Isolation and Local Adaptation Disrupt Argentine Ant Supercolony Homogeneity in Europe
A new study of Argentine ant populations across Spain and Greece reveals that geographic isolation is causing the previously unified European supercolony to fragment into competing groups with distinct genetic and chemical profiles. Researchers found that most colonies belong to the main European supercolony, but discovered an unregistered supercolony in Crete that is genetically distinct and hostile to neighboring colonies. The findings suggest that local adaptation and ongoing introductions may be breaking down the invasive species' characteristic lack of aggression between colonies, potentially reshaping how the ant empire functions across Europe.
Researchers studying Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) populations across Spain and Greece found evidence that geographic isolation is driving evolutionary divergence within what was thought to be a unified European supercolony. The team compared mainland and island populations using morphological analysis, behavioral aggression tests, chemical profiling, and genetic sequencing. While most sampled colonies belonged to the main European supercolony, they identified a previously unregistered supercolony in Heraklion, Crete, with distinct chemical and genetic profiles that showed hostile aggression toward other Greek colonies. Notably, the chemical profile of the main supercolony's Cretan population resembled Galician (Spanish) colonies more closely than Greek mainland colonies, suggesting Argentina ants may have reached Greece via Crete rather than directly to the mainland. The findings indicate that local adaptations can trigger competitive behavior between colonies, challenging the assumption that the Argentine ant's invasiveness depends solely on the absence of inter-colony aggression.
What's missing
The study does not discuss potential ecological or economic implications of supercolony fragmentation for European ecosystems or agriculture, nor does it address management strategies that might exploit reduced inter-colony cooperation.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Isolation and introductions disrupt the homogeneity of Argentine ants in Europe.
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