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Published on: October 12, 2018
Introduced fire ants can exclude native ants from critical mutualist-provided resources
Shawn M Wilder1, Thomas R Barnum, David A Holway
1Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. wilder.shawn@gmail.com
Oecologia
|October 12, 2012
Summary
Introduced fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) outcompete native ants for aphid honeydew, a vital carbohydrate resource. This competition negatively impacts native ant colony growth, highlighting nutrition
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Resource imbalances are common for animals in nature.
- High-carbohydrate honeydew from hemipteran mutualists is a valuable resource for both native and introduced ant species.
- Native dolichoderine ants (Formicidae, Dolichoderinae) are abundant omnivores that rely on mutualist-provided carbohydrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate competition between red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) and native ants for aphid mutualisms.
- To quantify the impact of aphid honeydew availability on the colony growth of native ants.
Main Methods:
- Field observations and experiments at two southeastern US sites.
- Assessing ant frequency at carbohydrate baits and in pitfall traps.
- Laboratory experiments on native dolichoderine ant colony growth with varying diets (honeydew and insect prey).
Main Results:
- Native dolichoderine ants were less frequent, and fire ants more frequent, at carbohydrate baits.
- A native ant species, Dorymyrmex bureni, was only observed tending aphids when fire ant populations were suppressed.
- Native ant colonies with access to honeydew exhibited doubled worker numbers and brood production compared to those without.
Conclusions:
- Introduced ants compete with native ants for essential carbohydrate resources like honeydew.
- Honeydew is a critical resource for the colony growth of both native and introduced ants.
- These findings challenge existing nutritional paradigms and emphasize nutrition's role in ecological interactions.
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