Myrmecol. News 36: 137-143
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_036:137
- Open Access: CC BY 4.0
- Year: 2026
- Title: Changes in the aggressiveness of invasive red imported fre ants towards native ants: perspectives based on diferent latitudes and invasion status
- Journal: Myrmecological News
- Volume: 36
- Pages: 137-143
- Type of contribution: Original Article
- Supplementary material: No
- Abstract: How invasive species recognize novel competitors during range expansion remains poorly understood. We investigated this in the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta, RIFA) during its northward spread in China. We assessed interspecific aggression toward three native ants using two geographic contexts: sampling native ants from different latitudes (testing Tetramorium bicarinatum and Polyrhachis dives) and comparing populations between species that occurred both within and outside their invaded range (testing Pheidole nodus and Polyrhachis dives). Results suggest aggression can be modulated by competitor identity, origin, and coexistence history. Aggression toward ground-dwelling T. bicarinatum decreased with increasing latitude, suggesting a “recognition lag” at the invasion front. Conversely, aggression toward arboreal Polyrhachis dives was higher in the non-invaded frontier than in the invaded core, indicating that RIFA actively identifies novel threats but develops “neighborly tolerance” following coexistence. Furthermore, higher aggression toward ground-dwelling species (e.g., Pheidole nodus) confirmed that niche overlap may dictate competitive recognition. These findings highlight RIFA’s behavioral plasticity; the transition from proactive threat assessment to tolerance likely facilitates successful colonization and the asymmetric restructuring of native communities.
- Key words: Solenopsis invicta, interspecifc competition, latitudinal gradient, behavioral plasticity, invasion ecology, Hymenoptera, Formicidae
- Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
- ISSN: 1997-3500
Myrmecol. News 36: 137-143, Supplement
- Open Access: CC BY 4.0
- Year: 2026
- Journal: Myrmecological News
- Volume: 36
- Pages: 137-143
- Type of contribution: Supplement
- Supplementary material: Yes
- Key words: Solenopsis invicta, interspecifc competition, latitudinal gradient, behavioral plasticity, invasion ecology, Hymenoptera, Formicidae
- Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
- ISSN: 1997-3500
Myrmecol. News 36: 137-143, Data S1
- Open Access: CC BY 4.0
- Year: 2026
- Journal: Myrmecological News
- Volume: 36
- Pages: 137-143
- Type of contribution: Supplement
- Supplementary material: Yes
- Key words: Solenopsis invicta, interspecifc competition, latitudinal gradient, behavioral plasticity, invasion ecology, Hymenoptera, Formicidae
- Publisher: The Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics
- ISSN: 1997-3500