Non-native ant distributions

Geographic distributions of non-native ants of the world

Version: 16 April 2002

The geographic data listed below are intentionally general. Except for a few well-collected and well-studied species, listing individual localities would provide a non-representative and idiosyncratic list of isolated cities and islands. The record of a species does not indicate any level of abundance. If you would like to request additional information, please send an email and you will be directed the the most appropriate and helpful resources

Recent information

Changes in April 2002: New invader, Tetramorium rhenanum, in the United States

Subfamilies

Cerapachyinae Myrmeciinae Pseudomyrmecinae

Dolichoderinae Myrmicinae

Formicinae Ponerinae

Species pages

Linepithema humile

Paratrechina vividula

Solenopsis invicta

Tetramorium rhenanum

Wasmannia auropunctata

References are at the bottom of this page. The original sources for all localities are cited in McGlynn (1999), unless otherwise cited. "?" indicates that the habitat may be native. Updates on these data are encouraged.

Subfamily Cerapachyinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Cerapachys biroi Forel SE Asia Caribbean islands, Pacific islands

Subfamily Dolichoderinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Dolichoderus quadripunctatus (Linnaeus) Europe Japan

Dolichoderus thoracicus (F. Smith) SE Asia Intentionally introduced in Malaysia, South America, Pacific islands

Iridomyrmex anceps (Roger) SE Asia New Zealand, Pacific islands

Doleromyrma darwiniana (Forel) Australia New Zealand

Linepithema humile (Mayr) South America Widespread; page in development; contact Andy Suarez for detailed biogeographic data; Hawaii (Reimer)

L. iniquum (Mayr) Brazil Caribbean islands

L. melleum (W.M. Wheeler) Puerto Rico ? Pacific islands, Europe

Ochetellus glaber (Mayr) Australia and New Caledonia Pacific islands, New Zealand, North America; Hawaii (Reimer)

Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) unknown Found in all biogeographic regions

Technomyrmex albipes (Smith) Indo-Pacific area New Zealand and New Caledonia native?, Pacific islands, continental US; southern Africa, India, China, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius (coll. D.L. Roberts, ID Bolton); Hawaii (Reimer)

Subfamily Formicinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Acanthomyops alienus (Foerster) Europe North America, Ireland?

Anopolepis custodiens (F. Smith) Africa North America and Central America

A. gracilipes (F. Smith) Africa or tropical Asia Australia , Pacific islands, SE Asia, Indian Ocean islands, Caribbean islands, South America, Madagascar; Hawaii (Reimer)

Brachymyrmex brevicornis Emery Central and South America Florida

B. cordemoyi Forel unknown Madagascar

B. minutus Forel Neotropics Florida, Pacific islands, Caribbean islands

B. musculus Forel Neotropics North America

B. obscurior Forel Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands, Pacific islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

C. herculeanus (Linnaeus) Holarctic region introduced into southern Africa but subsequently eradicated?

C. planatus Roger Neotropics Galapagos islands, North America

C. sexguttatus (Fabricius) Neotropics Pacific islands, North America

C. variegatus (F. Smith) Indo-Pacific area Pacific islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

Lasius flavus (Fabricius) Europe North America, Copeland Is., Ireland?

L. fuliginosus (Latreille) Europe Pacific islands, Japan, Ireland ?

L. niger (Linnaeus) Europe North America, Japan

L. neglectus Van Loon, Boomsma & Andrasfalvy (may be the same species as L. turcicus, but may be a separate species) Turkey? Central Europe; Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

Myrmelachista ramulorum (W.M. Wheeler) Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands?

Lepisiota sp. ? Hawaii (Reimer)

Paratrechina bourbonica (Forel) unknown Pacific islands, North America, England, Japan, Madagascar; Hawaii (Reimer)

P. clandestina (Mayr) SE Asia adventive but no established in Hawaii (Reimer)

P. flavipes (Smith) Japan North America, Oman, Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

P. fulva (Mayr) Brazil North and Central America, Probably intentionally introduced into Colombia

P. guatemalensis (Forel) Neotropics North America, Bahamas, Cocos Island

P. jaegerskioeldi (Mayr) Middle East Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

P. longicornis (Latreille) Africa? Widespread; page in development; Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

P. pubens (Forel) Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands

P. vaga (Forel) Australia and SE Asia Pacific islands, Galapagos islands, Madagascar; Hawaii (Reimer); widespread in New Zealand (Harris)

P. vividula (Nylander) North America Europe, Caribbean islands, South America. See more information about its distribution

Plagiolepis alluaudi Emery India? Pacific islands, Africa, China, West Indian islands, Caribbean islands, Channel islands (California), Madagascar; Hawaii (Reimer)

