Consequences of Ant Invasions

Lach, Lori; Hooper‐Bùi, Linda M.

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544639.003.0015

Cited by 69 publications

(101 citation statements)

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“…See Table 2 for results of the ANOVA of post-treatment observations Sevathian 2005) and it occurs as rare, scattered individuals on Ile aux Aigrettes (L. Lach, personal observation). Many species of invasive ants are attracted to EFNs and subsequently displace herbivores (Lach and Hooper-Bùi 2010;Ness and Bronstein 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, out of 40 randomly selected 'critically endangered' Gastonia mauritiana (Araleaceae) and Diospyros eggretarum (Ebenaceae) trees on the island, there were only 1 and 3, respectively, in which we did not find scale insects (L. Lach unpublished data). Tending of trophobionts by invasive ants often results in increased abundance of these insects, in many cases with subsequent negative effects for the plant (Lach and Hooper-Bùi 2010;O'Dowd et al 2003). However, ants may benefit plants if they deter other more harmful herbivores (Styrsky and Eubanks 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The positive effect on the invasive plant and negative effect on the native plant may ultimately work in concert to facilitate invasion by the invasive plant. We focused on mutualistic interactions in which T. albipes takes part, but like several other invasive ant species (Blancafort and Gomez 2005;Lach and Hooper-Bùi 2010), T. albipes is also capable of disrupting mutualisms, such as pollination and seed dispersal (Hansen and Müller 2009). Elucidating the myriad types and directions of novel interactions in ecosystems composed of recent arrivals and longterm residents will increase our understanding of the effects of invasive species on ecosystem function.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting effects of an invasive ant on a native and an invasive plant

2010

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When invasive species establish in new environments, they may disrupt existing or create new interactions with resident species. Understanding of the functioning of invaded ecosystems will benefit from careful investigation of resulting species-level interactions. We manipulated ant visitation to compare how invasive ant mutualisms affect two common plants, one native and one invasive, on a subtropical Indian Ocean island. Technomyrmex albipes, an introduced species, was the most common and abundant ant visitor to the plants. T. albipes were attracted to extrafloral nectaries on the invasive tree (Leucaena leucocephala) and deterred the plant's primary herbivore, the Leucaena psyllid (Heteropsylla cubana). Ant exclusion from L. leucocephala resulted in decreased plant growth and seed production by 22% and 35%, respectively. In contrast, on the native shrub (Scaevola taccada), T. albipes frequently tended sap-sucking hemipterans, and ant exclusion resulted in 30% and 23% increases in growth and fruit production, respectively. Stable isotope analysis confirmed the more predacious and herbivorous diets of T. albipes on the invasive and native plants, respectively. Thus the ants' interactions protect the invasive plant from its main herbivore while also exacerbating the effects of herbivores on the native plant. Ultimately, the negative effects on the native plant and positive effects on the invasive plant may work in concert to facilitate invasion by the invasive plant. Our findings underscore the importance of investigating facilitative interactions in a community context and the multiple and diverse interactions shaping novel ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting effects of an invasive ant on a native and an invasive plant

2010

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“…Assim, os resultados obtidos relacionando a mirmecofauna com o desenvolvimento florestal serão abordados como relacionados também à recuperação dos processos ecológicos florestais, haja vista que a comunidade de formigas media muitos desses processos ou, ao menos, é influenciada por eles (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990;Andersen, 1997;Philpott et al, 2010;Lach & Hooper-Búi, 2010;Hoffman, 2010;Ribas et al, 2012).…”

Section: Aspectos Geraisunclassified

“…Esse grupo megadiverso está presente em praticamente todos os locais do mundo, em alta abundância e participam direta ou indiretamente de muitos processos ecológicos (Taylor, 2010;Dunn et al, 2010). A movimentação vertical de sedimentos e nutrientes nas camadas do solo, o aumento da aeração do solo através de galerias, o controle populacional de outros organismos viventes no solo e a dispersão de sementes e de micro-organismos são exemplos de interações ecológicas mediadas direta ou indiretamente por formigas (Schultz & McGlynn, 2000;Lach & Hooper-Búi, 2010). Portanto, muitos dos processos ecológicos presentes nos ecossistemas florestais estão relacionados à mirmecofauna.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Influência do desenvolvimento florestal sobre a comunidade edáfico-epígea de Arthropoda e a mirmecofauna: bases para a bioindicação do processo sucessional na restauração ecológica

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Discovery–dominance trade‐off among widespread invasive ant species

Bertelsmeier

Avril

Blight

et al. 2015

Ecology and Evolution

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Ants are among the most problematic invasive species. They displace numerous native species, alter ecosystem processes, and can have negative impacts on agriculture and human health. In part, their success might stem from a departure from the discovery–dominance trade-off that can promote co-existence in native ant communities, that is, invasive ants are thought to be at the same time behaviorally dominant and faster discoverers of resources, compared to native species. However, it has not yet been tested whether similar asymmetries in behavioral dominance, exploration, and recruitment abilities also exist among invasive species. Here, we establish a dominance hierarchy among four of the most problematic invasive ants (Linepithema humile, Lasius neglectus, Wasmannia auropunctata, Pheidole megacephala) that may be able to arrive and establish in the same areas in the future. To assess behavioral dominance, we used confrontation experiments, testing the aggressiveness in individual and group interactions between all species pairs. In addition, to compare discovery efficiency, we tested the species’ capacity to locate a food resource in a maze, and the capacity to recruit nestmates to exploit a food resource. The four species differed greatly in their capacity to discover resources and to recruit nestmates and to dominate the other species. Our results are consistent with a discovery–dominance trade-off. The species that showed the highest level of interspecific aggressiveness and dominance during dyadic interactions.

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Consequences of Ant Invasions

Cited by 69 publications

References 0 publications

Contrasting effects of an invasive ant on a native and an invasive plant

Contrasting effects of an invasive ant on a native and an invasive plant

Influência do desenvolvimento florestal sobre a comunidade edáfico-epígea de Arthropoda e a mirmecofauna: bases para a bioindicação do processo sucessional na restauração ecológica

Discovery–dominance trade‐off among widespread invasive ant species

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