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Variation in the Persistence and Effects of Argentine Ants Throughout Their Invaded Range in New Zealand

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Variation in the Persistence and Effects of Argentine Ants Throughout Their Invaded Range in New Zealand Variation in the persistence and effects of Argentine ants throughout their invaded range in New Zealand A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology and Biodiversity at Victoria University of Wellington January 2012 by Meghan Dawn Cooling School of Biological Sciences Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Abstract Invasive ants are a serious ecological problem around the world. The Argentine ant has had devastating effects on resident ant communities and may negatively impact other invertebrates in its introduced range. First detected in Auckland in 1990, this invader has since spread widely around the country. The effect of Argentine ants on invertebrates in New Zealand was investigated by comparing ground-dwelling arthropod species richness and abundance between and among paired uninvaded and invaded sites in seven cities across this invader’s New Zealand range. In order to study density-dependent effects, invaded sites were chosen so as to differ in Argentine ant population density. The effects of rainfall and mean maximum temperature on Argentine ant abundance and the species richness and abundance were also examined. Argentine ant population persistence in New Zealand was examined by re-surveying sites of past infestation across this species range. The influence of climate on population persistence was investigated, and how this effect may vary after climate change. Additionally, the potential of community recovery after invasion was also examined. Epigaeic (above ground foraging) ant species richness and abundance was negatively associated with Argentine ant abundance; however, no discernable impact was found on hypogaeic (below ground foraging) ant species. The effect of Argentine ant abundance on non-ant arthropod species richness and abundance was mixed, with most arthropod orders being unaffected. Diplopoda was negatively influenced by Argentine ant abundance while Hemiptera was positively influenced. Annual rainfall and mean maximum temperature were found to have no effect on Argentine ant abundance or resident ant species richness and abundance, though these variables did help explain the distribution of several non-ant arthropod orders. Argentine ant populations appear to be collapsing in New Zealand. Populations had a mean survival time of 14.1 years (95% CI= 12.9- 15.3 years). Climate change may prolong population survival, as survival time increased with increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall, but only by a few years. Formerly invaded Auckland ant communities were indistinguishable from those that had never been invaded, suggesting ant communities will recover after Argentine ant collapse. 1 Acknowledgments First and foremost, I must thank Phil Lester for letting me join his lab group when I called him up out of the blue and told him, “I just want to work with ants”. Thank you Phil, for your constant encouragement, advice, and availability throughout this program. A big thank you too, to my fellow Canadian Dalice Sim, for all her patience and statistical advice. Thank you very much to Stephen Hartley for contributing to the climate model in Chapter 3. Thank you to the “Ant Club”- Julien Grangier, Rafael Barberi, Allan Burne, and Monica Gruber, for always being willing to answer my questions, provide feedback or just hang out. Evan Brenton-Rule lent me the use of his exceptional fine motor skills, thanks Evan. A special thanks to my field assistant Chris McGrannachan, who was always chill and never once complained about getting no days off, doing all the driving, or my crazy directions. Thanks man, I couldn’t have had a better field assistant. Richard Toft directed me to infested areas in Nelson where it was possible to set up pitfall traps, thereby saving me hours of frustration. Lloyd Stringer and his intern Josh spent half their day doing the same in Christchurch. Thank you as well to all the people who allowed me to set up my traps on their property. Adrian Pike showed me the ropes and never failed to procure what I needed to do my collecting and sorting. Chris Thorn and Sushila Pillai also kindly lent me necessary equipment. Patricia Stein, Mary Murray, Sandra Taylor, Lesley Thompson, Delwyn Carter-Jarratt, and Rachel Zhang answered my countless questions and were always happy to provide assistance. Thank you to my fellow students in KK 409 who empathized with the maddness. 2 Thank you to my good friend Masami Hoshino-Spafford, for editing this manuscript. Thank you to Eda Czarnecki, who outsmarted Word and got me through the final hours. I am grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Victoria University of Wellington for funding me throughout my studies. Finally, thank you to my family and friends who, despite being on the other side of the world, always managed to be there. 3 Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................. 1 Acknowledgements........................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents.............................................................................................................. 4 List of Tables and Figures................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 1: ................................................................................................................... 7 General Introduction ......................................................................................................... 7 Research Aims ................................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 2: ................................................................................................................. 14 The effect the Argentine ant ( Linepithema humile ) has on ground-dwelling arthropods depends on invader abundance ....................................................................................... 14 Abstract...................................................................................................................... 14 Introduction................................................................................................................ 15 Materials and Methods............................................................................................... 17 Study Sites ................................................................................................................. 17 Ant Sampling ............................................................................................................. 21 Invertebrate Identification.......................................................................................... 22 Statistical Analysis..................................................................................................... 22 Results........................................................................................................................ 23 Effects of Argentine ants, rainfall, and temperature on resident ants........................ 23 Effects of Argentine ant abundance, rainfall, and temperature on non-ant arthropods................................................................................................................... 29 Discussion.................................................................................................................. 32 CHAPTER 3: .................................................................................................................. 38 The widespread collapse of an invasive species: Argentine ants ( Linepithema humile ) in New Zealand ................................................................................................................... 38 Abstract...................................................................................................................... 38 Introduction................................................................................................................ 39 Materials and Methods............................................................................................... 41 Argentine ant sampling.............................................................................................. 41 4 Climate change model................................................................................................ 43 Ant community surveys ............................................................................................. 44 Results........................................................................................................................ 45 Argentine ant survival................................................................................................ 45 Effect of climate change on Argentine ant survival................................................... 45 Effect of invasion on resident ant communities......................................................... 46 Discussion.................................................................................................................. 47 CHAPTER 4: .................................................................................................................. 53 General Discussion ......................................................................................................... 53 The influence of Argentine ant presence and abundance on resident
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