# Antkey Mobile — An ID key for introduced ants > Community resource for identifying invasive and introduced ant species globally. (iPhone/iPad app by United States Department of Agriculture-APHIS.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/antkey-mobile/id1274800204 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [United States Department of Agriculture-APHIS](https://appshunter.io/developer/511305053) - Category: Education, Reference - Price: Free - Rating: 4.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 10.0 · 100 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2017-09-07 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/antkey-mobile/id1274800204/reviews.md ## What is Antkey Mobile? Ants are conspicuous components of most terrestrial ecosystems. Ants are important predators, scavengers, granivores, and in the new world, herbivores. Ants also engage in an astonishing array of associations with plants and other insects, and can act as ecosystem engineers as agents of soil turnover, nutrient redistribution, and small-scale disturbance. Over 15,000 species of ants have been described, and more than 200 have established populations outside of their native ranges. A small subset of these have become highly destructive invaders including the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), the big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala), the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes), the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), and the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) which are currently listed among the world’s 100 worst invasive species (Lowe et al. 2000). Additionally, two of these species (Linepithema humile and Solenopsis invicta) are among the four most well studied invasive species generally (Pyšek et al. 2008). Although invasive ants are economically costly in both urban and agricultural areas, the most serious consequences of their introduction may be ecological. Invasive ants can greatly modify ecosystems by reducing native ant diversity, displacing other arthropods, negatively impacting vertebrate populations, and disrupting ant-plant mutualisms. Invasive ants form a small and somewhat distinct subset of ants introduced into new environments by humans. A majority of introduced ants remain confined to human-modified habitats and some of these species are often referred to as tramp ants because of their reliance on human-mediated dispersal and close association with humans generally. Although hundreds of ant species have become established outside of their native ranges, most research has concentrated on the biology of only a few species. Antkey is a community resource for the identification of invasive, introduced and commonly intercepted ant species from across the globe. This key was designed to be used with the “Find Best” function. Find best is invoked by tapping on the wand icon on the navigation bar, or by selecting the Find Best option in the navigation drawer. Authors: Eli M. Sarnat and Andrew V. Suarez Original source: This key is part of the complete Antkey tool at http://antkey.org (requires internet connection). External links are provided in the fact sheets for convenience, but they also require an internet connection. Full references for all citations may be found at the Antkey website, along with distribution maps, behavior videos, a fully illustrated glossary, and more. This key was developed in cooperation with the USDA APHIS Identification Technology Program. Please visit http://idtools.org to learn more. ## Key features - Invasive ant species identification - Introduced ant species identification - Commonly intercepted ant species identification - Global ant species database - Find Best identification function - Community resource ## Recent user reviews (3 of 3) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/antkey-mobile/id1274800204/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Fantastic app *2024-09-16, version 1.1.0* This app is amazing, It’s very easy to use after finding where the species list is, can you add the Messor Genus please? ### 4/5 — Important product I want to support; needs work *2021-06-27* It’s taken me a while to find an ant identification app. It’s exciting to finally have this at my disposal and I intend to use it for ants I see. Two suggestions: I would like to see this app accommodate native species. Would just add more appeal. The main one is that the user interface really REALLY needs work. I WANT to use this app, and there’s no other options, but it is very frustrating to navigate. I can’t imagine it being that difficult to make the app less of a headache to use. The lists inside of lists thing is rather obnoxious. I really want this app to grow and improve. I hope someone behind this is out there to read this review. Thanks ### 1/5 — Too hard to use *2019-08-20, version 1.0.0* I tried using this app to look at different species of ants but the UI is so unfriendly the app is unusable so I uninstalled ## Frequently asked questions about Antkey Mobile ### What is Antkey Mobile? Antkey Mobile is a community resource designed for the identification of invasive, introduced, and commonly intercepted ant species from across the globe. It helps users identify ants by providing a comprehensive database and a 'Find Best' function. ### How does the 'Find Best' function in Antkey Mobile work? The 'Find Best' function is invoked by tapping the wand icon on the navigation bar or selecting the option in the navigation drawer. This feature assists users in the identification process by guiding them through the available data. ### Is Antkey Mobile free to use? Yes, Antkey Mobile is available for free. The application does not require any payment to download or use its identification features. ### What ant species can I identify with Antkey Mobile? Antkey Mobile focuses on identifying invasive, introduced, and commonly intercepted ant species from around the world. It covers over 15,000 described species, with a particular emphasis on those that are ecologically significant or economically costly. ### Does Antkey Mobile require an internet connection? The core identification key is part of the complete Antkey tool, which requires an internet connection. External links provided within the fact sheets also necessitate an internet connection to access. ### What devices is Antkey Mobile compatible with? Antkey Mobile is designed for Apple devices, specifically supporting iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is available on the iOS platform. ### How often is Antkey Mobile updated? The application was last updated on November 15, 2019, with version 1.1.0. While the last update was in 2019, the content is based on a comprehensive resource developed in cooperation with the USDA APHIS Identification Technology Program. ### What is the age rating for Antkey Mobile? Antkey Mobile has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users aged four and older, suggesting content that is generally appropriate for young children. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 1.1.0 — 2019-11-15 Updated for iOS 13 ### 1.0.0 — 2017-09-07 No release notes. ## More apps by United States Department of Agriculture-APHIS - [Citrus Pests Key](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citrus-pests-key/id816016765) - [Citrus Diseases Key](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citrus-diseases-key/id818939368) - [Dried Botanicals Key](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dried-botanicals-key/id818972882) - [Terrestrial Mollusc Key](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terrestrial-mollusc-key/id818984385) - [Palm Symptoms Key](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palm-symptoms-key/id818991417) - [Palm ID Key](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palm-id-key/id818999178) All apps by United States Department of Agriculture-APHIS: https://appshunter.io/developer/511305053 ## Related topics [antrip](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/antrip) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*