Biodiversity and Conservation 14: 151–163, 2005. # Springer 2005

Impact of Argentine (Linepithema humile) on an arboreal community in Don˜ana National Park, Spain

S. CARPINTERO1, J. REYES-LO´ PEZ2,* and L. ARIAS DE REYNA3 1Department of Ciencias Ambientales (Zoology), University of Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla), Ctra, de Utrera km 1, E-41013 Seville, Spain; 2Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Cordoba, E-14071 Cordoba, Spain; 3Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Cordoba, E-14071 Cordoba, Spain; *Author for correspondence (e-mail: [email protected])

Received 19 February 2003; accepted in revised form 1 October 2003

Key words: Arboreal ant community, Competition, Don˜ana National Park, Invasive Argentine ant

Abstract. Due to the invasive character of the exotic Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), its use of aphids in trees, and the ecological importance of the Don˜ana National Park (Spain) that is invaded by this species, we designed a study to analyze the extent of the problem with native species of arboreal ants. By searching for ‘de visu’ the species that inhabited 182 cork trees, we found out that the structure of the community of native arboreal ants has been greatly influenced by interspecific competition. The in- troduced species L. humile and the native species Crematogaster scutellaris and Lasius brunneus are dominant, while Camponotus lateralis and Camponotus truncatus are subordinate species associated with C. scutellaris. The distribution of the species in the trees depends on these relationships. Species richness is determined by tree size, thus, when a tree is large enough all native species may appear together. However, in areas colonized by L. humile, this is the only species occupying the tree, regardless of tree size. L. humile is displacing native arboreal ant species as shown by the fact that from 1992 to 2000 the exotic species occupied 23 new cork trees (of the 182 studied) previously inhabited by native species.

Introduction

Dominant territorial ants typically show mutually exclusive territories, giving rise to a pachy or mosaic distribution, though dominant ants may tolerate some ‘subordinate’ ant species in their territories, but not others. This fact has been extensively studied in arboreal ants (Young 1983; Jackson 1984; Savolainen and Vepsa¨la¨inen 1988, 1989; Adams 1994; Andersen and Patel 1994; Perfecto 1994; Punttila et al. 1994). In consequence, the invasion of aggressive exotic species, such as the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile Mayr, 1868), may greatly disrupt the structure of native ant communities. One of the preferred resources of the exotic Argentine ant is the exudate of homoptera. This exudate provides a large amount of carbohydrates, which are good as fuel or for producing defensive compounds and different types of pheromones (Human and Gordon 1997; Holway 1999). Thus, it is common to find these ants looking for this food in trees and shrubs. A large number of trees (Quercus suber and Pinus pinea) were found to be infested with Argentine ants in Don˜ana National Park 152

(Huelva, Spain). At first sight, this species seemed to remain close to areas inhabited by humans, although we could not exclude the possibility of finding them in natural habitats. Trees in Don˜ana are a scarce and valuable resource for arboreal species (Ferna´ndez 1982); for this reason and because of the invasive character of the Argentine ant, we designed a study to determine the extent of the problem: first to identify the structure of the arboreal native ant community; then to analyze the impact of Argentine ants on this community; and finally, to relate the presence of different species to some characteristics of the trees (such as their size and situation).

Materials and methods

Study site

Don˜ana National Park is located at the southwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula and includes a large area of marshlands at the Guadalquivir and Guadiamar river mouths (378110–368470N, 68100–68470W). The park was created in 1969, mainly to protect aquatic fowl for which it is an important overwintering spot. In the Park there are different ecotopes (Figure 1). One of those, ‘La Vera’, located at the edge of the marshlands, is mainly covered by a eutrophic pastureland with patches of reed beds and scrubland (Juncus spp., Ulex spp., Rubus ulmifolius, Pteridium aquilinum, etc.). In this ecotope, the area known as the ‘Pajareras’ contains several large cork trees (Q. suber) that have been colonized by numerous nesting birds (principally of family Ardeidae). In 1585 a palace was constructed (Don˜ana Palace) in the heart of the current Park, close to ‘La Vera’, when the territory was still private and used for hunting. Today the Palace remains as a residence for researchers and visitors. Other buildings were subsequently added to be used as offices, laboratories and head- quarters of park rangers. A dense population of Argentine ants has been found surrounding this humanized area and this constitutes one of the principal sources of infestation of this species in the Park.

