NPS Photo

Locating ants can be a challenge.

From June 22 to 24, 2003, the National Park Service, Acadian Entomological Society, and Maine Entomological Society sponsored a collecting effort to determine the diversity of native ants found in the Mount Desert Island portion of Acadia National Park. Forty-four species of ants were found in six different survey areas, which reflects a high biodiversity relative to the total species richness in the state of Maine (61 species). Several spatially rare species were found, as well as one new state record. This survey provided an excellent baseline community data set for future studies in ANP regarding changes in ant biodiversity.