Ants Collected at Apalachicola National Forest in Leon County and the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve TNC in Liberty County, Florida
Joe A. MacGown and JoVonn G. Hill
uploaded 13 October 2011
While on the 2011 William H. Cross Expedition in the Florida panhandle and parts of southern Georgia, we collected ants at the Apalachicola National Forest in Leon County and the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve TNC in Liberty County, FL. Our collecting sites included oak scrub, pine savanna, and hardwood forest habitats.
During this Cross Expedition, we also collected ants at other localities including Tall Timbers Research Station in Leon County, FL; Torreya State Park, Liberty Co., FL; St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Wakulla Co., FL; the Wade Tract (which is managed by Tall Timbers), Thomas Co., GA; and River Creek Wildlife Management Area, Thomas Co., GA. [complete list of ants collected on 2011 Cross Expedition]. Our primary purpose during these trips is to collect a wide variety of insects (not just ants); therefore, this list does not reflect the level of ant diversity present. But, perhaps it will be of interest to someone. All collections were made from 1 through 5 August 2011.
Apalachicola National Forest
A total of 27 species were collected at the Apalachicola National Forest in Leon County (AP-LN) and the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve TNC in Liberty County (AP-LIB), including 3 introduced species. Introduced species are indicated by an asterisk (*).The most interesting species we collected were Dorymyrmex bossutus and Nylanderia phantasma, both of which are restricted to relatively undisturbed sandhill habitats in the Southeast.
Family Formicidae
Aphaenogaster floridana Smith [AP-LIB]
Brachymyrmex depilis Emery [AP-LN]
Pheidole dentata Mayr (pest?) [ AP-LIB]
Camponotus floridanus (Buckley) (pest) [AP-LIB, AP-LN]
Camponotus socius Roger (pest) [AP-LN]
Crematogaster minutissima Mayr [AP-LIB, AP-LN]
Dorymyrmex bossutus (Trager) [AP-LIB, AP-LN]
Dorymyrmex bureni (Trager) [AP-LN]
Forelius pruinosus (Roger) [AP-LN]
Formica pallidefulva Latreille [AP-LN]
Nylanderia faisonensis (Forel) [ AP-LN]
Nylanderia phantasma (Trager) [AP-LIB]
*Nylanderia vividula (Nylander) (introduced?, pest) [AP-LIB]
Odontomachus brunneus (Patton) [AP-LIB]
Pheidole bilimeki Mayr [AP-LIB]
Pheidole metallescens Emery [ AP-LIB, AP-LN]
Pheidole morrisi Forel [AP-LIB]
Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) [ AP-LIB,AP-LN]
Pseudomyrmex ejectus (Smith) (pest?) [AP-LN]
*Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) (introduced, pest?) [AP-LN]
Pseudomyrmex pallidus (Smith) (pest?) [AP-LN]
Solenopsis carolinensis Forel [AP-LIB]
*Solenopsis invicta Buren (introduced, pest) [AP-LIB]
Strumigenys louisianae Roger [AP-LN, AP-LIB]
*Strumigenys membranifera Emery (introduced) [AP-LIB]
Temnothorax pergandei (Emery) [AP-LIB]
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook) [AP-LIB]