Sampling methods

In this work, from June to September 1992, we studied and sampled the ant fauna of all cork trees (Q. suber) included in a circular area of 1.5 km radius, with Don˜ana Palace at the center of the circle. There were a total of 182 trees in this area. Sampling was repeated in September 2000. In general, arboreal com- munities have been poorly explored, in part due to a scarcity of methods with which to do so (but see Kaspari 2000). In this study, searches for ants were conducted on each cork tree at different times of the day (three visits per tree: morning, midday and evening), each observation during 10 min to detect the ants patrolling trunks and branches from 0.5 to 2 m in height. The following variables were determined for each tree: (1) species of ants present; (2) trunk circumference at 1.5 m height; (3) distance to Palace; (4) distance to nearest road, since the presence of Argentine 153

Figure 1. (Modified from Montes et al. 1998.) (1) Low lands in stable dunes. (2) High humid lands in stable dunes. (3) High dry lands in stable dunes. (4) Semistable dunes. (5) Wandering dunes. (6) Old inland marsh. (7) Marsh of the rivers Rocina and Guadiamar. (8) Meadow between marsh and bushland (‘La Vera’). (9) Beaches. Â Palace of Don˜ana, and inside the circle, the studied area. ants has been associated with the existence of nearby roads in other infested areas (De Kock and Giliomee 1989). Secondly, aggressiveness tests were conducted between species to define the structure of the arboreal ant community. To perform the tests between more abundant species in cork trees (found in N30 trees), worker ants were confronted one to one in a 5.5 cm petri dish for 5 min. Details of the species that initiated encounters and behavioral patterns of both species were registered with a video recorder. The test was repeated 10 times for each pair of species with different individuals. Behavioral patterns detected were as follows:

Aggressiveness: (1) Physical attack: when an ant bit another ant’s body, antennae or legs; (2) Chemical attack: the attacker flexed its abdomen and expelled a repellent onto the enemy; (3) Threat: the ant opened its mandible and moved its head towards its opponent. 154

Submission: (1) Retreat: when an ant, following contact, quickly moved away from another ant; (2) Pupal position: when the ant retracted its antennae and legs and remained immobile. Other patterns: Indifference: this occurred when an ant in an encounter did not demonstrate aggressive or submissive behavior.

In previous observations, two native species (Camponotus lateralis and C. truncatus) were occasionally seen using trophic trails of another species (C. scutellaris). In order to determine if this behavior was habitual, 106 C. lateralis and 114 C. truncatus workers were observed to record whether they patrolled along a C. scutellaris trail or not.

Results

Ants in cork trees

We found 14 species in the surveyed trees (Table 1). Some of the species nested in trees themselves while others nested in the soil and climbed the trees to forage for food. Argentine ant and arboreal ants (C. scutellaris, C. truncatus, C. lateralis, and Lasius brunneus) were the most abundant species (found in N30 trees). Figure 2 shows a dendrogram with the presence of each species in every tree in 1992, to determine if grouping or segregation occurs between them. The Argentine ant is segregated from the other species, while the native species C. scutellaris, C. lateralis, and C. truncatus form a group independent of L. brunneus. C. lateralis and C. truncatus are not only associated with C. scutellaris because they were in the same trees, but also because they followed C. scutellaris trophic trails (Table 2) (although they were more frequently off the trails) (binomial test for C. lateralis: z ¼ 4.56 p < 0.0001; binomial test for C. truncatus: z ¼ 2.71 p < 0.0001). To analyze relationships between native arboreal species and Argentine ant, aggressiveness tests were conducted (Table 3). Among native species, C. lateralis and C. truncatus are considered submissive since they never attacked and always retreated. C. scutellaris appeared to be the most aggressive species, although it modified its behavior depending on the opponent species. Thus, on the rare occa- sions when it faced C. lateralis or C. truncatus, if an attack occurred, C. scutellaris behaved aggressively and usually did not retreat. In encounters with L. brunneus, C. scutellaris was sometimes attacked and occasionally demonstrated submissive behavior, although in general it was more aggressive than L. brunneus. However, when facing L. humile, it was less aggressive and it was more often attacked.

