Undesirable dispersal via a river pathway of a single Argentine ant supercolony newly invading an inland urban area of Japan

Abstract

Invasive ants pose a risk to human well-being and social/ecosystem stability. Linepithema humile Mayr is among the most damaging invasive ants worldwide. Most L. humile populations invade ports/wharfs isolated from surrounding landscapes, but unfortunately, a new population was discovered in an inland urban area (Nara Prefecture) of Japan in 2021. In this study, first, the supercolony type of the Nara L. humile population was identified via a hostility test, and then its distribution pattern was characterized. In aggression tests between L. humile from Nara and four supercolonies (haplotypes LH1, LH2, LH3, LH4), this ant showed extremely strong hostility against all supercolonies exept LH2, which was detected only in Japan in its introduced range. In Nara, L. humile was abundant in and around the urban river. Simulations revealed that using this environment for movement/dispersal increased the annual dispersal ability by 14 times compared with that achieved via ground (125 m), as mentioned in the literature. Therefore, river channels can serve as major pathways of long-distance dispersal for L. humile invading inland urban areas. Since applying chemical strategies around rivers is problematic, preventing L. humile from moving to rivers from initial invasion sites is crucial.