Ants of Louisiana (species list) [Louisiana Pest Ants] [Louisiana Exotic Ants]
Joe MacGown
The following list includes 142 species. Twenty-nine species are considered to be introduced. Species on the following list are from literature records, from AntWeb (Louisiana Ants), specimens in the Louisiana State Arthropod Collection (LSAC) that were examined by MacGown, and from collections made by the MEM. The most recent study of Louisiana ants was done by Shawn Dash (2005), who did a masters thesis on the subject. His work built on an earlier study done by Moser and Blum (1960).
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), Louisiana State Arthropod Collection (LSAC), 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 [Dash, 2005]
Dolichoderus taschenbergi (Mayr) [Dash, 2005]
Dorymyrmex bureni (Trager) [Dash, 2005]
Dorymyrmex flavus McCook [Dash, 2005]
Dorymyrmex grandulus (Forel) [Dash, 2005]
Dorymyrmex smithi Cole [Dash, 2005]
Forelius mccooki (McCook) [MEM]
Forelius pruinosus (Roger) [Dash, 2005]
Linepithema humile (Mayr) (introduced, pest) [Dash, 2005]
Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (introduced, pest) [Dash, 2005]
Tapinoma sessile (Say) (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Technomyrmex difficilis Forel (introduced, pest-previously misidentified as T. albipes (Smith), see Wetterer, 2008)
Subfamily Formicinae
Tribe Lasiini
Lasius americanus Emery [Dash, 2005]
Nylanderia arenivaga (Wheeler) [Dash, 2005]
Nylanderia faisonensis (Forel) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Nylanderia fulva (Mayr) (introduced, pest) [Hooper-Bui et al. 2010, Morgan 2011]
Nylanderia parvula (Mayr) [Dash, 2005]
Nylanderia terricola (Buckley) (pest) [Trager, 1984]
Nylanderia vividula (Nylander) (introduced?, pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (introduced, pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Prenolepis imparis (Say) (pest?) [Dash, 2005]
Tribe Plagiolepidini
Brachymyrmex depilis Emery [Dash, 2005]
Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr (introduced, pest) [MEM; MacGown et al., 2007]
Tribe Camponotini
Camponotus americanus Mayr (pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Camponotus caryae (Fitch) (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Camponotus castaneus (Latreille) (pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Camponotus chromaiodes Bolton (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Camponotus decipiens Emery (pest) [listed as C. sayi in Dash, 2005]
Camponotus floridanus (Buckley) (pest) [listed as C. atriceps in Dash, 2005]
Camponotus nearcticus Emery (pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) (pest)
Camponotus sansabeanus (Buckley) (pest) [Smith, 1979]
Camponotus socius Roger (pest) [Smith, 1979]
Colobopsis impressa Roger [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Colobopsis mississippiensis (Smith) [Dash, 2005]
Colobopsis obliqua (Smith) [Dash, 2005]
Tribe Formicini
Formica biophilica Trager [Trager et al., 2007]
Formica pallidefulva Latreille [Dash, 2005]
Polyergus lucidus Mayr [Dash, 2005]
Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae
Tribe Pseudomyrmecini
Pseudomyrmex ejectus (Smith) (pest?) [Dash, 2005]
Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) (introduced, pest?) [Dash, 2005]
Pseudomyrmex pallidus (Smith) (pest?) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Pseudomyrmex seminole Ward [Dash, 2005]
Subfamily Dorylinae
Labidus coecus (Latreille) [Dash, 2005]
Neivamyrmex carolinensis (Emery) [Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex melshaemeri (Haldeman) [Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex moseri Watkins [Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Cresson) [MEM; Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex opacithorax (Emery) [Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex pauxillus (Wheeler) [Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex pilosus (F. Smith) [Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Neivamyrmex swainsonii (Shuckard) [Dash, 2005; Snelling & Snelling, 2007]
Subfamily Amblyoponinae
Tribe Amblyoponini
Stigmatomma pallipes (Haldeman) [AntWeb-Louisinana Ants]
Subfamily Ponerinae
Tribe Ponerini
Cryptopone gilva (Roger) [Dash, 2005]
Hypoponera opaciceps (Mayr) [Dash, 2005]
Hypoponera opacior (Forel) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Leptogenys elongata (Buckley) [MEM; Dash, 2005] |
Odontomachus clarus Roger [LSAC; Adams et al. 2010]
Pachycondyla harpax (Fabricius) (introduced, pest?) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Ponera exotica Smith [Dash, 2005]
Ponera pennsylvanica Buckley [Dash, 2005]
Pseudoponera stigma Fabricius (introduced, pest?) [Dash, 2005]
Subfamily Ectatomminae
Tribe Ectatommini
Gnamptogenys hartmani (Wheeler) [Dash, 2005]
Subfamily Proceratiinae
Tribe Proceratiini
Discothyrea testacea Roger [Dash, 2005]
Proceratium croceum (Roger) [Baroni Urbani and de Andrade, 2003; Dash, 2005]
Proceratium pergandei (Emery) [Baroni Urbani and de Andrade, 2003; Dash, 2005]
Proceratium silaceum Roger [Dash, 2005]
Subfamily Myrmicinae
Tribe Myrmicini
Myrmica punctiventris Roger [Dash, 2005]
Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) [Dash, 2005]
Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith) [Dash, 2005]
Tribe Pogonomyrmecini
Pogonomyrmex comanche Wheeler[MEM; Dash, 2005]
Tribe Stenamminin
Aphaenogaster ashmeadi Emery [Dash, 2005]
Aphaenogaster carolinensis Wheeler [Dash, 2005]
Aphaenogaster flemingi Smith [Dash, 2005]
Aphaenogaster fulva Roger [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Aphaenogaster lamellidens Mayr [Dash, 2005]
Aphaenogaster miamiana Wheeler [AntWeb-Louisinana Ants]
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis (Mayr) [MEM; AntWeb-Louisinana Ants]
Tribe Solenopsidini
