Original paper
A native ant as an effective competitor against invasive fire ants in China
Zhong, Jiamei; Fox, Eduardo G.P.; Ling, Siquan; Xu, Jinzhu; Yan, Zheng; Hong, Ziqiong; Qin, Changsheng; Xia, Bin; Qiu, Hualong
Entomologia Generalis Volume 45 Number 4 (2025), p. 1037 - 1045
published: Oct 20, 2025
published online: Jul 14, 2025
manuscript accepted: May 29, 2025
final revised version received: Apr 22, 2025
manuscript revision requested: Feb 18, 2025
manuscript received: Jan 16, 2025
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
Invasive species are a challenge of modern global economy, which can be avoided by means of native ecological resilience and competitors. The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta (RIFA) is a top damaging invasive pest in China, contained by quarantine in plant nurseries and entry ports. The present manuscript tested some ant species observed to thrive in sites invaded by S. invicta in China, namely Camponotus pseudoirritans, Pheidole noda, and Tetramorium smithi. Intraspecific confrontation trials suggested that the social structure of T. smithi is more prominently polydomic and polyginic than the other species, even RIFA. Interspecific confrontation trials showed that T. smithi was the most aggressive towards RIFA, killing fire ants of different castes in short time (e.g. one T. smithi killed seven RIFA within minutes). Field monitoring of colony numbers indicated T. smithi is also able of quicker population dispersal than RIFA. Surface chemical analyses of RIFA killed by T. smithi detected fast-acting venom alkaloids. Taken together these findings elaborate a set of traits enabling a resident ant to effectively resist territory usurpation by RIFA – a combination of behavioural, social and biochemical adaptations. We suggest that T. smithi is a promising biocontrol agent against RIFA in China.
Keywords
Formicidae •
interspecific aggression •
biochemical defense •
ant community dynamics •
novel weapons hypothesis •
biological control •
Solenopsis invicta