Ants of New Zealand: Factsheets
List of the ant species endemic to or established in New Zealand (including two species found on the Kermadec Islands) (Ward 2005).
The species name is also linked to a web-based factsheet.
This version includes several taxonomic and nomenclature changes, including using:
- the generic name Nylanderia is now used for what was species of Paratrechina (LaPolla, J.S.; Brady, S.G.; Shattuck, S.O. 2010: Phylogeny and taxonomy of the Prenolepis genus-group of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic entomology, 35: 118-131;
- the name Technomyrmex jocsus, (and not T. albipes), as a result of Bolton’s (2007) revision, where T. albipes was a misidentification for New Zealand;
- the name Monomorium antipodum, rather than M. fieldi (see Gunawardana 2005), as M. antipodum as priority;
- the name Prolasius advenus (and not P. advena) to be consistent with Bolton (1995) and apply the proper Latin ending to the species name;
- using Paratrechina spp. to depict the species of Paratrechina currently in New Zealand. There may be up to three species and scientists are currently working on what they are and how to tell them apart;
- and adding a new species, Hypoponera confinis, which was discovered near Wellington in 2006.
Common names are often not available at the species level, but common names for the genus are given.
Available factsheets
Amblyoponinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Amblyopone australis | Erichson 1842 | Introduced | Southern Michelin ant |
Amblyopone saundersi | Forel 1892 | Endemic | New Zealand Michelin ant |
Dolichoderinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Doleromyrma darwiniana | (Forel 1907) | Introduced | Darwin's ant (Keall 1979) |
Iridomyrmex undescribed | Introduced | Flat-backed tyrant ants (species group common name - Andersen 2002) | |
Linepithema humile | (Mayr 1868) | Introduced | Argentine ant |
Ochetellus glaber | (Mayr 1862) | Introduced | Black house ant (Andersen 2002) |
Technomyrmex jocosus | Forel 1910 | Introduced | White-footed house ant |
Ectatomminae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Rhytidoponera chalybaea | Emery 1901 | Introduced | Blue pony ants (for impressa species group - Andersen 2002) |
Rhytidoponera metallica | (Fr. smith 1858) | Introduced | Metallic pony ants (Andersen 2002) |
Formicinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Nylanderia spp | Introduced | Generic common name – parrot ants (derived phonetically from genus name - Andersen 2002) | |
Plagiolepis alluaudi | Emery 1894 | Introduced | little yellow ant |
Prolasius advenus | (Fr. Smith 1862) | Endemic | Small brown bush ant (Ferro et al. 1977) |
Heteroponerinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Heteroponera brouni | (Forel 1892) | Endemic | Crypt ants (Andersen 2002) |
Myrmicinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Cardiocondyla minutior | Forel 1899 | Introduced | None |
Huberia brounii | Forel 1895 | Endemic | None |
Huberia striata | (Fr. Smith 1876) | Endemic | Striated ant (Ferro et al. 1977) |
Mayriella abstinens | Forel 1902 | Introduced | None |
Monomorium antarcticum | (Fr. Smith 1858) | Endemic | Southern ant (Ferro et al. 1977) |
Monomorium antipodum | Forel 1901 | Endemic | tiny brown ant (Ferro et al. 1977) |
Monomorium floricola | (Jerdon 1851) | Introduced | bicoloured trailing ant (Deyrup et al. 2000), floral ant (www55), futairo-hime-ari (www1) |
Monomorium pharaonis | (Linnaeus 1758) | Introduced | Pharaoh ant (Bosik 1997), Ie-hime-ari in Japan (WWW 1). Also referred to as Pharaoh's ant (Valentine & Walker 1991), Pharaoh's Trailing ant (WWW2) |
Monomorium smithii | Forel 1892 | Endemic | None |
Monomorium sydneyense | Forel 1902 | Introduced | None reported |
Orectognathus antennatus | Fr. Smith 1853 | Introduced | Goblin ants (Andersen 2002) |
Pheidole megacephala | (Fabricius 1793) | Introduced | Big-headed ant (Andersen 2002) (Generic and species common name). Also known as brown house-ant, coastal brown-ant, lion ant, African Big-headed ant |
Pheidole proxima | Mayr 1876 | Introduced | big-headed ant |
Pheidole rugosula | Forel 1902 | Introduced | Big-headed ant (Andersen 2002) (Generic common name) |
Pheidole vigilans | Fr. Smith 1858 | Introduced | Big-headed ant (Andersen 2002) (Generic common name) |
Solenopsis undescribed | Introduced | The common name " Thief ants" is used for members of the sub-genus (Diplorhoptrum) native to Australia (Andersen 2002): known to steal food from nests of other ants (Shattuck 1999). | |
Strumigenys perplexa | (Fr. Smith 1876) | Introduced | Snappy detritus ants (Andersen 2002) (Generic common name) |
Strumigenys xenos | Brown 1955 | Introduced | Snappy detritus ants (Andersen 2002) (Generic common name) |
Tetramorium bicarinatum | (Nylander 1846) | Introduced | Pennant ants (Andersen 2002) (Generic common name) |
Tetramorium grassii | Emery 1895 | Introduced | Pennant ants (Andersen 2002) (Generic common name) |
Ponerinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Hypoponera confinis | (Roger 1860) | Introduced | crypt ant |
Hypoponera eduardi | (Forel 1894) | Introduced | Crypt ants (Andersen 2002) |
Hypoponera punctatissima | (Roger 1859) | Introduced | Roger’s ant (Delabie & Blard 2002), Tropical stinging ant (www9) |
Pachycondyla castanea | (Mayr 1865) | Endemic | None |
Pachycondyla castaneicolor | (Dalla Torre 1893) | Endemic | None |
Ponera leae | Forel 1913 | Introduced | Blind crypt ants (Andersen 2002) |
Proceratiinae
Genus species | Authority | Biostatus | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
Discothyrea antarctica | Emery 1895 | Endemic | Clubbed trigger ant (Andersen 2002) |