A checklist and assemblage comparison of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma

Abstract

We present a checklist of 47 ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, USA. Surveys conducted in 2015 recaptured 67% of all historically collected species and add 12 new county records including the new state records of Pheidole tetra and Solenopsis aurea. We demonstrate the importance of sampling multiple habitats for species inventories as forests and grasslands contained compositionally unique ant assemblages. We also report an absence of the invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, at all sampling locations despite its occupation of the surrounding area and the southern half of the state. Combined, these results highlight the importance of protected land in conserving regional fauna and add to our understanding of the biodiversity in Oklahoma.