A first look at COI barcodes of Galapagos Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Despite recent efforts, species identities of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Galapagos Islands remain problematic, especially when identifying alate castes (e.g., males and gynes) commonly collected during surveys with mass sampling techniques. To aid myrmecological research, we provide barcodes of 1,181 specimens (929 workers, 86 gynes, and 166 males) from 36 species and 17 genera, collected with malaise and pitfall traps, and manual searches, at four islands in the Archipelago. Representing these species, we found 40 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). From these, 24 BINs (20 spp.) belong to worldwide invasive ant species like Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr, 1868 and Monomorium sahlbergi Emery, 1898. The remaining 16 BINs (16 spp.) are from non-invasive species that are currently either endemic to the Archipelago or match with species in continental Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica. Along with museum voucher specimens, our COI barcodes provide a permanent registry of ant species in the Galapagos.