Monomorium minimum (Buckley) (pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus) (introduced, pest) [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis carolinensis Forel [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis globularia Creighton [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis invicta Buren (introduced, pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis molesta (Say) (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis pergandei Forel [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis picta Emery [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis salina Wheeler [Pacheco, 2007]
Solenopsis subterranea MacKay & Vinson [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis tennesseensis Smith [Dash, 2005]
Solenopsis texana Emery [Pacheco, 2007]
Solenopsis xyloni McCook (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Tribe Attin
Atta texana (Buckley) pest [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola) (introduced) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Mycetosoritis hartmanni (Wheeler) [Dash, 2005]
Pheidole bicarinata Mayr [MEM]
Pheidole bilimeki Mayr [MEM; Dash, 2005 (as P. floridana)]
Pheidole dentata Mayr (pest?) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Pheidole dentigula Smith [Dash, 2005]
Pheidole metallescens Emery [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Pheidole navigans Forel (introduced) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Pheidole tetra Creighton [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys angulata Smith [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys bunki (Brown) [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys carolinensis (Brown) [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys clypeata Roger [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys dietrichi Smith [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys epinotalis Weber [MEM; LSAC]
Strumigenys hexamera (Brown) (introduced) [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys hyalina (Bolton) [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys louisianae Roger [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys margaritae Forel (introduced) [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys membranifera Emery (introduced) [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys metazytes (Bolton) [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys ohioensis Kennedy & Schramm [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys ornata Mayr [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys pilinasis Forel [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys pulchella Emery [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys reflexa Wesson & Wesson [Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys rostrata Emery [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys silvestrii Emery(introduced) [MEM; LSAM; Dash, 2005]
Strumigenys subnuda (MacGown and Hill) [MEM; LSAC]
Strumigenys talpa Weber [Bolton, 2000; Dash, 2005]
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Trachymyrmex turrifex (Wheeler) [Smith, 1979]
Tribe Crematogastrini
Crematogaster ashmeadi Mayr (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Crematogaster parapilosa Ward and Blaimer [Dash, 2005]
Crematogaster lineolata (Say) (pest) [Dash, 2005]
Crematogaster minutissima Mayr [AntWeb-Louisinana Ants]
Crematogaster missuriensis Emery [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Crematogaster pilosa Emery (pest) [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Crematogaster pinicola Deyrup & Cover [LSAC]
Crematogaster vermiculata Emery [Dash, 2005] Cardiocondyla nuda (Mayr) (probably Cardiocondyla minutior Forel, introduced) [Dash, 2005]
Cardiocondyla venustula Wheeler (introduced) [Dash, 2005]
Cardiocondyla wroughtonii (Forel) (introduced) [Dash, 2005]
Myrmecina americana Emery [MEM; Dash, 2005]
Temnothorax bradleyi (Wheeler) [Dash, 2005]
Temnothorax curvispinosus (Mayr) [Dash, 2005]
Temnothorax pergandei (Emery) [Dash, 2005]
Temnothorax schaumii (Roger) [Dash, 2005]
Temnothorax texanus (Wheeler) [Dash, 2005]
Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander) (introduced, pest) [Dash, 2005]
Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr (introduced, pest) [Smith]
Adams, B. J., X. Chen, and L. M. Hooper-Bui. 2010. Odontomachus clarus Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Reported in Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana. Midsouth Entomologist 3: 104-105. [Available online: http://midsouthentomologist.org.msstate.edu/pdfs/Vol3_2/Vol3_2_006.pdf]
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).
Colby, D. M. Effects of Fire Frequency and the Red Imported Fire Ant on Insects in a Louisiana Longleaf Pine Savanna. Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University, i-v + 78 pp.
Dash, S. T. 2005. Species Diversity and Biogeography of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Louisiana, with Notes on their Ecology. M.S. Thesis, Louisiana State University, 290 pp.
Hooper-Bui, L. M., R. Strecker, X. Chen, D. Aguillard, and A. Miller. 2010. Supercolonies of crazy ants in Louisiana. Proceedings of the 2010 Imported Fire Ant and Invasive Ant Conference, Little Rock Arkansas, USA, April 19-22, 2010. pp. 13-16.
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.
Morgan, J. W. 2011. Hairy Crazy Ants Make La. Their New Home. LSU AgCenter.com Headline News. Available online at: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/news/headline_news/Hairy-crazy-ants-make-La-their-new-home.htm (Accessed on. 22 Sept. 2011).
Moser, J. C. and M. S. Blum. 1960. The Formicidae of Louisiana. Insect Conditions in Louisiana 3: 48-50.
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.
Snelling G. C. and R. R. Snelling. 2007. New synonymy, new species, new keys to Neivamyrmex army ants of the United States. In: Snelling, R. R., P. S. Ward, and B. L. Fisher (editors), Advances in ant systematics. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 459-550.
Trager, J. C. 1984. A revision of the genus Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the continental United States. Sociobiology 9: 49-162.
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.