P. exigua Forel Australia Pacific islands, Sumatra, Madagascar, Yemen

Subfamily Myrmeciinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Myrmecia brevinoda Forel Australia one colony found New Zealand, but it has not been sampled in years (Harris)

Subfamily Myrmicinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Cardiocondyla ectopia Snelling probably Africa North America

C. emeryi Forel Africa Pacific islands, North America, Madagascar, Caribbean islands, Central America, Cook Island, Brazil, Arabian Peninsula; Hawaii (Reimer)

Cardiocondyla minutior Forel Recently found to be established in New Zealand (Harris in prep; det. B. Bolton)

C. nuda (Mayr) Australia Pacific islands, North America, Japan and neighboring islands, Cyprus, India, Galapagos islands, North Africa, Arabian Peninsula; Hawaii (Reimer)

C. venustula W.M. Wheeler Probably old world Pacific islands, North America, Caribbean islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

C. wroughtoni Forel tropical Asia and Australia Pacific islands, North America, Mediterranean, islands neighboring Japan, Brazil, Arabian Peninsula; Hawaii (Reimer)

Crematogaster lineolata (Say) North America Intentionally introduced into Hawaii; not established (Reimer)

C. sordidula (Nylander) Europe Intentionally introduced into Hawaii but not established (Reimer), Africa, Japan

Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola) Neotropics Pacific islands, North America

Leptothorax subditivus(W.M. Wheeler) Neotropics ? Pacific islands

Leptothorax longispinosus Roger Eastern US and Canada Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

Mayriella abstinens Forel Australia New Zealand

Monomorium carbonarium (F. Smith) unknown Azores, Madeira, French Atlantic Coast, Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

Monomorium chinense Santschi Asia Pacific islands, North America

M. destructor (Jerdon) from Africa or India Pacific islands, Okinawa, Africa, Australia, North, Central, and South America, Madagascar, Caribbean islands, Christmas Island, Arabian Peninsula; Hawaii (Reimer)

M. ebeninum Forel Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

M. floricola (Jerdon) India and SE Asia Pacific islands, North America, Galapagos islands, islands neighboring Japan, Australia, Central and South America; Caribbean islands, Madagascar; Hawaii (Reimer)

M. latinode Mayr SE Asia Okinawa; adventive but not established in Hawaii (Reimer)

M. minimum (Buckley) North America Reported in Hawaii but unverified (Reimer)

M. monomorium Bolton Europe Pacific islands, China, SE Asia, Caribbean islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

M. orientale Mayr India Australia, New Zealand

M. pharaonis (Linnaeus) Africa ? Widespread; page in development; is the only non-native ant found in Slovenia (Bracko 2000); Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

M. salomonis (Linnaeus) Africa ? Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula ?, may be much more widespread

M. sechellense Emery Asia ? Pacific islands, Taiwan and islands neighboring Japan; Hawaii (Reimer)

M. subopacum (Smith) Mediterranean southern Africa, Israel, Africa, Arabian Peninsula

Myrmica rubra (Linnaeus) Europe North America, Japan, China

Pheidole anastasii Emery Neotropics North America, Madagascar, Caribbean islands ?

P. fervens F. Smith Asia Pacific islands, North America; Hawaii (Reimer)

P. fervida F. Smith Japan China

P. flavens Roger Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands ?

P. megacephala (Fabricius) Africa ? Widespread; page in development; Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

P. moerens W.M. Wheeler Puerto Rico ? North America

P. obscurithorax Naves Neotropics North America

P. punctatissima Mayr Neotropics Caribbean islands ?

P. noda F.Smith Japan North America

P. teneriffana Forel North Africa North America, Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula; Israel, Turkey, Canary Islands, Malta, Lebanon, Greece, Egypt, Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000), may be more widespread

P. umbonata Mayr Melanesia Hawaiian islands

P. rugosula Forel (Formerly P. variabilis) Australia and New Caledonia New Zealand (Berry et al. 1997)

P. vigilans (F. Smith) Australia New Zealand

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson) western North America adventive but not established in Hawaii (Reimer)

Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) Neotropics Widespread; page in development

Pyramica floridana Brown & Kempf unknown North America

P. hexamerus Brown Japan North America

P. margaritae (Forel) Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands?

P. membranifera (Emery) Europe ? Pacific islands, North America, Japan, China, Africa; Hawaii (Reimer); Iberian Peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

S. wagneri Santschi

S. invicta Buren
Brazil detailed webpage

S. papuana Emery Papuanal region Hawaii (Reimer)

S. richteri Forel Argentina North America

S. texana Emery southern US Canada (in a greenhouse, still established?)

Strumigenys eggersi Emery Neotropics North America; Caribbean islands ?

