In Florida study, nonnative leaf-litter ants are replacing native ants
Published:25 Apr.2023 Source:University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau
A new look at decades of data from museum collections and surveys of leaf-litter ants in Florida reveals a steady decline in native ants and simultaneous increase in nonnative ants -- even in protected natural areas of the state, researchers report.
The study tracked leaf-litter ant abundance from 1965 to 2019. Nonnative ants represented 30% of the 177 ground-dwelling species detected in surveys across the state in later years, the team reports. Their dominance grew most notably in southern Florida, where nonnatives increased from 43% to 73% over the decades studied. The nonnative ants are most likely arriving with goods transported to Florida from around the world.
Reported in the journal Current Biology, the findings point to a potential future devoid of native ants, the researchers said.