Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range

Autores
Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín; Alvarez Costa, Agustin; Schilman, Pablo Ernesto; Calcaterra, Luis Alberto
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Introduction:Urban landscapes are increasingly recognized as key arenas for biological invasions, yet the mechanisms enabling the local coexistence of multiple highly invasive species remain poorly understood. Urban habitat fragmentation generates mosaics of habitat patches that differ in size,isolation, and microhabitat complexity, shaping ant community structure and competitive interactions.Methods:Here, we investigated ant assemblages across a mosaic of urban habitat patches within a university campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, focusing on four globally invasive ant species (Wasmannia auropunctata, Linepithema humile, Nylanderia fulva, and Solenopsis invicta) near the southern limit of their native ranges. We quantified species richness, abundance and composition using pitfall traps and evaluated species-specific indicators of food discovery, recruitment,and dominance using standardized bait experiments.Results:Ant assemblages differed significantly among habitat patches, with marked spatial variation in richness, diversity, and species composition. Contrary to expectations of rigid dominance hierarchies, no single species consistently dominated across patches. Nylanderia fulva showed the highest numerical abundance and discovery efficiency, L. humile exhibited the strongest recruitment ability, and W. auropunctata displayed localized dominance near nesting areas, while S. invicta was rare and competitively subordinate. Ordination and multivariate analyses indicated strong spatial structuring of assemblages, consistent with the influence of urban fragmentation and patch-level heterogeneity.Discussion/Conclusion:Overall, our results support a metacommunity perspective in which invasive ant coexistence in urban systems is mediated by context-dependent competitive interactions rather than fixed dominance hierarchies. By emphasizing the role of fine-scale spatial structure, this study provides a nuanced, system-specific contribution to understanding invasive ant dynamics in urban environments.
Fil: Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina
Fil: Alvarez Costa, Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina
Fil: Schilman, Pablo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina
Fil: Calcaterra, Luis Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina
Materia
community structure
ecological dominance
foraging behavior
resource monopolization
species interactions
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/288210
Acceder
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network_acronym_str CONICETDig
repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native rangeMuñoz, Ignacio JoaquínAlvarez Costa, AgustinSchilman, Pablo ErnestoCalcaterra, Luis Albertocommunity structureecological dominanceforaging behaviorresource monopolizationspecies interactionshttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Introduction:Urban landscapes are increasingly recognized as key arenas for biological invasions, yet the mechanisms enabling the local coexistence of multiple highly invasive species remain poorly understood. Urban habitat fragmentation generates mosaics of habitat patches that differ in size,isolation, and microhabitat complexity, shaping ant community structure and competitive interactions.Methods:Here, we investigated ant assemblages across a mosaic of urban habitat patches within a university campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, focusing on four globally invasive ant species (Wasmannia auropunctata, Linepithema humile, Nylanderia fulva, and Solenopsis invicta) near the southern limit of their native ranges. We quantified species richness, abundance and composition using pitfall traps and evaluated species-specific indicators of food discovery, recruitment,and dominance using standardized bait experiments.Results:Ant assemblages differed significantly among habitat patches, with marked spatial variation in richness, diversity, and species composition. Contrary to expectations of rigid dominance hierarchies, no single species consistently dominated across patches. Nylanderia fulva showed the highest numerical abundance and discovery efficiency, L. humile exhibited the strongest recruitment ability, and W. auropunctata displayed localized dominance near nesting areas, while S. invicta was rare and competitively subordinate. Ordination and multivariate analyses indicated strong spatial structuring of assemblages, consistent with the influence of urban fragmentation and patch-level heterogeneity.Discussion/Conclusion:Overall, our results support a metacommunity perspective in which invasive ant coexistence in urban systems is mediated by context-dependent competitive interactions rather than fixed dominance hierarchies. By emphasizing the role of fine-scale spatial structure, this study provides a nuanced, system-specific contribution to understanding invasive ant dynamics in urban environments.Fil: Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez Costa, Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Schilman, Pablo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Calcaterra, Luis Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFrontiers Media2026-02info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/288210Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín; Alvarez Costa, Agustin; Schilman, Pablo Ernesto; Calcaterra, Luis Alberto; Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range; Frontiers Media; Frontiers in Insect Science; 6; 2-2026; 1-112673-8600CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/finsc.2026.1776153/fullinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3389/finsc.2026.1776153info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-08-25T14:33:14Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/288210instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-08-25 14:33:14.65CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
title Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
spellingShingle Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín
community structure
ecological dominance
foraging behavior
resource monopolization
species interactions
title_short Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
