Roger's ants: a new pest in hospitals

Formigas vetores mecânicos de microbiota em ambiente hospitalar

“…Outros problemas causados pelas formigas em hospitais incluem vários tipos de irritações e lesões na pele, além de causar rejeição psicológica e poder falsear resultados laboratoriais ao passarem de uma placa para outra (Eicheler, 1990). Gray et al (1995) descreveram em seu trabalho que a primeira infestação por Hypoponera punctatissima em hospitais, provavelmente ocorreu na Inglaterra. Formigas aladas foram vistas próximo às enfermarias e a mais provável fonte de infestação poderia ser uma cavidade na parede, que era habitado por moscas cujas larvas serviam de presas para as formigas.…”

A new household pest ant, <i>Hypoponera ragusai</i>, occurring widely in Japan

“…H. punctatissima Yamauchi et al, 1996H. punctatissima Bolton & Fisher, 2011 H. punctatissima Gray et al, 1995Harris, 2003 Solenopsis invicta Buren…”

The tramp ant Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae): new records from the southern hemisphere

“…In northern countries, for example, H. punctatissima is found inside houses and greenhouses (Roger 1859, Stradling 1965, Olafsson 1985, Seifert 1996 where it seems to find ideal conditions and shelter from external low-temperature conditions. It is possible that for that reason H. punctatissima has been found in hospitals in England and Connecticut and Wisconsin (USA) sometimes forming large colonies (Gray et al 1995 The reasons for the ecological success of H. punctatissima, at first approximation astonishing for an elusive species, should be found in its ability to take advantage of places with organic matter in decomposition, such as compost heaps (Whitehead 1994), media for earthworm cultures (Stradling 1965), horse dung (Timmins & Stradling 1993), horse stables (Forel 1874in Kutter 1977, and chicken dung (see record above). It appears that the species follows human settlements since at least the end of the Roman period in cold Europe, as indicated by archeological data provided by Collingwood (1979in Timmins & Stradling 1993) and discussed by other authors (Whitehead 1994, Seifert 1996.…”

“…The list of countries from where H. punctatissima has been reported is almost certainly incomplete, as the species is cryptic or locally rare (Bernard 1968, Kutter 1977, Timmins & Stradling 1993) and hence difficult to collect. Compounding the problem, H. punctatissima is frequently identified only by its alate females caught during their dispersion phase, before or after mating (Kutter 1977, Collingwood 1985, Gray et al 1995, being the males ergatogyne (Kütter 1977, Hölldobler & Wilson 1990. The rareness of this tramp ant at local levels is certainly an artifact due to its elusive habits.…”