Urban pest ants of Brazil (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract:
Brazil shows a high diversity of urban pest ants. Among its 2,000 recorded ant species, 20 to 30 species are urban ants (tramp species). Native and introduced species are found and are not equally distributed in its 27 states. Camponotus species are found in the five regions that divide the country and Tapinoma melanocephalum and Paratrechina longicornis are the ones which cause more complains by Brazilian citizens. Regions are diverse in their ecosystems and cities vary greatly in size from 542 inhabitants to 8 million, reaching 95% of the population living in towns in some locations. Ant diversity in households is diverse reaching a total of 23 species in a unique hospital, fact that leads to failures in controlling the pest species.