Longhorn crazy ant

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Paratrechina longicornis
Paratrechina longicornis casent0134863 profile 1.jpg
Paratrechina longicornis worker
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Genus: Paratrechina
Species:
P. longicornis
Binomial name
Paratrechina longicornis
(Latreille, 1802)
Synonyms [1]
  • Prenolepis longicornis Roger (1863)
  • Prenolepis (Nylanderia) longicornis Emery (1910)
  • Formica longicornis Latreille (1802)
  • Formica vagans Jerdon (1851)
  • Formica gracilescens Nylander (1856)
  • Tapinoma gracilescens F. Smith (1858)
  • Paratrechina currens Motschoulsky (1863)
  • Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (1925)

The longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis), also known as the black crazy ant, is a species of small, dark-coloured insect in the family Formicidae. These ants are commonly called "crazy ants" because instead of following straight lines, they dash around erratically. They have a broad distribution, including much of the tropics and subtropics, and are also found in buildings in more temperate regions, making them one of the most widespread ant species in the world. This species, as well as all others in the ant subfamily Formicinae, cannot sting. However, this species can fire/shoot a formic acid spray from its abdomen when under attack by other insects or attacking other insects. When the longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) bends its abdomen while aiming at an enemy insect, it is typically shooting its hard-to-see acid.

Contents

These ants can be touched safely, similar to the ghost ants.

Description

The worker longhorn crazy ant is about 2.3 to 3.0 mm (0.09 to 0.12 in) long with a brownish-black head, thorax, petiole, and gaster, often with a faint blue iridescence. The body has a few short, whitish bristles and the antennae and limbs are pale brown. Distinguishing this ant from other members of its genus, Paratrechina , is easy because its antennae and legs are so long. The first segment of each antenna is more than twice as long as the length between its base and the back edge of the head. The eyes are elliptical and set far back on the head. It has no sting, but the ant can bite and then curve its abdomen forwards and secrete formic acid onto its prey. [2] They are too feeble to harm humans. A characteristic of this ant is the way that the workers move around jerkily in apparently random directions, whence their common name. [1]

Distribution and habitat

The genus Paratrechina probably originated in the tropics of Africa. [3] It has spread to temperate regions around the world, and due to human interference, is now present in North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. It is a tropical species, but because of its ability to live in disturbed and artificial habitats, inside buildings, and in urban areas, it has been able to spread northwards to Estonia and Sweden and southwards to New Zealand. In the United States, it is present outdoors in much of the southeast of the country and also indoors in buildings and warehouses in California, Arizona, and the eastern seaboard. [1] In tropical and subtropical areas, as well as being found in buildings, it is found in gardens, coastal scrub, lowland rainforest, dry forest, and savannah shrubland, and by the roadside at elevations of up to 1,765 m (5,791 ft), but at an average elevation of 175 m (574 ft). [4] It is considered a pest, both agricultural and domestic, in most parts of the tropics and subtropics, and an indoor pest in temperate areas. It is said to be the most widespread species of ant in the world, although the pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis) is another challenger for this position. [1]

Behaviour and ecology

Colonies of longhorn crazy ants make their nests in a wide range of either dry or damp sites. These include inside hollow trees, under loose bark, in rotten wood, under logs or stones, among rubbish, and under undisturbed debris inside buildings. They thrive in convenience stores, gas stations, apartment blocks, schools, and cafés. The workers emerge to forage and the location of the nest can be identified by watching ants carrying food back to the colony. The ants are omnivorous and feed on seeds, dead invertebrates, honeydew, plant secretions, fruit, and a range of household scraps. Large food items may be moved by several ants working together. They consume honeydew predominantly in spring and autumn, and may tend aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects so as to maximise the secretions they produce. During the summer, they preferentially seek a high-protein diet. In buildings, they collect crumbs and the insect corpses found under lights. [1]

The longhorn crazy ant is able to invade new habitats and outcompete other species of ants. In 1991, in the large closed dome of the research station Biosphere 2 in the Arizona Desert, no particular ant species was dominant. By 1996, the longhorn crazy ant had virtually replaced all the other ant species. It fed almost exclusively on the honeydew secreted by the large numbers of scale insects and mealybugs present, and other invertebrates were greatly diminished. The ones that remained were either well armoured, such as millipedes and woodlice, or were tiny and lived underground, such as springtails and mites. [5]

The inquiline wingless ant cricket ( Myrmecophilus americanus ) is often found living in the nest of the longhorn crazy ant and is kleptoparasitic on it, stealing food scraps brought back by the workers and encouraging them to regurgitate food. [6] It may be assisted in this symbiosis by mimicry, as it resembles the gaster of the queen in both size and shape. [6] Some poorly-known species of fungi have been found in association with crazy ants in South America. [7]

