Argentine ants Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868b) infesting Norwegian flats (original) (raw)
Related papers
BioInvasions Records
We present the first record of the invasive ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) in the Tuscan Archipelago. Due to its importance as a conservation area in the Mediterranean basin, the archipelago is now protected as a national park (Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano-PNAT). L. humile colonies were found on three of the seven islands studied: Elba, Giglio and Giannutri. The last two islands host abundant populations, whereas the distribution on Elba, although it is probably underestimated, is sparse and spatially localised. No evidence of presence was found on Montecristo, Gorgona, Pianosa and Capraia. Notably, these are islands where public access is more difficult and restricted. Since this ant has a strong impact on native species, strategic plans for future control are crucial to minimise its effect on the already colonised islands and prevent its spread to the other islands.
Journal of Hymenoptera Research
New geolocated records of the invasive ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) are added to the previous references for the city of Madrid and its surroundings, and the possible causes of the occurrence and permanence of this species in urban areas are discussed. The data collection corresponds to a series of samplings carried out for the last three years in green areas of the city, bibliographic searches, citizen science platforms and personal communications. To date, eleven locations in the urban area of Madrid and four points outside the city have been registered. The city of Madrid is undergoing a colonisation by the Argentine ant, although it is not widespread yet, since observations over time and space are isolated and apparently unrelated. However, this species has a great capacity to disperse and establish new colonies, mainly human-mediated through the transport of goods, plants, gardening tools, etc. Considering the numerous colonizable urban green areas in the city that can p...
A new colony structure of the invasive Argentine ant ( Linepithema humile ) in Southern Europe
Biological Invasions, 2010
The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, Mayr) is a highly invasive species that has successfully spread from its native range in South America across many zones of the globe. In Southern Europe, two continental supercolonies have been identified, the Catalonian supercolony and the main European supercolony spreading over 6,000 km. In Corsica, a French Mediterranean island, the Argentine ant has been present for 60 years. Here we compare patterns of intraspecific aggression and cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of Argentine ants in Corsica to three mainland European colonies. Chemical analyses reveal the existence of cuticular signature variations among the six study sites relative to a gradient of aggression. We find two distinct colony groups not belonging to the Catalonian supercolony, suggesting that the new population originates either (1) from an independent introduction event from the native range resulting in a third European supercolony, or (2), given the chemical proximity and the moderate level of aggression between the two groups, from an existing European population followed by a drift producing a division within the main European supercolony.
Where and how Argentine ant ( Linepithema humile) spreads in Corsica
Comptes Rendus Biologies, 2009
The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Dolichoderinae), is one of the most widespread invasive ant species in the world. When established in optimal habitat, this species usually excludes most other local ants and can heavily impact other arthropods as well. Although Argentine ants have been present in southern Europe for more than 100 years, they were first noted in Corsica, a French Mediterranean island, in 1957 in only one urban station. In this study, we aimed to map precisely their geographical distribution in Corsica and to quantify their presence by using an infestation index. We recorded changes in the distribution of Argentine ants in Corsica over the past decade. Argentine ants appeared to be well established within their introduced range and spreading along the Corsican coasts principally through Human-mediated jump-dispersal but not homogenously. To cite this article: O. Blight et al., C. R. Biologies 332 (2009).
colonisation of the Argentine ant, Linepithema
2016
Background: The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is a widespread invasive ant species that has successfully established in nearly all continents across the globe. Argentine ants are characterised by a social structure known as unicoloniality, where territorial boundaries between nests are absent and intraspecific aggression is rare. This is particularly pronounced in introduced populations and results in the formation of large and spatially expansive supercolonies. Although it is amongst the most well studied of invasive ants, very little work has been done on this ant in South Africa. In this first study, we investigate the population structure of Argentine ants in South Africa. We use behavioural (aggression tests) and chemical (CHC) approaches to investigate the population structure of Argentine ants within the Western Cape, identify the number of supercolonies and infer number of introductions. Results: Both the aggression assays and chemical data revealed that the Western Cap...
Ecology / Écologie Where and how Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) spreads in Corsica
The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Dolichoderinae), is one of the most widespread invasive ant species in the world. When established in optimal habitat, this species usually excludes most other local ants and can heavily impact other arthropods as well. Although Argentine ants have been present in southern Europe for more than 100 years, they were first noted in Corsica, a French Mediterranean island, in 1957 in only one urban station. In this study, we aimed to map precisely their geographical distribution in Corsica and to quantify their presence by using an infestation index. We recorded changes in the distribution of Argentine ants in Corsica over the past decade. Argentine ants appeared to be well established within their introduced range and spreading along the Corsican coasts principally through Human-mediated jump-dispersal but not homogenously. To cite this article: O. Blight et al., C. R. Biologies 332 (2009).
The Argentine Ant on Mediterranean Shores
The Long-Term Fate of Invasive Species, 2017
The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a dark, red-brown ant, only about 3 mm long with queens that can measure up to a cm. It is native to the Rio de la Plata river drainage basin in Northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, where it lives in small, inconspicuous colonies like so many other ant species. It has become a major invasive species in many parts of the world where the climate is of Mediterranean type, first and foremost on the northern shores of the Western Mediterranean itself. The basis for its invasiveness is a tendency to form supercolonies, linked anthills with numerous queens, and un-antagonistic collaborative behavior between billions of members, even when they are unrelated.
Insectes Sociaux, 2004
The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, severely decreases the abundance and diversity of native ant fauna in areas where it invades, but coexists with a more diverse assemblage of ants in its native range. The greater ecological dominance of L. humile in the introduced range may be associated with differences in colony structure and population density in the introduced range relative to the native range. In this study, I compared aspects of L. humile's colony structure, including density, the spatial pattern of nests and trails, and patterns of intraspecific aggression in parts of the introduced and native ranges. I also compared the number of ant species coexisting with L. humile. Introduced and native populations did not differ significantly in nest density, ant density, nest size, and nearest-neighbor distances. In three of the four study populations in the native range and all of the study populations in the introduced range, colonies were organized into supercolonies: they consisted of multiple, interconnected nests that were dense and spatially clumped, and aggression among conspecifics was rare. In one population in the native range, colonies were organized differently: they occupied single nest sites, nests were sparse and randomly dispersed, and ants from neighboring nests were aggressive toward each other. Species richness was significantly higher in the native range than in the introduced range, even in areas where L. humile formed dense supercolonies. The results suggest that differences in species coexistence between ranges may due to factors other than L. humile's colony structure. One likely factor is the superior competitive ability of other ant species in the native range.