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Issue: Vol. 5837 No. 2: 23 Jun. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-06-23
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5837.2.1
Page range: 201-239
Abstract views: 191
PDF downloaded: 68

Taxonomic revision of the Nylanderia guatemalensis species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Neotropics, with implications for conservation and invasion biology

Entomology & Nematology Department; University of Florida; Gainesville; Florida; U.S.A.
Entomology & Nematology Department; University of Florida; Gainesville; Florida; U.S.A.
Museo de Entomología Espoch; Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo; Riobamba; Ecuador
Department of Biological Sciences; Towson University; Towson; Maryland; U.S.A.
Federated Department of Biological Sciences; New Jersey Institute of Technology; Newark; New Jersey; U.S.A.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; Toronto; Canada
Instituto de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Bogotá; Bogotá D.C.; Colombia
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Brussels; Belgium
Entomology & Nematology Department; University of Florida; Gainesville; Florida; U.S.A.
Hymenoptera ants cryptic species endemism phylogenomics Ultraconserved Elements

Abstract

The ant genus Nylanderia Emery comprises 138 known species and is common across most terrestrial regions worldwide. At least 15 species have spread beyond their native ranges, some becoming ecologically and economically destructive. Subtle morphology, unresolved taxonomy, and widespread distributions make these species difficult to identify, complicating conservation efforts in biodiversity hotspots like the Galápagos Islands. Here, based on a comprehensive examination of Neotropical Nylanderia, we revise the taxonomy of the N. guatemalensis complex, recognizing seven described species: N. ambulator Williams et al.; N. coveri LaPolla & Kallal; N. docilis (Forel); N. guatemalensis (Forel); N. insularis Williams sp. nov.; N. nesiotis (Wheeler) stat. nov.; and N. silvestrii (Emery); plus an undescribed eighth, N. sp. JKW1 (singleton). Among these, we confirm two in the Galápagos: the non-native N. guatemalensis and the endemic N. nesiotis. While eight other ant species in the Galápagos are considered probable endemics, N. nesiotis is the first confirmed as such. We synonymize N. lietzi (Forel), N. steinheili (Forel), N. guatemalensis cocoensis (Forel), N. guatemalensis itinerans (Forel), and N. silvestrii kuenzleri (Forel) with N. guatemalensis, and N. guatemalensis edenensis (Linsley & Usinger) with N. nesiotis. Species boundaries are supported by combined evidence from Ultraconserved Element (UCE) phylogenomics and morphology. We provide distributions, a worker-based key, and high-resolution images of available castes to facilitate species recognition, support biodiversity monitoring, and improve detection and management of invasive Nylanderia.

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How to Cite

Williams, J.L., Puckett, C., Herrera, H.W., Lapolla, J.S., Fiorentino, G., Tocora-Protz, M.C., Fernández, F., Dekoninck, W. & Lucky, A. (2026) Taxonomic revision of the Nylanderia guatemalensis species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Neotropics, with implications for conservation and invasion biology. Zootaxa, 5837 (2), 201–239. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5837.2.1