Life cycle

In tropical regions, male and female sexual forms may appear outside colonies at any time of year, but in Florida, they appear between May and September. On a warm damp evening, many males may emerge from the nest and mill about on the ground. Meanwhile, the workers congregate on nearby vegetation, and periodically, a wingless female comes out of the nest, although mating is difficult to observe in the constantly moving mass of ants. Although the males can fly, nuptial flights do not take place. [1] On other occasions, massive numbers of workers sometimes emerge from colonies and carpet the ground. Large areas may be covered by a sheet of workers, many of them carrying brood, with many wingless females scattered among them. The reasons for these gatherings is unclear. [4]

Longhorn crazy ants are able to mate with their siblings without showing any of the normal negative effects of inbreeding. Although the queen produces workers through normal sexual means, her daughter queens are her genetic clones and her sons are the genetic clones of her mate. The male and female gene pools thus remain completely separate (assuming workers never reproduce), and this has allowed the longhorn crazy ant to become one of the most widespread invasive species in the tropics. The process, known as double cloning, was discovered by evolutionary biologist Morgan Pearcy of the Université libre de Bruxelles. [8]

The species apparently undergoes three larval moults, and their larvae are hairy and present unique morphology; male larvae can be easily distinguished from larvae destined to become workers because of longer and more abundant pilosity. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant</span> Family of insects

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow crazy ant</span> Species of ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes)

The yellow crazy ant, also known as the long-legged ant or Maldive ant, is a species of ant, thought to be native to West Africa or Asia. They have been accidentally introduced to numerous places in the world's tropics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honeypot ant</span> Ants that store food in living workers

Honeypot ants, also called honey ants, are ants which have specialized workers that consume large amounts of food to the point that their abdomens swell enormously. Other ants then extract nourishment from them, through the process of trophallaxis. They function as living larders. Honeypot ants belong to any of several genera, including Myrmecocystus and Camponotus. They were first documented in 1881 by Henry C. McCook, and described further in 1908 by William Morton Wheeler.

<i>Paratrechina</i> Genus of ants

Paratrechina is one of seven ant genera in the Prenolepis genus-group from the subfamily Formicinae. Six species are included in Paratrechina; one of which, the longhorn crazy ant, is a widespread, pantropical pest.

<i>Cardiocondyla</i> Genus of ants

Cardiocondyla is an Old World genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trophobiosis</span>

Trophobiosis is a symbiotic association between organisms where food is obtained or provided. The provider of food in the association is referred to as a trophobiont. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek τροφή (trophē), meaning "nourishment", and -βίωσις (-biosis), which is short for the English word symbiosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rasberry crazy ant</span> Species of ant

The tawny crazy ant or Rasberry crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva, is an ant originating in South America. Like the longhorn crazy ant, this species is called "crazy ant" because of its quick, unpredictable movements. It is sometimes called the "Rasberry crazy ant" in Texas after the exterminator Tom Rasberry, who noticed that the ants were increasing in numbers in 2002. Scientists have reorganised the genera taxonomy within this clade of ants, and now it is identified as Nylanderia fulva.

<i>Technomyrmex albipes</i> Species of ant

Technomyrmex albipes, commonly known as the white-footed ant, is a species of ant first described in 1861 from Sulawesi, Indonesia by the British entomologist Frederick Smith. Invasive pest ants in Florida, previously identified as T. albipes, have now been separated as Technomyrmex difficilis, both forming part of a species complex with a worldwide distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-head ant</span> Species of ant

The green-head ant is a species of ant that is endemic to Australia. It was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858 as a member of the genus Rhytidoponera in the subfamily Ectatomminae. These ants measure between 5 and 7 mm. The queens and workers look similar, differing only in size, with the males being the smallest. They are well known for their distinctive metallic appearance, which varies from green to purple or even reddish-violet. Among the most widespread of all insects in Australia, green-head ants are found in almost every Australian state, but are absent in Tasmania. They have also been introduced in New Zealand, where several populations have been established.

<i>Ochetellus glaber</i> Species of ant

Ochetellus glaber is a species of ant native to Australia. A member of the genus Ochetellus in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, it was described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. Aside from Australia, O. glaber has been introduced to a number of countries, including China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States, where it has established itself in Hawaii and Florida. It has been found on Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Réunion, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands. Compared with other ants, O. glaber is a small species, with workers measuring 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in). Males are the smallest at 1.6 mm (0.063 in), while the queens measure 5.2–5.5 mm (0.20–0.22 in). The ant's colour ranges from brown to black.

<i>Solenopsis saevissima</i> Species of ant

Solenopsis saevissima, commonly known in Brazil as formiga de fogo, formiga-vermelha, or formiga-lava-pes, is one of more than 185 species in the genus Solenopsis. It, along with 13 other species, is also a member of the Solenopsis saevissima species group which are popularly known as fire ants.

<i>Crematogaster peringueyi</i> Species of ant

Crematogaster peringueyi is a southern African arboreal species of ant. They are commonly known as the black cocktail ant or swartwipgatmier (Afrikaans) for their colour and habit of arching their abdomens when alarmed.