title_full Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
title_fullStr Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
title_full_unstemmed Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
title_sort Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín
Alvarez Costa, Agustin
Schilman, Pablo Ernesto
Calcaterra, Luis Alberto
author Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín
author_facet Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín
Alvarez Costa, Agustin
Schilman, Pablo Ernesto
Calcaterra, Luis Alberto
author_role author
author2 Alvarez Costa, Agustin
Schilman, Pablo Ernesto
Calcaterra, Luis Alberto
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv community structure
ecological dominance
foraging behavior
resource monopolization
species interactions
topic community structure
ecological dominance
foraging behavior
resource monopolization
species interactions
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Introduction:Urban landscapes are increasingly recognized as key arenas for biological invasions, yet the mechanisms enabling the local coexistence of multiple highly invasive species remain poorly understood. Urban habitat fragmentation generates mosaics of habitat patches that differ in size,isolation, and microhabitat complexity, shaping ant community structure and competitive interactions.Methods:Here, we investigated ant assemblages across a mosaic of urban habitat patches within a university campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, focusing on four globally invasive ant species (Wasmannia auropunctata, Linepithema humile, Nylanderia fulva, and Solenopsis invicta) near the southern limit of their native ranges. We quantified species richness, abundance and composition using pitfall traps and evaluated species-specific indicators of food discovery, recruitment,and dominance using standardized bait experiments.Results:Ant assemblages differed significantly among habitat patches, with marked spatial variation in richness, diversity, and species composition. Contrary to expectations of rigid dominance hierarchies, no single species consistently dominated across patches. Nylanderia fulva showed the highest numerical abundance and discovery efficiency, L. humile exhibited the strongest recruitment ability, and W. auropunctata displayed localized dominance near nesting areas, while S. invicta was rare and competitively subordinate. Ordination and multivariate analyses indicated strong spatial structuring of assemblages, consistent with the influence of urban fragmentation and patch-level heterogeneity.Discussion/Conclusion:Overall, our results support a metacommunity perspective in which invasive ant coexistence in urban systems is mediated by context-dependent competitive interactions rather than fixed dominance hierarchies. By emphasizing the role of fine-scale spatial structure, this study provides a nuanced, system-specific contribution to understanding invasive ant dynamics in urban environments.
Fil: Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina
Fil: Alvarez Costa, Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina
Fil: Schilman, Pablo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina
Fil: Calcaterra, Luis Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentina
description Introduction:Urban landscapes are increasingly recognized as key arenas for biological invasions, yet the mechanisms enabling the local coexistence of multiple highly invasive species remain poorly understood. Urban habitat fragmentation generates mosaics of habitat patches that differ in size,isolation, and microhabitat complexity, shaping ant community structure and competitive interactions.Methods:Here, we investigated ant assemblages across a mosaic of urban habitat patches within a university campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, focusing on four globally invasive ant species (Wasmannia auropunctata, Linepithema humile, Nylanderia fulva, and Solenopsis invicta) near the southern limit of their native ranges. We quantified species richness, abundance and composition using pitfall traps and evaluated species-specific indicators of food discovery, recruitment,and dominance using standardized bait experiments.Results:Ant assemblages differed significantly among habitat patches, with marked spatial variation in richness, diversity, and species composition. Contrary to expectations of rigid dominance hierarchies, no single species consistently dominated across patches. Nylanderia fulva showed the highest numerical abundance and discovery efficiency, L. humile exhibited the strongest recruitment ability, and W. auropunctata displayed localized dominance near nesting areas, while S. invicta was rare and competitively subordinate. Ordination and multivariate analyses indicated strong spatial structuring of assemblages, consistent with the influence of urban fragmentation and patch-level heterogeneity.Discussion/Conclusion:Overall, our results support a metacommunity perspective in which invasive ant coexistence in urban systems is mediated by context-dependent competitive interactions rather than fixed dominance hierarchies. By emphasizing the role of fine-scale spatial structure, this study provides a nuanced, system-specific contribution to understanding invasive ant dynamics in urban environments.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-02
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/288210
Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín; Alvarez Costa, Agustin; Schilman, Pablo Ernesto; Calcaterra, Luis Alberto; Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range; Frontiers Media; Frontiers in Insect Science; 6; 2-2026; 1-11
2673-8600
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/288210
identifier_str_mv Muñoz, Ignacio Joaquín; Alvarez Costa, Agustin; Schilman, Pablo Ernesto; Calcaterra, Luis Alberto; Spatial coexistence of invasive ants in fragmented urban habitats of their native range; Frontiers Media; Frontiers in Insect Science; 6; 2-2026; 1-11
2673-8600
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
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info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3389/finsc.2026.1776153
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
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reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
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instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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