By Sherry Seethaler . Now imagine that ant hill extended across six continents, and you've begun to grasp the magnitude of the territory reigned over by the supercolony of Argentine ants. Argentine ants attack a harvester ant. Argentine ants are uniformly light brown in colouration. Recent research in New Zealand indicates that Argentine ants affect litter decomposition by removing invertebrates and microbes that break down leaf litter. Their trails can often be found along smooth surfaces, and in the urban environment they are commonly found by pulling back the grass at the edge of the footpath. The water will flush the ants out and then they can be incinerated with the torch. ... in 2004 scientists began to map out the boundaries of the different supercolonies that clashed in San Diego. Due to the large number of queens, eliminating a single queen does not stop the colony's ability to breed.A non-toxic way to eradicate these ants is by dusting the trails, feeding sites and nest entrances with Another non-toxic way to eradicate ants for small backyards is to use a butane torch (the kind used for plumbing) and a hose with running water. (2014) offers the following comments on the definition of a supercolony: There has been much debate as to the definition of ‘supercolony’ (Gordon & Heller, 2012; Lester & Gruber, 2012; Moffett, 2012a,b; Pedersen, 2012; Suarez & Suhr, 2012); here, we use the term in its conventional sense for a large network of functionally integrated polygynous (multiple queen) nests (Helanterä, 2009). Argentine ants have spread across a roughly 2,500 miles of Western Europe, including parts of Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal. 1).Approximately 5,000 workers were collected from one nest of each population and kept in 750-ml glass jars filled to one-third with original nest material; these ants were fed with a standard diet (). Their terrain covers more than 600 miles of coastal California alone; in the southern part of the state, the ant’s takeover…
By Deborah Sullivan Brennan. This supercolony is 60 miles across and home to millions of ants. In their introduced range, their genetic makeup is so uniform that individuals from one nest can mingle in a neighboring nest without being attacked. They have been extraordinarily successful, in part, because different nests of the introduced Argentine ants seldom attack or compete with each other, unlike most other species of ant. Another supercolony is also situated in Melbourne, Australia. (Fig.1). Fighting between colonies is the usual mechanism by which ant numbers are naturally kept in balance.Argentine ant workers move steadily in defined continuous trails and tend to walk over objects placed on trails.
This occurs because the queens stay in their natal colony, so all their progeny add to the colony's population. Scientists believe the colony Europe and North America aren’t the only continents dealing with Argentine ants. The Argentine Ant has colonized the whole world on and built giant supercolony cities that sometimes go to war with each other. This has to do with The ants are ranked among the world's 100 worst animal invaders.Argentine ants are a common household pest, often entering structures in search of food or water (particularly during dry or hot weather), or to escape flooded nests during periods of heavy rainfall. Discover more about the largest ant colonies in the world.Think ants are cool, but don't want them in your house or biting your kids in the yard? Imagine the ant hill in your backyard. Argentine ants are 2–3 mm in length. In terms of their impacts on biodiversity, the primary effect of Argentine ants is the displacement of native ant species. Foragers collect honeydew from scale insects and aphids and collect nectar from flowers. Argentine ants form exceptionally massive colonies—supercolonies. What many people don’t realize is that one other creature has quietly followed along and done the same thing right under our feet. In New Zealand, Argentine ants have been predominantly sampled in urban areas and on the margins of native habitats so their potential impact on native systems remains unknown, although forest habitat appears unlikely to be utilised. Most ants can be found under stepping stones and rocks. However, humans have unintentionally introduced this invasive species on every continent except Antarctica, and the ants have made themselves right at home. 2007)—each colony can expand its territory as far as environmental conditions allow. While tiny, ants have created some massive colonies.

Here are 14 of the best facts about Argentine Ants Australia and Argentine Ant Supercolony Map I managed to collect.

Worker production increases steadily from mid-March to October, after which their numbers are not replenished; thus, their numbers drop steadily over the winter months.Colonies in the Argentine ant's native habitat are kept within a range of ten to one hundred meters by colonies of interspecific and intraspecific rivals. These introduced Argentine ants are renowned for forming large colonies, and for becoming a significant pest, attacking native animals and crops. As the colonies expand, they appear to form fluctuating territory borders, which contract and expand on a seasonal and conditional basis. Get a pest control quote from our sponsor, Bulwark Exterminating. All ants form colonies consisting of one or more egg-laying females (queens or gynes), a large number of sterile females (workers) and, in mature colonies and during certain times of the year, winged sexual females and males. some native species may resist invasion in colder climates). General identification.