13 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

Florida is already overrun with all manner of noxious invasives, most of which were first brought in as pets. That’s why.

[ANTdrew]

Don’t abbreviate Latin names if the other person doesn’t know what species you’re referring to.

[OiledOlives]

I know it’s not AE’s fault, but is it Becuase of Florida’s current RIFA situation?

Also, what happens to leafuctter form AE’s website? They have been completly removed.

Also, does anyone know if more ants to FL will be added soon?

Many non-native ants can become established in FL and become invasive, so they are more protective of their environment. Garrett is no longer selling A. versicolor and A. texana right now, so he has taken them off. You can ask him about your questions.

Most Dorymyrmex are native to Florida and O. ruginodis is invasive.

[ANTdrew]

Something is either invasive or not. If if is invading a new area it was not present in before, then it is invasive.

[AntsEmporium]

Leaf cutters are off website because of daily emails regarding when they would be back in stock, and rather than answer those for the next 6 months, we decided it was best to remove them until we have them for sale again.

As for Florida ants, we can sell a few to Florida but are still waiting for approval on the rest. With Florida they make you send specimens of every species for proper identification by Florida Dep. of Ag.

[CheetoLord02]

Oh yes I suppose. Pyramid ants, Argentine ants, Odontomachus ruginodis, just to name a few I have kept.

P.S. Ruginodis is naturally occurring in flordia and did not come here by humans, so many consider it “exotic” and not invasive, meaning you can release it as it occurred naturally.

That's... not what exotic means.

Exotic simply means that a species was introduced unnaturally to an area, and is typically used to refer to species with a mostly neutral affect on the environment they were introduced to.
Invasive means that the species is exotic, and is harmful to its environment.
Naturalized means that the species is exotic, however is not harmful to the environment and even fits in as if it were a native species.

That said, O. ruginodis are definitely exotic, and as far as I know, not naturalized, as they strongly outcompete the native O. brunneus.

Also, as for why FL permits are so hard to get, basically what antdrew said. FL has somewhere in the realm of 70-80 exotic ant species, and so the FL government really doesn't want to allow people to bring anything new in, for fear of yet another exotic species being introduced.

[ZTYguy]

Agreed, Florida is honestly one of the worst places to get a permit due to the fact that there are so many invasive species in Florida. That doesn’t just include ants. This includes reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, and insects.