Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan

Lee, Ching-Chen; Weng, Yi-Ming; Lai, Li-Chuan; Suarez, Andrew V.; Wu, Wen-Jer; Lin, Chung-Chi; Yang, Chin-Cheng Scotty

doi:10.3390/insects11060356

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Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan

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²,

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^4,5,6,

^7,†

^8,† and

Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang

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Center for Ecology and Environment, Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan

Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Department of Ecological Humanities, Providence University, Taichung 43301, Taiwan

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Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

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Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

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Beckman Institute for Science and Technology, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

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Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan

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Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 50007, Taiwan

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Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan

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Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA

¹¹

Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402204, Taiwan

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^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Insects 2020, 11(6), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060356

Received: 22 April 2020 / Revised: 1 June 2020 / Accepted: 4 June 2020 / Published: 8 June 2020

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Abstract

We uncovered taxonomic diversity, country of origin and commodity type of intercepted ants at Taiwanese borders based on an 8 year database of 439 interception records. We found intercepted ants arrived predominantly via timber, a pattern likely reflecting the high domestic demand for foreign timber in Taiwan. The most frequently intercepted species were either arboreal or wood-dwelling ants, raising a concern of these ants constituting a next wave of ant invasion in Taiwan. Further analyses indicate that the taxonomic composition of intercepted ants does not match that of established non-native ant species, suggesting that interception data alone fails to provide adequate power to predict the establishment success of ants. Yet, interception frequency and selected life-history traits (i.e., flexible colony founding mode and general nesting habits) were shown to jointly serve as a practical predictor of the establishment risk of non-native ants. Consistent with other border interception databases, secondary introduction (i.e., species arriving from their introduced ranges instead of their native ranges) also represents a major pathway for transport of invasive ants into Taiwan, suggesting its role in shaping the global invasion of ants. Our findings offer baseline information for constructing a prediction framework for future ant invasions and assist in the decision-making process of quarantine authorities in Taiwan. View Full-Text

Keywords: commodity; exotic ant; introduction pathway; life-history trait; propagule pressure; risk assessment; secondary introductions

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lee, C.-C.; Weng, Y.-M.; Lai, L.-C.; Suarez, A.V.; Wu, W.-J.; Lin, C.-C.; Yang, C.-C.S. Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan. Insects 2020, 11, 356. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060356

AMA Style

Lee C-C, Weng Y-M, Lai L-C, Suarez AV, Wu W-J, Lin C-C, Yang C-CS. Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan. Insects. 2020; 11(6):356. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060356

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lee, Ching-Chen, Yi-Ming Weng, Li-Chuan Lai, Andrew V. Suarez, Wen-Jer Wu, Chung-Chi Lin, and Chin-Cheng S. Yang. 2020. "Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan" Insects 11, no. 6: 356. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060356

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Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan

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