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An Introduction to Ants (Formicidae)
of the Tallgrass Prairie

Table 1 - Characteristic Ants of Tallgrass Prairies

Abbreviations: 
SE - Non-Appalachian southeastern US
NE - Southeastern Canada, eastern US, southward in Appalachia 
TG - The tallgrass region proper 
GP - Great Plains 
SW - Western Texas to California and northern Mexico

X - relatively more abundant 
x - relatively less abundant 
? - unresolved taxonomic problems or insufficient records obscure definition of geographic distribution

A name in bold indicates ant typical of the prairies, meadows, old fields, etc; while others are as likely to be found in tree-dominated plant communities.

The designations "northern" or "southern" indicate the species is restriced to the glaciated or the unglaciated portion of the prairie, respectively.

TABLE 1
CHARACTERISTIC ANTS OF TALLGRASS PRAIRIES
SUBFAMILY / species SE NE TG GP SW Abundance in Prairies
PONERINAE                  
Amblyopone pallipes x X X x x +
Hypoponera opacior X 0 x 0 x ++ southern
Ponera pennsylvanica x X X 0 0 ++
ECITONINAE                  
Neivamyrmex nigrescens x 0 X x X ++ southern
Neivamyrmex opacithorax X 0 x 0 x + southern
MYRMICINAE                  
Aphaenogaster sp. N=16 0 x X 0 0 ++
Aphaenogaster treatae    X 0 x 0 x + sandy soil
Crematogaster cerasi X X X x 0 ++
Crematogaster lineolata X X X x 0 +++
Crematogaster punctulata X X X x 0 ++ southern
Leptothorax ambiguus x X X 0 0 +++
Leptothorax pergandei X x X 0 0 ++
Monomorium minimum X X X x 0 +++
Myrmica americana 0 X X x 0 +++
Pheidole pilifera x x X X x + sandy soil
Pheidole vinelandica    x x x ? ? + sandy soil
Solenopsis molesta x X X X x +++
DOLICHODERINAE                  
Dorymyrmex grandulus x x x ? ? + sandy soil
Dolichoderus pustulatus x x x 0 0 + northern
Dolichoderus taschenbergi x X X 0 0 + northern
Forelius pruinosus X x X X X ++
Tapinoma sessile X X X X X +++
FORMICINAE                  
Acanthomyops claviger x X X x 0 +
Acanthomyops interjectus x X X x 0 +
Acanthomyops latipes 0 x x x 0 ++ northern
Brachymyrmex depilis X X X x 0 ++
Formica argentea 0 x X X 0 ++ northern
Formica dakotensis 0 x x x 0 + northern
Formica difficilis 0 x x 0 0 + northern
Formica dolosa X x X 0 0 ++ sandy soil
Formica exsectoides 0 X X X 0 ++
Formica glacialis 0 X x 0 0 +
Formica incerta 0 X X 0 0 +++
Formica lasioides 0 x x X 0 ++ northern
Formica montana 0 x X 0 0 +++ rare southward
Formica neogagates 0 x X X 0 ++ northern
Formica nitidiventris 0 X X x 0 +++
Formica obscuripes 0 0 x X 0 ++ northern
Formica obscuriventris 0 X X x 0 + northern
Formica pallidefulva X x x 0 0 + southern
Formica pergandei 0 x x 0 0 ++
Formica prociliata 0 0 x 0 0 + northern
Formica subintegra 0 X X x 0 +
Formica subsericea x X X 0 0 +++
Formica succinea X x X 0 0 + southern
Formica ulkei 0 x X 0 0 ++ northern
Formica vinculans 0 ? x x 0 +
Lasius neoniger x X X X 0 +++
Lasius flavus 0 X x 0 0 +
Lasius umbratus x X X x 0 ++
Paratrechina parvula x X X 0 0 + sandy soil
Paratrechina terricola 0 x X x 0 ++ southern
Polyergus breviceps 0 x X x x ++
Polyergus lucidus 0 x x 0 0 ++
Prenolepis imparis ? x x 0 0 + often near trees

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