First Record of a Florida Population of the Neotropical Carpenter AntCamponotus novogranadensis(Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract

Florida specimens of Camponotus novo granadensis Mayr were first collected by Shawn Hole in May, 2012, in a residential development adjacent to Koreshan State Park in Estero, Lee County. The ants had entered and temporarily infested a relatively new residence near the park. These specimens were recognized as a previously unrecorded species for Florida by Robert Bel mont, and sent to the Archbold Biological Station for identification. A subsequent visit to the area by Mark and Nancy Deyrup produced a small se ries of specimens from the vicinity of Koreshan State Park and enough observations within the park to confirm an established population of C. novogranadensis. Preliminary identification was made by comparison with specimens from Trini dad in the Archbold Biological Station (ABS) col lection, and by photographs in the on-line spe cies account for C. novogranadensis provided by Longino (2002). This identification was confirmed by Stefan Cover, who compared Estero specimens with series of identified specimens in the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), Harvard Univer sity. Florida specimens have been deposited in the ABS and MCZ collections.