<i>Ochetellus</i> Genus of ants

Ochetellus is a genus of ants first described by Steve Shattuck in 1992. He placed it in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. The ants in this genus are small and black in colour; workers measure 1.75 to 3 millimetres in length, the males at around 1.6 millimetres (0.06 in) are smaller, and the queens are the largest, reaching 4 millimetres (0.16 in). There are seven described species and three described subspecies that mostly live in Australia in a wide variety of habitats, but some species are found in Asia. One species, Ochetellus glaber, has been introduced into New Zealand and the United States.

<i>Nylanderia</i> Genus of ants

Nylanderia is a large genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution with species inhabiting a wide array of habitats in almost all geographic regions. Nylanderia, currently containing over 110 species, is an ecologically important genus, with some species reported as being invasive. The ants are small to medium in size and range in color from pale yellow to black.

<i>Trichomyrmex destructor</i> Species of ant

Trichomyrmex destructor is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Its common names include destructive trailing ant or Singapore ant. It is a pest species in urban areas, known for causing costly damage to structures, vehicles, and electronic devices with its chewing activity. In 2015, the species was moved from the genus Monomorium to the revised genus Trichomyrmex.

Myrmecophilus americanus is an ant cricket, a wingless cricket that is an obligate parasite of ants and lives in their nests.

<i>Paratrechina zanjensis</i> Species of ant

Paratrechina zanjensis is an African species of ant in the genus Paratrechina. It is one of two species in the genus, the other being the longhorn crazy ant.

This is a glossary of terms used in the descriptions of ants.

Macrodinychus multispinosus is a mite that lives as an ectoparasitoid on the invasive Paratrechina longicornis. These mites complete their development on a single host, sucking all of its body content and therefore killing it. This is the ninth species of Macrodinychus reported as ant parasite, and the third known as parasitoid of invasive ants, confirming a unique habit in the evolution of mite feeding strategies and suggesting that the entire genus might be parasitic on ants.

<i>Plagiolepis alluaudi</i> Species of ant

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nickerson, J. C.; Barbara, Kathryn A. (2009-03-01). "Crazy ant: Paratrechina longicornis". Featured Creatures. University of Florida. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  2. Touchard, Axel; Aili, Samira; Fox, Eduardo; Escoubas, Pierre; Orivel, Jérôme; Nicholson, Graham; Dejean, Alain (2016-01-20). "The Biochemical Toxin Arsenal from Ant Venoms". Toxins. 8 (1): 30. doi: 10.3390/toxins8010030 . ISSN   2072-6651. PMC   4728552 . PMID   26805882.
  3. Blaimer, B.B.; Brady, S.G.; Schultz, T.R.; Lloyd, M.W.; Fisher, B.L.; Ward, P.S. (2015). "Phylogenomic methods outperform traditional multi-locus approaches in resolving deep evolutionary history: a case study of formicine ants". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 15: 271. doi: 10.1186/s12862-015-0552-5 . PMC   4670518 . PMID   26637372.
  4. 1 2 Bolton, Barry (2014). "Species: Paratrechina longicornis". AntWeb. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  5. Wetterer, J. K.; Miller, S. E.; Wheeler, D. E.; Olson, C. A.; Polhemus, D. A.; Pitts, M.; Ashton, I. W.; Himler, A. G.; Yospin, M. M.; Helms, K. R.; Harken, E. L.; Gallaher, J.; Dunning, C. E.; Nelson, M.; Litsinger, J.; Southern, A.; Burgess, T. L. (1999). "Ecological Dominance by Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), an Invasive Tramp Ant, in Biosphere 2". The Florida Entomologist. 82 (3): 381–388. doi: 10.2307/3496865 . JSTOR   3496865.
  6. 1 2 Wetterer, James K.; Hugel, Sylvain (2008). "Worldwide Spread of the Ant Cricket Myrmecophilus americanus, a Symbiont of the Longhorn Crazy Ant, Paratrechina longicornis". Sociobiology. 52 (1): 157–165. ISSN   0361-6525.
  7. Rodrigues, Andre; Solis, Daniel R.; Fox, Eduardo G. P.; Pagnocca, Fernando C.; Bueno, Odair C. (December 2010). "Preliminary List of Microfungi Found in Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Florida Entomologist. 93 (4): 651–653. doi: 10.1653/024.093.0429 . ISSN   0015-4040.
  8. Pearcy, Morgan; Goodisman, Michael A. D.; Keller, Laurent (2011). "Sib mating without inbreeding in the longhorn crazy ant". Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 278 (1718): 2677–2681. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.2562. PMC   3136830 . PMID   21288949.
  9. Fox, Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson; Solis, Daniel Russ; De Jesus, Carlos Massuretti; Bueno, Odair Correa; Yabuki, Antonio Teniyoshi; Rossi, Mônica Lanzoni (2007-06-11). "On the immature stages of the crazy ant Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille 1802) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1503 (1): 1–11. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1503.1.1. hdl: 11449/69716 . ISSN   1175-5334.

Further reading