Exotic Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Morocco: Checklist, Comments and New Faunistic Data

Abstract

Morocco has a rich ant fauna with 237 known species, of which 14 (5.9%) are widespread tramp ants considered non-native in Morocco. In the present study, we collected ants in urban areas of 13 Moroccan regions to examine the spread of non-native species. We found that the known distribution of non-native ants is expanding along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Morocco. We confirmed the presence of the pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis, in Morocco, after many years of omission from the lists of Moroccan ants.