Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 106, Taiwan.
J Econ Entomol. 2023 Apr 24;116(2):520-528. doi: 10.1093/jee/toad010.
The longlegged ant Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith) is a highly invasive tramp ant species known for its deleterious effects on native ecosystems. While tramp ants are associated with human activity, information on how different intensities of human activity affect their distribution is limited. This study investigated how anthropogenic activities affected the distribution of A. gracilipes in Penang, a tropical island in northern peninsular Malaysia. Three study sites (Youth Park, Sungai Ara, and Bukit Jambul/Relau) were selected, containing four sub-locations corresponding to different levels of human activity (low, moderate, high, and very high), determined by the average number of passersby observed over 30 min. Baited index cards were placed at each sub-location to evaluate ant abundance and distribution. The results demonstrated that A. gracilipes worker abundance was highest in areas of moderate human activity, as opposed to areas with low and higher human activity. The low abundance of A. gracilipes in comparatively undisturbed localities may be attributed to unsuitable microclimate, lack of propagule pressure, and diminished honeydew availability. In contrast, its exclusion from more urbanized localities could be explained by high interspecific competition with other tramp species and the absence of preferred nesting sites.
长腿蚁 Anoplolepis gracilipes（Smith）是一种高度入侵性的流浪蚁物种，以对本地生态系统造成的有害影响而闻名。虽然流浪蚁与人类活动有关，但关于不同强度的人类活动如何影响它们的分布的信息有限。本研究调查了人为活动如何影响马来西亚半岛北部热带岛屿槟城的 A. gracilipes 分布。选择了三个研究地点（青年公园、双溪阿拉和武吉占姆布尔/瑞劳），包含四个对应于不同人类活动水平（低、中、高和非常高）的子地点，通过观察 30 分钟内的平均过路人数量来确定。在每个子地点放置诱饵索引卡以评估蚂蚁的丰度和分布。结果表明，在人类活动适度的地区，A. gracilipes 工蚁的丰度最高，而在人类活动较低和较高的地区则较低。在相对未受干扰的地区，A. gracilipes 的丰度较低可能归因于不适宜的小气候、繁殖体压力不足和蜜露供应减少。相比之下，它被排除在更城市化的地区之外，可以解释为与其他流浪物种的高度种间竞争以及缺乏首选筑巢地点。
