Spread of the Non-Native Neotropical Trap-Jaw Ant Odontomachus ruginodis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Florida

Abstract

ABSTRACT Trap-jaw ants, Odontomachus spp., are large, predaceous species with potent stings. The Neotropical trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus ruginodis, common throughout much of the West Indies, was first found in Florida in 1931. Whether O. ruginodis is native or exotic to Florida has remained uncertain. Here, I compiled published and unpublished records from 300 sites in Florida, including my own records from 112 sites, to examine the spread of O. ruginodis in Florida. Whereas the earliest Florida records of O. ruginodis were restricted to the southernmost part of the state, the known range has expanded progressively northward. This species is now known from 43 counties in Florida, as far north as Fernandina Beach (30.7°N), a few km from the Georgia border. This recent spread and its prevalence in human disturbed habitats, combined with an apparent lack of co-evolutionary history with a native predator of Odontomachus, support the supposition that O. ruginodis is not native to Florida. There appear to be no geographic or climatic barriers to prevent the spread of O. ruginodis into the panhandle area of Florida and further west along the Gulf Coast. As a result, more people may get an opportunity to experience the stings of O. ruginodis when they encounter them, for example, in urban and suburban gardens.