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 The Argentine ant invaded from tropical
northern Argentina around the Parana River, and now it is distributed
globally in urban, natural, and agricultural habitats with mild winters. Its low intraspecific aggression allows
these ants to form large colonies.
When they occur on plants they protect pest insects that produce
honeydew, which then serves as a prized food source. The first record of this ant in California
is from 1907, after which is spread around the state. Although it does not sting or harm humans,
instead, it is most annoying in dwellings where large numbers gather around
unprotected food. Outdoors large
colonies may be found underneath stones and potted plants. When the ants protect harmful insects for
their honeydew, natural enemy activity is curtailed, which then can lead to
economic losses in commercial orchards.
There have been no
specific natural enemies of the Argentine ant found., which leaves only
chemical and cultural methods to deploy.
Poison baits that are developed for the fire ant in the southeastern
United States are effective in holding numbers down if the baits are
distributed monthly around the base of dwellings.
Following the onset of an extended
drought in 2014, Argentine ants have increased their population density
inside houses of some urban areas of inland southern California. Correspondingly, a noticeable decrease in
termite activity was then observed.
It may be possible that as the ants search for food in homes they may
also be harassing termites in their colonies or even feeding on various
termite developmental stages.
Therefore, biological control studies with the Argentine ant may yield
information for termite control.
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Abril,
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Foraging activity and dietary spectrum of the Argentine ant
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Abril, Silvia, Jordi Oliveras & Crisanto Gómez.
2010. Effect of Temperature on the Development and Survival
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Tsutsui,
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ant (Linepithema humile) and the
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Wild,
Alexander L. 2004. Taxonomy and distribution of the Argentine
ant, Linepithema humile
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Annals of
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