Strumigenys emmae (Emery) Papuanal region Hawaii (Reimer); Caribbean islands, North America, Madagascar

S. godeffroyi Mayr Polynesia Hawaii (Reimer); Galapagos islands

S. gundlachi (Roger) Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands ?

S. lanuginosa (W.M. Wheeler) Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands ?

S. lewisi Cameron Asia Pacific islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

S. perpexla (F. Smith) Australia New Zealand?, Three Kings islands

S. rogeri Emery Neotropics Pacific islands, North America; Hawaii (Reimer); Caribbean islands ?

S. silvestrii Emery Neotropics North America

S. solifontis Brown Japan Taiwan, Okinawa, and neighboring islands

S. xenos Brown Australia New Zealand

Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander) Southeast Asia Widespread; page in development

T.caldarium (Roger) ? North America, Caribbean islands, Central America, Saudi Arabia

T.caespitum (Linnaeus) ? North America, South America, Japan, Ireland?

T.grassii Emery South Africa New Zealand

T. insolens Smith ? Hawaiian Islands (N. Reimer pers.comm.), Mauritius (coll. D.L. Roberts, ID Bolton); Hawaii (Reimer)

T.lanuginosum Mayr SE Asia ? North America, Mediterranean, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia

T.lucayanum W.M. Wheeler West Indies (27) Brazil

T.pacificum Mayr Indo-pacific region (1, 2, 4, 20) North America, Australia and New Caledonia?, Galapagos islands, Central America, Caribbean islands

T. rhenanum Schultz North America

T.simillimum (Smith) ? North America, Madagascar, Australia; Arabian Peninsula; Hawaii (Reimer)

T.tonganum Mayr Pacific region Hawaii (Reimer); Brazil

Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) Neotropics detailed webpage

Subfamily Ponerinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Amblyopone zwaluwenbergi (Williams) unknown Pacific islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

Anochetus mayri Emery Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands

Gnamptogenys aculeaticoxae (Santschi) Neotropics North America

G. porcata (Emery) Neotropics North America

Hypoponera eduardi (Forel) Africa, Mediterranean ? New Zealand, Three Kings islands, Saudi Arabia, Mediterranean, many others probably unrecorded

H. elliptica (Forel) Australasia New Caledonia ?

H. opaciceps (Mayr) Brazil Pacific islands; North America; Carribean islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

H. punctatissima (Roger) Europe ? Widespread; page in development; Iberian peninsula (Espadaler and Collingwood 2000)

H. zwaluwenburgi (W.M. Wheeler) unknown Pacific islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

Leptogenys falcigera Roger Africa Pacific islands, Madagascar; Hawaii (Reimer)

L. maxillosa (F. Smith) Africa Madagascar

O. ruginodis M.R. Smith Neotropics North America, Caribbean islands?

O. simillimus F. Smith Pacific region Caribbean islands

Pachydondyla chinensis (Emery) China Japan, Taiwan; once collected in New Zealand but not sampled since first record (Harris)

P. luteipes (Mayr) unknown Japan, North America, Solomon islands; adventive not established in Hawaii (Reimer)

P. obscurans (Walker) Indo-Pacific region North America

P. solitaria (F. Smith) Indo-Pacific region ? North America, Japan, China

P. stigma (Fabricius) Neotropics Australia, North America, Caribbean islands, Galapagos islands?

Ponera coarctata (Latreille) Europe Pacific islands

P. leae Forel Australia New Caledonia, in New Zealand collected in two sites hundreds of miles apart (Harris in prep)

P. swezeyi (W.M. Wheeler) unknown Pacific islands; Hawaii (Reimer)

Prionopelta antillana Forel Neotropics North America

Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae

Species Native locality Non-native habitats

Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) Neotropics Pacific islands, North America; Hawaii (Reimer)

Peer - Reviewed References

Berry JA, Green OR, Shattuck SO. 1997. Species of Pheidole Westwood (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) established in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 24: 25-33

Bracko, G. Review of the Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Slovenia. Acta Biologica Slovenica 43: 37-54.

Espadaler, X., Collingwood C.A. 2000. Transferred ants in the Iberian Peninsula. Nouv. Revue Ent. 17: 257-263.

McGlynn, T.P. 1999. The worldwide transport of ants: geographic distribution and ecological invasions. Journal of Biogeography 26: 535-548.

Web References:

Reimer's Hawaii ant list, available at http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/ants/AntCheck.html, version 5 May 2000.


updated: 22 August 2001
author: Terry McGlynn

Cerapachyinae	Myrmeciinae	Pseudomyrmecinae
Dolichoderinae	Myrmicinae
Formicinae	Ponerinae

Species	Native locality	Non-native habitats
Cerapachys biroi Forel	SE Asia	Caribbean islands, Pacific islands