1382 Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico 



merce. Three of the North American species have been introduced and are common tramp spe- 

 cies and house pests. 



Taxonomy. Wheeler and Wheeler, 1955. Amer. Midland Nat. 54:121-122 (larvae). 

 — Ettershank, 1966. Austral. Jour. Zool. 14:82-93 (generic syn., list of world species). 

 — Brown, 1973. In Meggers, et al., Tropical Forest Ecosystems in Afr. and S. Amer., pp. 

 161-185 (generic syn.). —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1973. Ga. Ent. Soc., Jour. 8:30-31 (larvae). 



Morphology: Blum, 1966. Roy. Ent. Soc. London, Proc. (A) 41: 155-160 (source and specificity 



of trail pheromones). 

 destructor (Jerdon). Tenn., Fla.; throughout tropical regions of world. Ecology: A pantropical 

 tramp and common house-infesting ant that may nest in soil or in buildings. They are 

 omnivorous and may feed on various household foods. They have been reported to gnaw 

 holes in fabrics, rubber goods, remove rubber insulation from electric or telephone 

 wires, and damage polyethylene cable. Introduced, probably originating from Africa or 

 the Oriental region. 



Atta Destructor Jerdon, 1851. Madras Jour. Lit. and Sci. 17:105. 5. 



Myrmica vastator Smith, 1857. Linn. Soc. London, Jour., Zool. 2:71. 



Myrmica basalis Smith, 1858. Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 6:125. 5. 



Taxonomy: Bingham, 1903. Faima British India 2:209 (each caste). —Emery, 1908. Deut. Ent. 

 Ztschr. pp. 665-666, 671. —Phillips, 1934. (Hawaii Univ.) Expt. Sta., Pineapple Prod. Coop. 

 Assoc, Bui. 15:2. —Wilson and Taylor, 1967. Pacific Ins. Monog. 14:64. 



Biology: Wheeler, 1910. Ants, pp. 10, 153, 221. —Wheeler, 1914. Amer. Jour. Trop. Dis. and 

 Prev. Med. 2:160-168 (economics). —Smith, 1936. Puerto Rico Univ., Jour. Agr. 20:833. 

 — Kalshoven, 1937. Ent. Meded. van Nederland. Indie 3:65-71. — Marlatt, 1928. U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Farmers' Bui. 740:9. — Kempf, 1960. Studia Ent. 3:506-507 (economics). —Smith, 

 1965. U. S. Dept. Agr., Tech. Bui. 1326:37-38 (economic importance). 

 floricola (Jerdon). Fla., Ala.; throughout tropical regions of world. Ecology: An arboreal 



species, nesting in twigs and branches or under bark of trees or other plants. Commonly 

 infests houses and feeds on household foods. Introduced, probably originating from 

 tropical Asia. 

 Atta floricola Jerdon, 1851. Madras Jour. Lit. and Sci. 17:107. 5. 

 Monomarium speculare Mayr, 1866. Akad. der Wiss. Wien, Math.-Nat. Kl., Sitzber. 53:509. 



Taxonomy: Wheeler, 1905. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 21:88 (female). —Smith, 1936. Puerto 

 Rico Univ., Jour. Agr. 20:831, 834. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1955. Amer. Midland Nat. 

 54:121 (larva). —Wilson and Taylor, 1967. Pacific Ins. Monog. 14:64-65. 



Biology: Wheeler, 1910. Ants, pp. 153, 426. —Smith, 1930. Fla. Ent. 14:3. —Wheeler, 1932. N. 

 Y. Ent. Soc., Jour. 40:9. —Plank and Smith, 1940. Puerto Rico Univ., Jour. Agr. 24:49-75 

 (association with pineapple mealybug, Psevdococcus brevipes (Ckll.)). — Brown, 1964. Ent. 

 News 75:15. —Smith, 1965. U. S. Dept. Agr., Tech. Bui. 1326:36-37 (economic importance). 

 minimum (Buckley). Que., Ont. s. to Fla., w. to Mont., Colo., Calif.; Mexico. Rare or absent in 



the Pacific Northwest. Ecology: Nests in exposed soil, under cover of objects, or in 



rotting or faulty wood. Sometimes invades houses from outdoors or nests in woodwork 



Parasite: Monomorium pergandei (Emery). Little black ant. 

 Myrmica (Monomarium (.')) minima Buckley, 1867. Ent. Soc. Phila, Proc. 6:338. 5,9. 

 Myrmica (Monomarium (.')) atra Buckley, 1867. Ent. Soc. Phila., Proc. 6:342. 9 (?). 

 Monomorium minutum ergatogyna Wheeler, 1904. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 20:269. 5 , 



apterous ergatoid 9 . 

 Monomorium minimum emersoni Gregg, 1945. Psyche 52:66. 5,9. 

 Monomorium metoecus Brown and Wilson, 1957. Ent. News 68: 239-244. Ergatogyne. 



Taxonomy: Emery, 1895. Zool. Jahrb., Abt. f. System. 8:274-275 (each caste). —Wheeler, 

 1905. South. Calif. Acad. Sci., Bui. 40:60. —Wheeler, 1908. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 

 24:423. — Buren, 1944. Iowa State Col., Jour. Sci. 18:289. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1955. 

 Amer. Midland Nat. 54:122 (larva). —Wilson and Brown, 1958. Ent. News 69:33-38 (worker 

 of metoecus; also biology). — Ettershank, 1966. Austral Jour. Zool. 14:90 (syn. of 

 metoecus). 



