2006/10/10 by Joshua R. King, Wälter R. Tschinkel · 3 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant and animal studies #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Fire ant #Habitat #ANT #Ecology #Red imported fire ant #Biology #Introduced species #Invasive species #Formicoidea #Hymenoptera #Zoology #Aculeata
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01161.x
openalex publication_date 2006/10/10 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
1. The fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is a globally distributed invasive ant that is largely restricted to disturbed habitats in its introduced range. For more than half a century, biologists have believed its success results from superior competitive abilities relative to native ant species, as well as an escape from their natural enemies. 2. We used large volumes of hot water to kill fire ant colonies, and only fire ant colonies, on experimental plots in pastures, and found that populations and diversity of co-occurring ants did not subsequently increase. 3. These results are contrary to classical predictions and indicate that S. invicta is not a superior competitor that suppresses native ants, and that the low diversity and abundance of native ants in degraded ecosystems does not result from interaction with fire ants. Instead, other factors such as prior disturbance and recruitment limitation may be the primary limiting factors for native species in these habitats.