Foraging characteristics and intraspecific behaviour of the exotic species Monomorium sydneyense (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in New Zealand, with implications for its management

Abstract

We attempt to evaluate the biosecurity risk posed by the newly established exotic ant species Monomorium sydneyense Forel, in New Zealand. Aggression was observed between workers from different M. sydneyense nests, indicating that unicoloniality is unlikely. Nests had multiple queens, and nest foundation is apparently via winged queens. The foraging behaviour corresponded to multicoloniality, with workers foraging in close proximity to the nest. In trials during December (2003) and March (2004), workers had a >50% probability of finding food at a distance of 0.8-1 m from their nest, but on cooler study dates (October 2004) our logistic regression model indicated that they would not reach this threshold irrespective of how close the food was to the nest. Although M. sydneyense forage during both night and day, they appeared to be relatively inefficient at locating food. We conclude that under the conditions assessed here, the environmental damage likely to be caused by M. sydneyense is modest compared with other invasive ant species.

The influence of temperature and fine‐scale resource distribution on resource sharing and domination in an ant community

“…This area experiences a sub-tropical climate with warm, humid summers and mild winters. Humidity during this study period varied between 40.0% and 76.0%; a level of variation which did not appear to significantly influence ant foraging behaviour at this study site ( Stringer & Lester, 2007 ). Annual precipitation ranges between 1250 mm and 1500 mm per year, with the monthly average increasing slightly during the winter months ( de Lilse & Kerr, 1963 ).…”

“…Smooth, sugared peanut butter was used as a food resource, as it was found to be a preferred food type, was highly attractive to the majority of ants in the area and retained its moisture and attractiveness for extended periods of time ( Stringer & Lester, 2007 ). Approximately 6 g of food was divided at three different rates within a known area.…”

Ant dominance in urban areas

“…Our survey design was biased towards catching ants with a carbohydrate food preference by using only one type of food (jam) and had a trap efficiency of 58%. This may not have been attractive to all species in the area (Sanders and Gordon 2003;Stringer and Lester 2007), such as Huberia striata (Fr. Smith) which had a limited range from this survey compared to historical data records (Landcare Research 2008).…”

“…Some of those that were not trapped have an extremely limited distribution in New Zealand (e.g. Monomorium sydneyense Forel; Stringer and Lester 2007). The traps have the advantage of being cheap and easy to assemble.…”

The Debate on Behavior in Conservation: New Zealand Integrates Theory with Practice

“…For instance, the dispersal behavior of Norway rats (Russell et al 2005) is being used to predict invasion patterns and risk and to redesign biosecurity measures on island sanctuaries. Also, Stringer and Lester (2007), after investigating the mating system and foraging behavior of an invasive ant (Monomorium sydneyense), were able to predict that the potential ecosystem damage caused by this species would probably be very low compared with other invasive ant species.…”