, 2003]
Proceratium croceum (Roger) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Baroni Urbani & de Andrade, 2003]
Proceratium pergandei (Emery) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Baroni Urbani & de Andrade, 2003]
Proceratium silaceum Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Baroni Urbani & de Andrade, 2003]

Subfamily Myrmicinae
Tribe Myrmicini
Myrmica americana Weber [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Myrmica pinetorum Wheeler [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Myrmica punctiventris Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Tribe Pogonomyrmecini
Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Tribe Stenammini
Aphaenogaster ashmeadi Emery [MEM]
Aphaenogaster carolinensis Wheeler [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster floridana M. R. Smith [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster fulva Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster lamellidens Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster miamiana Wheeler [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster picea (Wheeler) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster rudis Enzmann [MacGown & Forster, 2005; Umphrey, 1996]
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis (Mayr) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Aphaenogaster treatae Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Stenamma foveolocephalum M. R. Smith [Dubois & Davis, 1998; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Stenamma impar Forel [MEM]
Stenamma meridionale Smith (Pers. Comm., Doug Booher)

Tribe Solenopsidini
Monomorium floricola (Jerdon) [MacGown & Forster, 2005; Smith, 1979]
Monomorium minimum (Buckley) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Monomorium viridum Brown [Glancey et al., 1976; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis carolinensis Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) [Creighton 1930; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis globularia Creighton [MEM; Creighton 1930; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis invicta Buren [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis invicta X richteri [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis molesta (Say) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis pergandei Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis picta Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis richteri Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis tennesseensis M. R. Smith [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis texana Emery [Pacheco, 2007]
Solenopsis tonsa Thompson [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Solenopsis xyloni McCook [MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Tribe Attini
Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole adrianoi Naves [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole bicarinata Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole bilimeki Mayr [MEM]
Pheidole crassicornis Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole davisi Wheeler [Wilson, 2003]
Pheidole dentata Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole dentigula M.R Smith [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole lamia Wheeler [MEM]
Pheidole metallescens Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole morrisi Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole navigans Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole obscurithorax Naves [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole pilifera (Roger) [MEM]
Pheidole tetra Creighton [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole tysoni Forel [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Pheidole sp.-01 [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys angulata (M. R. Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys carolinensis (Brown) [MEM]
Strumigenys clypeata Roger [MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys creightoni (M. R. Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys dietrichi (M. R. Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys epinotalis Weber [MEM]
Strumigenys hexamera (Brown) [MEM]
Strumigenys hyalina (Bolton) [MEM]
Strumigenys laevinasis (M. R. Smith) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys louisianae Roger [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys margaritae Forel [MacGown & Forster, 2005; Smith 1979]
Strumigenys membranifera Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys metazytes (Bolton) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys ohioensis Kennedy & Schramm [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys ornata Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys pergandei Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Strumigenys pilinasis Forel [AL; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys pulchella Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys reflexa Wesson & Wesson [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys rostrata Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Strumigenys silvestrii Emery [pers. comm. Mark Deyrup, Archbold Biological Station, FL)
Strumigenys talpa Weber [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005; Bolton, 2000]
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]

Tribe Crematogastrini
Cardiocondyla nuda (Mayr) (probably Cardiocondyla minutior Forel)
Cardiocondyla venustula Wheeler ([MEM]
Crematogaster ashmeadi Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Crematogaster cerasi (Fitch) [MEM]
Crematogaster lineolata (Say) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Crematogaster minutissima Mayr [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Crematogaster missuriensis Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Crematogaster parapilosa Ward and Blaimer Wheeler [Johnson, 1988; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Crematogaster pilosa Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Crematogaster pinicola Deyrup and Cover [MEM]
Crematogaster vermiculata Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Myrmecina americana Emery [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005
Temnothorax americanus (Emery) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax bradleyi (Wheeler) [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax curvispinosus (Mayr) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax longispinosus (Roger) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax pergandei (Emery) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax schaumii (Roger) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax smithi (Baroni Urbani) [MacGown & Forster, 2005; Smith, 1979]
Temnothorax texanus (Wheeler) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Temnothorax tuscaloosae (Wilson) [MEM; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander) [Glancey et al., 1976; MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Tetramorium immigrans Santschi [MacGown & Forster, 2005]
Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr [Murphree, 1947]

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. 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.

Creighton, W. S. 1930. The New World species of the genus Solenopsis (Hymenop. Formicidae). Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 66: 39-151 + 7 plates.

Dubois, M. and L. R. Davis. 1998. Stenamma foveolocephalum (= S. carolinense) rediscovered (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Sociobiology 32: 125-138.

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.

Forster, J. A. 2003. The Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Alabama. M.S. Thesis, University of Auburn, AL, 224 pp.

Graham, F. 2014. Presence of the Tawny Crazy Ant. Alabama IPM Communicator. Vol. 5, No.12: 11. [PDF]

Glancey, B. M., D. P. Wojcik, C. H. Craig, and J. A. Mitchell. 1976. Ants of Mobile County, AL., as monitored by bait transects. Journal of the Georgia Entomological Society 11: 191-197.

Johnson, C. 1988. Species identification in the eastern Crematogaster. Journal of Entomological Science 23: 314-322.

MacGown, J. A. and J. A. Forster. 2005. A preliminary list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Alabama. Entomological News 116: 61-74. [pdf]

MacKay, W. P. 1995. New distributional records for the ant genus Cardiocondyla in the New World (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 71: 169-172.

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.

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., 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.

1947. Alabama Ants, Description, Distribution, and Biology, with Notes on the Control of the Most Important Household Species. Unpublished M. S. Thesis, Mississippi State College, State College. 144 p.

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.

Umphrey, G. J. 1996. Morphometric discrimination among sibling species in the fulva-rudis-texana complex of the ant genus Aphaenogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 528-559.

Watkins, J. F. 1985. The identification and distribution of the army ants of the United States of American (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ecitoninae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 58: 479-502.

Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World, a Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA, London, England. 794 pp.