Invasive Ants: Unwanted Partners in Ant-Plant Interactions?

Lach, Lori

doi:10.2307/3298529

Cited by 106 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…A pan-tropical 'tramp ant,' A. gracilipes has strong negative impacts on native island flora and fauna in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (Holway et al 2002, Hill et al 2003, Lester and Tavite 2004, Abbott 2006, Savage et al 2009). Anoplolepis gracilipes invasions are hypothesized to be driven by subsidies from carbohydrate-excreting plants and insects (Holway et al 2002, Davidson et al 2003, Lach 2003. In support of this hypothesis, we observed that variation in the abundance of EFN-bearing plants was positively associated with the abundances of A. gracilipes across the Samoan Archipelago, but was unrelated to the abundances of other exotic ant species (Savage et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Carbohydrate-rich resources, such as plant nectar or hemipteran honeydew, may promote ant invasions by providing a high-energy food that fuels greater activity and growth and furthers the establishment of dominant supercolonies (the 'carbohydrate subsidy hypothesis', Lach 2003, Savage et al 2009). If these carbohydrate-rich resources are, in fact, important factors in the progression of ant invasions, then highly invasive species should respond more strongly to variation nectar resources than co-occurring less invasive species.…”

Section: Effects Of Nectar Subsidies On Forager Recruitmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trait-mediated indirect interactions in invasions: unique behavioral responses of an invasive ant to plant nectar

Savage

Whitney

2011

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Exotic species often form beneficial, facultative associations with indigenous species.However, we still have a limited understanding of the influences that these positive associations may have on the dynamics and impacts of species invasions. Highly invasive species may respond differently than less invasive species to resources that are exchanged in mutualisms, leading to trait-mediated indirect interactions between native species via invaders that may reshape native communities. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the highly invasive ant species, Anoplolepis gracilipes, exhibits stronger trait changes in response to increasing levels of nectar than co-occurring, less invasive ant species. Across two islands in the Samoan Archipelago, we located multiple sites dominated by A. gracilipes and multiple sites dominated by other, less invasive species. At each site, we manipulated nectar levels on a common extrafloral nectary-bearing shrub and assessed short-term changes in ant worker recruitment and aggression. We found that the recruitment response of the highly invasive ant species A. gracilipes was not unique: other dominant ant species also increased recruitment in response to increasing nectar levels. However, A. gracilipes did show unique changes in aggressive behaviors: as nectar levels increased, the proportion of prey discovered, attacked and removed by A. gracilipes workers and the speed at which they performed these aggressive behaviors all increased strongly. Other ant species showed no such responses. In addition, fewer subordinate ants persisted on plants at sites invaded by A. gracilipes. Finally, plot-level, simultaneous manipulations of ant access to the plants and nectar availability demonstrated that Morinda citrifolia-ant mutualisms influenced the b-diversity of local arthropod communities differently when A. gracilipes dominated local ant assemblages. These results suggest that mutualisms between invasive ants and native plants can modify interactions between invaders and co-occurring arthropods, possibly leading to more negative consequences for native communities. They also underscore the importance of incorporating both positive species interactions and indirect pathways into our studies of both community ecology and invasion biology.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Effects Of Nectar Subsidies On Forager Recruitmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trait-mediated indirect interactions in invasions: unique behavioral responses of an invasive ant to plant nectar

Savage

Whitney

2011

Ecosphere

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“…Linepithema humile (8) Messor andrei (8) Crematogaster californica (9) Pseudomyrmex apache (2) Predators (5) Herbivores (14) Plants (6) Neivamyrmex opacithorax (1)…”

Section: Solenopsis Xyloni (8)unclassified

“…Because Argentine ants aggressively displace above-ground foraging native ants (7), changes in the diet of L. humile that occur during and just after invasion can be linked to native ant displacement. Second, invasive ants, such as L. humile, are highly omnivorous and frequently form nonspecialized associations with honeydew-producing Hemiptera (7)(8)(9)(10). Greater use of honeydew and other plant-based resources in introduced populations might result in a decrease in trophic position (relative to that of native populations), such that invasive ants would persist at higher densities than if they were acting as carnivores (7,11,12).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic ecology of invasive Argentine ants in their native and introduced ranges