Relationships between species and tree characteristics

The following results refer to the relationships found between variables expounded in methodology (presence of species, trunk circumference, distance to closest road 155

Table 1. Frequency or number of trees occupied by each species of ant (N ¼ 182 cork trees). Species Frequency

L. humile (Mayr, 1868) 115 C. scutelaris (Olivier, 1792) 40 C. truncatus (Spinola, 1808) 34 C. lateralis (Olivier, 1792) 33 L. brunneus (Latreille, 1798) 30 Camponotus cruentatus (Latreille, 1802) 17 Formica subrufa Roger, 1859 16 Tapinoma nigerrima (Nylander, 1856) 11 Plagiolepis schmitzii Forel, 1895 6 Tetramorium ruginode Stitz, 1917 6 Leptothorax racovitzai Bondroit, 1918 5 Cardicondyla batesii Forel,1894 3 Aphaenogaster senilis Mayr, 1853 2 Leptothorax rabaudi Bondroit, 1918 1

Figure 2. Grouping of species in the cork trees, according to Euclidean distance.

Table 2. Frequency of C. lateralis and C. truncatus ants on C. scutellaris trails. C. lateralis (%) C. truncatus (%)

On trails 29 (27.3%) 42 (36.8%) Off trails 77 (72.7%) 72 (63.2%) Total 106 114 156

Table 3. Total for aggressive, submissive or indifferent behavior when confronting worker ants=pair of species 1–1(N¼ 10 tests). C. scutellaris C. lateralis C. scutellaris C. truncatus C. scutellaris L. brunneus C. scutellaris L. humile L. brunneus C. lateralis

Aggression 3 0 12 0 59 16 13 32 23 0 Submissiveness 1 24 0 33 8 71 9 6 18 35 Indifference 15 9 23 11 0 0 3 5 1 1 Encounters 37 54 100 48 56 157

Table 4. Spearman’s coefficient correlation (N ¼ 182). All of the cases are significant with a probability p < 0.005. Native species L. humile

Trunk circumference 0.6025 0.4136 Distance to palace 0.5769 0.3729 Distance to road 0.3203 0.2279 and distance to Palace) and most abundant species (found in 30 or more trees: Argentine ant and native arboreal species) (Table 1). Species richness of native fauna in trees was positively correlated with trunk circumference (Table 4 shows results of the tests). Thus, small trees contained only one species (circumference < 91 cm, maximum one species), while larger trees (>425 cm in circumference) always had all four native arboreal species (only if they were not infested with Argentine ants). Although the values for the rest of the variables are not high (especially regarding distance to nearest road), they are positively correlated with native species richness. Tree size and distance to nearest road and Palace are negatively correlated with the presence of Argentine ant (Table 4). However, the values are low, especially regarding distance to nearest road and Palace. As to tree size, Argentine ants occupied both small and large cork trees and were found as the exclusive species in both smallest and largest circumference trees (19 and 502 cm, respectively). When analyzing in detail the presence of Argentine ant and native species richness with regard to distance to Palace (Figure 3), Argentine ant segregated from native species (Spearman’s correlation coefficient rs ¼0.7049, N ¼ 182, p < 0.001). L. humile principally gathered in the area surrounding the Palace up to a distance of 350 m, beyond which it disappeared. It then reappeared at a distance of 580 m from the Palace and disappeared at 920 m. Cork trees at this second point of infestation are located in the area known as Lynx Cage which continues along the Vera to the Pajareras area. This second point of infestation explains why the cor- relation value between distance to Palace and presence of L. humile is not as high as expected. In 1981 Alberto Tinaut (personal communication) found that one cork tree in the Pajareras area was infested by L. humile. However, after searching another nine cork trees in the area (currently all infested with Argentine ants) he only found native species (C. scutellaris, C. lateralis, C. truncatus and L. brunneus).

Results from the year 2000

Twenty-three trees occupied by native species in 1992 (with a mean of 2.52 species, standard deviation ¼ 1.44) were exclusively occupied by Argentine ants in the year 2000. These cork trees were both small and large (circumference in cen- timeters: mean ¼ 214.1, standard deviation ¼ 139.9, minimum ¼ 35, maximum ¼ 470) and both near and far from the Palace (distance to Palace in meters: 158

Figure 3. Presence of L. humile (axis Y1) and richness of native species (axis Y2), with respect to distance to the Palace. mean ¼ 550.4, standard deviation ¼ 278.3, minimum ¼ 70, maximum ¼ 1100). Argentine ants had continued to invade the contaminated areas around the Palace and the Lynx Cage and increased notably in cork trees located in another area quite distant from the Palace (distance to Palace in meters: mean ¼ 591.8, standard deviation ¼ 66.0). In 1992 only one cork tree in this last area was found with Argentine ants and was also occupied by C. lateralis and C. truncatus, while in 2000 ten cork trees were found with high densities of Argentine ants and with no other species. Any of the studied cork trees occupied by Argentine ants in 1992 were recovered by native species in the year 2000.

