Where Did The White-footed Ant Come From And Where Is It Now?
The white-footed ant (Technomyrmex albipes Fr. Smith) was first described from Indonesia in 1861. From there it spread to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia, Africa, Hawaii (first reported in 1911) and, most recently, the British West Indies in October 2003. In Florida, this ant was first collected in Homestead in 1986. In 1991, it was found in Miami. As of July 2002, white-footed ants have been collected in Brevard, Broward, Collier, Dade, Hendry, Hillsborough, Lee, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, St. Lucie, Sarasota, and Seminole Counties (Figure 1). White-footed ants are found throughout south Florida and well-established in parts of north Florida. Alates have been found from April through November. Figure 1. Confirmed and suspected areas with white-footed ants.