Tillberg

Holway

LeBrun

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

173

202

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Although the ecological effects of invasions often become obvious soon after introduced species become established, more gradual effects may take years to manifest and can thus require long-term data for quantification. We analyzed an 8-year record of stable isotope data on Argentine ants ( biological invasions ͉ stable isotopes ͉ food webs B iological invasions threaten biodiversity and drain economic resources. Despite the importance of species introductions, the short-term and small-scale nature of most invasive species research is a recognized limitation of this field (1). Additionally, confounding environmental factors can obscure links between the spread of invasive species and decline of natives (2). Spatiotemporal fluctuations in the population sizes of introduced species (3) that result from changes in resource use or availability (4) can greatly alter the extent to which invaders disrupt ecosystems. Because a better understanding of such variation will inform both ecological theory and management strategies, there is an urgent need for long-term studies as well as for research that investigates ecological interactions in the native ranges of introduced species.One underappreciated source of variation regarding introduced species concerns dietary flexibility and shifts in trophic position between native and introduced populations. This form of ecological plasticity may enhance invasion success in a number of ways. Species capable of extracting required nutrients from multiple trophic levels might establish in a broader range of environments compared with more specialized consumers. Furthermore, theory predicts diminishing biomass at higher trophic levels, suggesting that species feeding at lower trophic levels might attain greater abundance (5).In this study we examine the direct effects of Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) invasions on native ant diversity and then quantify how dietary flexibility in this widespread invader affects spatiotemporal variation in its trophic position. Invasive ants provide an ideal system to test how trophic flexibility contributes to invasion success. With many species introductions, it can be difficult to separate the effects of the invader from covarying factors, such as habitat disturbance, that might also negatively affect natives (2, 6). Because Argentine ants aggressively displace above-ground foraging native ants (7), changes in the diet of L. humile that occur during and just after invasion can be linked to native ant displacement. Second, invasive ants, such as L. humile, are highly omnivorous and frequently form nonspecialized associations with honeydew-producing Hemiptera (7-10). Greater use of honeydew and other plant-based resources in introduced populations might result in a decrease in trophic position (relative to that of native populations), such that invasive ants would persist at higher densities than if they were acting as carnivores (7,11,12). Similar arguments have been proposed to explain the great abundance of ants in tropical rainforest canopies ...

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“…Invasive ants may be attracted to flowers for their nectar, or for the opportunity to prey on or scavenge insects (Lach 2003). Other arthropods may also be attracted to flowers by nectar or prey, or may be seeking pollen or other plant tissues (e.g., seeds) to consume, or may use the inflorescence as shelter, or as a site for ovipositioning, development, or mating.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mutualism With a Native Membracid Facilitates Pollinator Displacement by Argentine Ants

Lach

2007

Ecology

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Abstract. The loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services are major threats posed by the spread of alien invasive species. Invasive ants are frequently associated with declines in the diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods but also may affect plants through their attraction to floral nectar and tending of hemipterans. Protea nitida is a tree native to the South African fynbos that hosts a native membracid, Beaufortiana sp., which is tended by ants. Here I compare Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) to native ants in their attraction to P. nitida inflorescences in the presence and absence of the membracid, and their effects on other floral arthropod visitors, seed set, and ovule predation. Argentine ant discovery of inflorescences increased at least 13-fold when membracids were present on the branch, whereas native ant discovery of inflorescences was only doubled by membracid presence at one site in one study year and was unaffected in the other three site-years. Excluding Argentine ants from inflorescences resulted in an increase in several arthropod taxa and potential pollinators; native ant exclusion had no positive effects. Thus the mutualism between Argentine ants and the membracid is facilitating pollinator deterrence by the ants. Though Argentine ants were not associated with a decline in P. nitida seed set or ovule predation, declines in generalist insect pollinators may have ramifications for the 83% of fynbos plants that are insect pollinated. Pitfall traps showed that Argentine ants were not more abundant than native ants in non-invaded sites. Focusing only on abundance on the ground and displacement of grounddwelling arthropod fauna may lead to an underestimate of the effects of invasive ants on their adopted communities.

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Invasive Ants: Unwanted Partners in Ant-Plant Interactions?

Cited by 106 publications

References 1 publication

Trait-mediated indirect interactions in invasions: unique behavioral responses of an invasive ant to plant nectar

Trait-mediated indirect interactions in invasions: unique behavioral responses of an invasive ant to plant nectar

Trophic ecology of invasive Argentine ants in their native and introduced ranges

A Mutualism With a Native Membracid Facilitates Pollinator Displacement by Argentine Ants

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