Discussion

We have found a community of arboreal native formicids in Don˜ana National Park, whose structure has been largely influenced by interspecific competition. C. scutellaris and L. brunneus have features that are characteristics of dominant species (and the same for the exotic L. humile), such as aggressive behavior and high densities of individuals (Bernard 1968; Ho¨lldobler and Wilson 1990; Human and Gordon 1996; Holway 1999) (Table 3). Thus native species are represented by two dominant species (C. scutellaris and L. brunneus) that are segregated, except in largest trees, and two subordinate species (C. lateralis and C. truncatus) that are related to one of the dominant species (C. scutellaris) (Figure 2). All native species are grouped in trees according to these relationships. Moreover, similar to what occurs in island biogeography where island size is a determining factor for species richness (McArthur and Wilson 1967; Simberloff 1978), plant size is usually 159 closely correlated with richness of (Southwood et al. 1982; Basset and Kitching 1991; Majer and Delabie 1999). We found that ant species richness de- pended on tree size, hence, when a tree was large enough, as many as four different native species were found together (Table 4). Relationships between C. scutellaris, C. lateralis and C. truncatus have been described by several authors since the 19th century. Although C. lateralis and C. truncatus may be found without C. scutellaris, this last species attracts founding females of both Camponotus, so it is quite usual to find them in the same trees. It has been suggested that C. lateralis and C. truncatus, which are chromatic mimics of C. scutellaris,useC. scutellaris trails to protect themselves from myrmecophages which are repelled by this aggressive species (see revision in Baroni Urbani 1969). In this study we show how both species of Camponotus were frequently associated with C. scutellaris and often, although not always, used its trophic trails (Table 2). Batesian mimicry has been observed in other invertebrates associated with ants, such as spi- ders and hemipters, and has also been found in other species of subordinate ants and their dominant ants (Greenslade and Halliday 1983; Baroni Urbani 1969). It is still unknown if C. scutellaris gains some advantage from this relationship or simply tolerates it because C. lateralis and C. truncatus are not usually aggressive and their colonies are small. In the agonistic encounters observed, C. scutellaris was initially hostile to both Camponotus, which accepted this aggressive behavior in the char- acteristic manner of subordinate species (Table 3). Anyway, both species continued patrolling together following the encounter. In Don˜ana we have even found worker ants of both species attending the same group of aphids. Thus, like many communities of ants, this community is greatly influenced by interspecific competition, making it especially sensitive to any disturbance, such as the introduction of exotic species (Suarez et al. 1998; Kaspari 2000). Native species richness, for example, was proportionally related to tree size (Table 4). Never- theless, L. humile occupied both small and large trees on its own. The fact is that the variable that most affected native species richness was the presence of Argentine ant (Figure 3). Similar results have been found in other areas invaded by Argentine ants and several authors have therefore suggested that Argentine ant is the principal agent of local extinction of native ants, more important than other variables such as fire, habitat fragmentation or the presence of exotic vegetation (Ward 1987; De Kock et al. 1992; Suarez et al. 1998). As we found that native species were not affected by the proximity of humanized areas (Table 4), Argentine ant had to displace these established species to occupy their trees. This has happened in many other infested areas where Argentine ant has displaced the majority of native species and other arthropods and has even had a negative impact on certain populations of vertebrates (Newell 1908; Newell and Barber 1913; Barber 1916; Chopard 1921; Fluker and Beardsley 1970; Erickson 1971; Lieberburg et al. 1975; Tremper 1976; Ward 1987; Porter and Savignano 1990; Cole et al. 1992; De Kock et al. 1992; Majer 1994; Holway 1995; Human and Gordon 1997; Holway 1998; Suarez et al. 1998, 2000; Human and Gordon 1999; Delibes 2001; Sanders et al. 2001; Suarez and Cole 2002; Fisher et al. 2002). The displacement of native ant species is demonstrated by the fact that from 1992 to 160

