Bacterial transfer from Pristionchus entomophagus nematodes to the invasive ant Myrmica rubra and the potential for colony mortality in coastal Maine

AbstractPitfall trapping revealed that the European fire ant,Myrmica rubra(Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), represents an unusual example of a temperate invasive ant species. In British Columbia, Canada,M. rubrapopulations are associated with a decreased incidence and abundance of other ant species in three different plant communities when compared withM. rubra-free control areas.M. rubrarepresented more than 99.99% of the total ant fauna caught in the infested areas, and the numbers ofM. rubracaptured in the plant communities ranged from over 10 times to over 1300 times the total number of all ants collected in correspondingM. rubra-free areas. Total numbers of some taxa of insects and non-insect arthropods, including those likely to be competitors or prey ofM. rubra, were reduced where the invasive species was present. Biodiversity indexes for the overall suite of captured arthropod species were lower whereM. rubrawas present in all three plant communities but most of this decrease can be attributed to the difference in the ant fauna.

Download Full-text

Assessment of Pathogenic Bacteria Transfer from Pristionchus Entomophagus (Nematoda: Diplogasteridae) to the Invasive Ant Myrmica Rubra and Its Potential Role in Colony Mortality in Coastal Maine

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3784897 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Suzanne Lynn Ishaq ◽

Alice Hotopp ◽

Samantha Silverbrand ◽

Jonathan E. Dumont ◽

Amy Michaud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Potential Role ◽

Myrmica Rubra ◽

Invasive Ant

Download Full-text

Intercolony Aggression Within and Among Local Populations of the Invasive Ant, Myrmica rubra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Coastal Maine

Environmental Entomology ◽

10.1603/0046-225x(2007)36[105:iawaal]2.0.co;2 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 105-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Jeffrey R. Garnas ◽

Francis A. Drummond ◽

Eleanor Groden

Keyword(s):

Myrmica Rubra ◽

Invasive Ant ◽

Local Populations ◽

Intercolony Aggression

Download Full-text

Distribution of an Invasive Ant, Myrmica rubra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Maine

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1603/0022-0493-98.6.1774 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 98 (6) ◽

pp. 1774-1784 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Eleanor Groden ◽

Francis A. Drummond ◽

Jeffrey Garnas ◽

André Franceour

Keyword(s):

Myrmica Rubra ◽

Invasive Ant

Download Full-text

Distribution of an Invasive Ant, Myrmica rubra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Maine

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1093/jee/98.6.1774 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 98 (6) ◽

pp. 1774-1784 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Eleanor Groden ◽

Francis A. Drummond ◽

Jeffrey Garnas ◽

André Franceour

Keyword(s):

Myrmica Rubra ◽

Invasive Ant

Download Full-text

The Distribution and Habitat Affinities of the Invasive Ant Myrmica rubra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Southern New England

Environmental Entomology ◽

10.1093/ee/nvy042 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 527-534 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Wen Chen ◽

Eldridge S Adams

Keyword(s):

New England ◽

Myrmica Rubra ◽

Invasive Ant ◽

Southern New England ◽

Habitat Affinities

Download Full-text

Influence of the Number of Queens on Nest Establishment: Native and Invasive Ant Species

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11030591 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 591

Author(s):

Irene Castañeda ◽

Elsa Bonnaud ◽

Franck Courchamp ◽

Gloria Luque

Keyword(s):

Species Differences ◽

Argentine Ants ◽

Invasive Ant ◽

Internal Factors ◽

Ant Colonies ◽

Worker Behavior ◽

Key Factor ◽

Nest Maintenance ◽

Set Up ◽

Tapinoma Nigerrimum

As a critical stage in the life cycle of ant colonies, nest establishment depends on external and internal factors. This study investigates the effect of the number of queens on queen and worker behavior during nest establishment in invasive Argentine ants (Linepitema humile) and native Mediterranean Tapinoma nigerrimum. We set up experimental colonies with the same number of workers but with one or six queens. At different time points, we recorded the positions of queens and workers inside and outside the nest. Our results highlight the influence of the number of queens on the position of queens and workers with between-species differences. Queens of both species entered the nests more quickly when there were six queens. During nest establishment, more workers were inside nests with six queens for both species, with this effect being greater for T. nigerrimum. Once nests were established, fewer workers of both species were engaged in nest maintenance and feeding in nests with six queens; T. nigerrimum had fewer workers engaged in patrolling. These results suggest that the number of queens is a key factor driving queen and worker behavior during and after nest establishment with different species responses.

Download Full-text