Undesirable dispersal via a river pathway of a single Argentine ant supercolony newly invading an inland urban area of Japan.

Invasive ants pose a risk to human well-being and social/ecosystem stability. Linepithema humile Mayr is among the most damaging invasive ants worldwide. Most L. humile populations invade ports/wharfs isolated from surrounding landscapes, but unfortunately, a new population was discovered in an inland urban area (Nara Prefecture) of Japan in 2021. In this study, first, the supercolony type of the Nara L. humile population was identified via a hostility test, and then its distribution pattern was characterized. In aggression tests between L. humile from Nara and four supercolonies (haplotypes LH1, LH2, LH3, LH4), this ant showed extremely strong hostility against all supercolonies exept LH2, which was detected only in Japan in its introduced range. In Nara, L. humile was abundant in and around the urban river. Simulations revealed that using this environment for movement/dispersal increased the annual dispersal ability by 14 times compared with that achieved via ground (125 m), as mentioned in the literature. Therefore, river channels can serve as major pathways of long-distance dispersal for L. humile invading inland urban areas. Since applying chemical strategies around rivers is problematic, preventing L. humile from moving to rivers from initial invasion sites is crucial.

Intraspecific differences in the invasion success of the Argentine ant Linepithema humile Mayr are associated with diet breadth.

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile Mayr, has spread to almost all continents. In each introduced region, L. humile often forms a single large colony (supercolony), the members of which share the haplotype "LH1", despite the presence of other supercolonies with different genetic structures. However, the mechanisms underlying the successful invasion of LH1 ants are unclear. Here, we examined whether diet breadth differs between more successful (LH1) and less successful (LH2, LH3, LH4) L. humile supercolonies in Japan to better understand the processes responsible for invasion success. The standard ellipse areas (SEAs) of δ13C and δ15N and their ranges (CR and NR) were used as diet breadth indices. The SEAs of LH1 were much larger than those of the less successful supercolonies despite no differences in the baseline SEAs of arthropods within the supercolony habitats, indicating that the invasion success of a supercolony is associated with its diet breadth. Furthermore, LH1 had a broader CR than the other supercolonies, suggesting that which might be derived from superior resource exploitation ability. Our study highlights the importance of focusing on intraspecific differences in diet breadth among supercolonies when assessing organisms that can potentially invade and become dominant in new habitats.

Host-Tree Selection by the Invasive Argentine Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Relation to Honeydew-Producing Insects.

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr; Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is one of the world's most hazardous invasive species, and thus its eradication from Japan is important. Physical and chemical controls can be expensive and cause strong adverse effects on local terrestrial ecosystems regardless of their high efficacy. Here, presence/absence of host-tree selection by Argentine ants was investigated to understand the ant-honeydew-producing insects interactions in order to develop new cultural controls compatible with biodiversity conservation. Abundance of Argentine ants and their tree utilization ratio was measured among dominant roadside trees (Cinnamomum camphora, Myrica rubra, Nerium indicum, Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata, Juniperus chinensis var. kaizuka) in two areas around Kobe, Japan. Almost all ants collected were Argentine ants suggesting that native ants would have been competitively excluded. Tree utilization of Argentine ants clearly differed among host trees. Abundance of both Argentine ants and honeydew-producing insects and tree utilization rate of the ants were significantly lower in especially C. camphora and J. chinensis. Few Argentine ants were observed trailing on C. camphora, J. Chinensis, and N. indicum, most probably due to low abundance of honeydew-producing insects on these trees with the toxic and repellent chemical components. On the other hand, high abundance of both Argentine ants and homopterans were found in M. rubra and especially R. indica. We suggest that reductions of R. indica and M. rubra would lead to a decrease in abundance of honeydew-producing insects, and thus effectively control populations of Argentine ants. At the same time, planting of C. camphora, J. Chinensis, and N. indicum may also play a role in restraint efficacy against invasion of the invasive ants.