**Description and Distribution**:
– Linepithema humile is a small-bodied ant species, ranging from dull light to dark brown in color.
– Argentine ant colonies in the invasion zone are large, with numerous workers and multiple queens.
– They are opportunistic in nesting preferences, occupying various locations like cracks in walls and beneath stones.
– Sensitivity to water infiltration leads colonies to move when nests become flooded.
– The species was first identified in Buenos Aires in 1866 and later transferred to the genus Linepithema in the early 1990s.
– Native to riparian habitats in South America, Argentine ants thrive in Mediterranean climates and have spread globally through human transport.
– Established on every continent except Antarctica, they can also be found in many oceanic islands.
**Behavior and Reproduction**:
– Argentine ants form supercolonies due to genetic uniformity, leading to conflicts and constant battles between supercolonies.
– Native populations are genetically diverse and territorial, co-existing with other ant species at lower population densities.
– Workers cannot lay reproductive eggs but can direct eggs into reproductive females.
– Colonies boast many reproductive queens, with up to eight per 1,000 workers.
– Seasonal trends show a decrease in workers during winter, with colony expansion and contraction based on soil moisture and temperature conditions.
– In the native habitat, colonies are regulated by interspecific and intraspecific rivals.
**Impact and Pest Control**:
– Ranked among the world’s 100 worst invasive animal species, Argentine ants displace native ants and threaten invertebrates and small vertebrates.
– They imperil native plants, lizards, and disrupt ecosystems by displacing native species, significantly impacting local biodiversity and ecosystem balance.
– Pest control methods include diatomaceous earth, borate-sucrose water baits, and protein-based baits effective during colony growth phases.
– Slow-acting poison baits are carried back to the nest for colony eradication, while innovative methods disrupt ant trails with synthetic pheromones.
– Household and commercial pest control face challenges due to multiple queens in colonies and nesting behaviors, necessitating strategic baiting and trail disruption.
**Global Mega-Colony and Research Studies**:
– Argentine ant colonies form a single global supercolony without aggression within their kind, maintained by human travel.
– Genetic, behavioral, and chemical analyses confirm the existence of global supercolonies spanning continents.
– Research and studies focus on the worldwide spread, taxonomy, behavior, and ecological impacts of Argentine ants.
– Investigations delve into the evolutionary consequences of biological invasions, ant invasions’ causes and consequences, and the potential distribution and impact of Argentine ants.
– Specific studies include genetic structure, behavior, and invasion history in Australia, exploitative strategies in Spanish pine forests, and impacts on arthropod fauna in Hawaiian shrublands.
**Floral Visitation and Toxicity Studies**:
– Argentine ants disrupt floral visitation patterns, impacting native Hawaiian plants and other arthropods through aphid interactions.
– Toxicity and repellency studies focus on borate-sucrose water baits, behavior-disrupting agents, and chemical control methods for Argentine ants.
– Research examines the impact of invasive Argentine ants on floral visitation, foraging activity, and dietary spectrum in natural settings.
– Studies explore the control of Argentine ants through chemical means, decreasing their competitive ability through disruption and reducing their impact on plant pollination.
– External links provide additional resources on Argentine ants, including identification guides, pest management information, and reports on invasive species.
The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, formerly Iridomyrmex humilis) is an ant native to northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. This invasive species was inadvertently introduced by humans on a global scale and has become established in many Mediterranean climate areas, including South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, Easter Island, Australia, the Azores, Europe, Hawaii, and the continental United States. Argentine ants are significant pests within agricultural and urban settings, and are documented to cause substantial harm to communities of native arthropods, vertebrates, and plants within their invaded range.
| Argentine ant | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Linepithema |
| Species: | L. humile
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| Binomial name | |
| Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868)
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