A survey of the Formicidae (Insecta) of Wilderness State Park.

Abstract

We surveyed Wilderness State Park over the course of the 2015 summer session, making 4 trips to the park. Formicidae (ants) were surveyed using pit traps, bait traps, leaf litter sampling, and individual collecting. Using a combination of records from this survey and historical records we recorded 40 species of Formicidae. Ant species showed distinct (and previously documented) habitat specializations, with groups of species almost completely confined to either open or wooded habitats. Our sampling demonstrated that multiple collecting techniques are necessary for a complete survey of ant species, but that pit traps provide the bulk of the records in our area. We recorded several county records. Adding these results to those from the previous 4 summers, the Biology of Insect classes have now recorded 305 species in 28 families from Wilderness State Park.