Invasive Ant Marching Across Europe - Forms Massive Supercolonies, No Known Parasites Or Disease

[hatrack]

EDIT

In research published today in the journal PLoS One, the team used genetic techniques to work out where the ants originated and what makes them so successful at taking over new regions. One reason is that they are able to form super-colonies. The ants occupy many interconnected nests with many queens. Because they are related, the ants in these nests do not show territorial aggression. When they reach new locations the parasites that usually keep the ants in check are no longer there, so they are able to expand their colonies rapidly.

"We found that invasive garden ants developed from species in the Black Sea region that have natural populations with small networks of interconnected nests with many queens that mate underground and don't fly. "It is now becoming clear that rather many ant species share this lifestyle, so it is no surprise that a number of them have become invasive pests with giant super-colonies based on the same principles," said Dr Sylvia Cremer, at the University of Regensburg.

Dr Jes Pedersen, a co-author at the University of Copenhagen, said: "The future will therefore see many more ants become invasive, so it is about time we understand their biology. This study is a major step in that direction." Much of the damage that the invasive garden ant causes is connected with the herds of aphids that it tends. The ants have a symbiotic relationship with the aphids in which the aphids provide sugary food while the ants provide protection from predators. With the ants around, aphid populations expand to large numbers causing damage to plants and releasing sticky secretions that create a mess on parked cars. Because the ant colonies are so large they can cause a nuisance by invading homes and spoiling food.

Invasive ants have caused much more significant damage in other countries. The imported red fire ant, which has a nasty sting, causes $750m (£500m) of damage in the US each year to crops and livestock. The Argentine ant has spread along 6,000km of coastline in southern Europe, exterminating many local insects.

EDIT/END

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/03/super-ants-invade-uk-wildlife-gardens

[dysfunctional press]

1. it's their world- we're just living in it.

nt

[MineralMan]

2. Hide your rubber tree plants, OK?

[blm]

3. Clorox.

.

[Barrett808]

4. Phase IV

[w4rma]

5. Sounds like Europe needs more of the parasite that keeps these little guys in check.

Or anteaters.

[AnneD]

6. And the meek will inherit the Earth.....

eom

[Javaman]

7. I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords...

ahhh the simpsons, is there nothing they can't do? (yet another simpsons reference within a reference...my brain hurts)

[hunter]

8. We've already got ants like that in California.

The Argentine ant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant

They've pretty much wiped out all the native ant species I remember as a kid, and I haven't seen a horned toad for years except in areas without these ants or housecats. Horned toads used to be fairly common.

The ant's latest project in our yard is raising scale insects on the roses. They seem to have given up raising aphids because we've got a flock of little birds that finds the aphids quite tastey, and have figured out how to grab aphids without getting too many angry ants on themselves.

[kestrel91316]

10. Annoying little buggers. When I was in the house they took up residence

in all my garden raised beds and the compost pile.

[Nihil]

11. How did you get rid of them from the compost heap?

I've just got standard British ants rather than any exotic flavour
but I suspect that they'll try attacking my compost heap again
next summer. Whilst boiling water is a good fallback, I really
don't want to poach the other living creatures in the area, just
dissuade the ants. All (ok, most) suggestions appreciated.

:hi:

[kestrel91316]

12. I tried to keep it moist. But in our dry climate with its fierce heat a lot of the

year, that's a tall order. They were mostly an annoyance when I turned the compost pile.

In the raised beds they would leave areas I turned under for replanting, and just moved into areas with established stuff. You don't get rid of them. You learn how to manage them. The alligator lizards helped, I think. And some of my bird friends.

[Nihil]

13. OK ... that's food for thought.

I could always try turning the contents more frequently too I suppose.

Thanks! :hi:

[babydollhead]

9. kick