Open AccessRecent range expansion of the A rgentine ant in J apan
Author(s) -
Inoue Maki N.,
Sunamura Eiriki,
Suhr Elissa L.,
Ito Fuminori,
Tatsuki Sadahiro,
Goka Koichi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
diversity and distributions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.918
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1472-4642
pISSN - 1366-9516
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2012.00934.x
Subject(s) - linepithema , argentine ant , haplotype , range (aeronautics) , biology , population , evolutionary biology , invasive species , botany , demography , genetics , gene , allele , materials science , sociology , composite material
Aim The Argentine ant, L inepithema humile , has been spreading via human activities from its native range in S outh A merica across much of the globe for more than a century. This invasive ant was first detected in J apan in 1993. Its successful world‐wide expansion is attributed to a social structure, namely supercoloniality, whereby individuals from separate nests cooperate. Here, we examined the genetic structure of L . humile populations to understand its invasion history. Location Japan. Methods We analysed mitochondrial DNA of L inepithema humile workers from native and other introduced populations and then integrated previously registered sequences. Results Sequencing revealed six haplotypes distributed across its introduced ranges, of which five were present in J apan. The first haplotype was shared by the dominant J apanese, E uropean, N orth A merican, A ustralian and N ew Z ealand supercolonies; the second by the Kobe C supercolony and a F lorida population; and the third by the Kobe B and secondary C alifornian supercolonies and N orth C arolina colonies. The remaining three haplotypes were each restricted to the Kobe A , Tokyo and Catalonian supercolonies, respectively. Each of the five mutually antagonistic supercolonies was fixed for one of the five haplotypes, and multiple supercolonies were found within a small area. Main conclusions The large number of haplotypes found in J apan likely reflects the strong propagule pressure of L . humile resulting from the fact that the country is one of the top five importers of trade commodities world‐wide. The short invasion history of L . humile in J apan could explain the maintenance of genetic diversity of each independent introduction. In addition, our sampling mostly occurred at major international shipping ports that are likely to be primary sites of introduction. The several recently established L . humile populations within a small area in Japan provide an opportunity to identify the sources of introduction and the local patterns of spread.