2000 Argentine ant occupied 23 new cork trees that were previously inhabited by native species, even dominant ones such as C. scutellaris and L. brunneus (Figure 3). This ability has been explained by their social structure, especially the estab- lishment of large continuous unicolonies (Passera 1994; Human and Gordon 1997) and its competitive abilities, in particular its aggressiveness, a feature which is characteristic of dominant species (Table 3) (Ho¨lldobler and Wilson 1990; Human and Gordon 1996). With regard to habitats that are sensitive to invasion, successful species such as L. humile are usually generalist and therefore not restricted by habitat features (Passera 1994). Anyway, they benefit from humanized areas because man is its principal spreading agent (Woodworth 1910; Crowell 1968; Majer 1994; Passera 1994). In the present study, as expected, the species was abundant in the trees around the Palace. But to what extent did it depend on habitats disturbed by man? How did these areas affect native species? Argentine ant was described by Pisarski and Kulesza (1982) as eusinantropic (a strict category of man-associated species); however, in other parts of the world, L. humile has not only infested areas that have been disturbed by man but also natural areas (Fellers and Fellers 1982; Ward 1987; De Kock and Giliomee 1989; Cole et al. 1992; Suarez et al. 1998). In Don˜ana, the presence of Argentine ant is negatively correlated with Palace distance, as said before, although less than expected (Table 4) as the humanized area around the Palace is the main source of infestation of L. humile in the Park. This is due to the existence of a second point of infestation in a fenced area where a wounded lynx (Lynx pardellus) lived for some years. The food for the lynx came from the Palace and frequently contained Argentine ants, the most likely reason for infestation. It is possible that L. humile first appeared in the Palace or any of the adjacent buildings and began to disperse from there, not radially but along the Vera line. This is believed to be due to three factors: (1) buildings that surround the Palace are mostly located along this line; (2) The Lynx Cage, although further away, is also located here; (3) the extensive pasture of the Vera with a relatively large number of cork trees that facilitate the movement of ants from one tree to another in contrast to the dense vegetation in the west of the Palace. It is possible that the Argentine ant reached the Lynx Cage and became established there due to the continual transportation of ants by man. But what happened when this trans- portation stopped? In 1994 the lynx was removed from the cage (information provided by Rafael Laffitte), cutting off the flow of ants from the Palace. However, the Argentine ant continued to spread along the area and colonized new cork trees around the cage. The surroundings of Don˜ana Palace and the Lynx Cage are the most infested areas of the study site. But in 1992 an isolated cork tree located 590 m from the Palace was also found to be occupied by Argentine ants. A pair of black kite (Milvus migrans) also nested in the tree. These birds are not very strict in their feeding habits and often feed in dumps that are sometimes infested with Argentine ants. At that time Argentine ants shared the cork tree with C. lateralis and C. truncatus, however, in 2000 only Argentine ants were found and 10 additional nearby cork trees were completely infested by this species. 161

As to the proximity of roads, in other invaded areas, the entrance of Argentine ants in natural areas depends on the presence of access roads used by humans, especially asphalted roads. Thus, in a large area both the internal and the external edges of the roads may be dangerous routes of infestation (De Kock and Giliomee 1989). In Don˜ana the distance to the nearest road did not seem to affect the presence of the Argentine ant, nor the richness of native species (Table 4). Although in the present study we did not find a relationship between roads and Argentine ants, open areas could facilitate the expansion of the species by providing access between infested and suitable habitats. In conclusion, in this study we have found that Argentine ant was able to displace every native arboreal species in Don˜ana National Park, even dominant species and in natural areas. We have also pointed out that it can be dispersed not only by man but also by that carry infested food. Therefore, because relationships are continually established between natural and humanized areas by animals that feed on human waste, such as kites or foxes, and by the numerous visitors, scientists and rangers that patrol the National Park, we may ask ourselves if there is any area of Don˜ana that is truly free of Argentine ant influence.

Acknowledgements

We thank Marilo´ Bosch, Antonio Priego and Xim Cerda for their collaboration in the field work, David Williams for providing much of the reference material, Alberto Tinaut for his remarks and for clarifying our doubts on , and Carmen Ortega and Alfonso Carpintero for their help. We are grateful to all of the staff and colleagues at Don˜ana for the help and support they provided and to the anonymous reviewers for valuable comments. This study was possible thanks to an F.P.I grant awarded to S. Carpintero by the Andalusian Autonomous Community.

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