Geographic Spread of Gnamptogenys triangularis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ectatomminae)

Abstract

Gnamptogenys triangularis (Mayr), native to the forests of South and Central America, is a predatory ant that feeds on millipedes. In its native range, this species is known from Buenos Aires, Argentina (38.1°S) in the south to Costa Rica (10.4°N) in the north, with records from eight countries in South America (all except Chile, French Guiana, and Paraguay), and the two southernmost countries of Central America (Panama and Costa Rica). The first records of G. triangularis outside its native range came from Florida beginning in 1985 (six sites: 25.5°–30.4°N) and Alabama in 1996 (one site: 30.4°N). Here we present the first records of G. triangularis from Mississippi, dating from 2002–2010 (five sites: 30.5°–31.2°N). Based on its South American range, it appears that G. triangularis has the potential to spread to forests throughout much of the southeastern USA. There are no documented impacts of G. triangularis, and it seems unlikely that this species will ever become a major pest.