Brachyponera chinensis

Brachyponera chinensis
B. chinensis worker from the United States
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Genus: Brachyponera
Species: B. chinensis
Binomial name
Brachyponera chinensis
(Emery, 1895)

Brachyponera chinensis, or the Asian needle ant, is a ponerine ant native to areas of Japan and Asia.[1] The species can also be found in the United States,[2] where it is an adventive and possibly invasive species. It is documented from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, though unpublished records place it in Alabama and Tennessee.[3] Sightings have been confirmed as far north as Maryland.[4] The pest species is of growing concern due to ecological impacts on biodiversity[5] and medical risks to human health, via sting-induced anaphylaxis.[1] It prefers nesting in dark, damp areas in soil beneath stones, logs, stumps, and debris.[3]

The Asian needle ant and the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) have been battling for territory in the U.S.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Mark P. Nelder; Eric S. Paysen; Patricia A. Zungoli & Eric P. Benson (2006). "Emergence of the introduced ant Pachycondyla chinensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae) as a public health threat in the southeastern United States". Journal of Medical Entomology. 43 (5): 1094–1098. doi:10.1603/0022-2585(2006)43[1094:EOTIAP]2.0.CO;2. PMID 17017251.
  2. ↑ Joe MacGown. "Ants (Formicidae) of the southeastern United States". Mississippi Entomological Museum. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  3. 1 2 Pat Zungoli. "Asian needle ant, Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery)". Household & Structural Urban Entomology. Clemson University. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Maryland Biodiversity Project - Asian Needle Ant (Brachyponera chinensis)". www.marylandbiodiversity.com. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  5. ↑ Benoit Guénard & Robert R. Dunn (2010). "A new (old), invasive ant in the hardwood forests of eastern North America and its potentially widespread impacts". PLoS ONE. 5 (7): e11614. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011614. PMC 2908120. PMID 20657769.
  6. ↑ Ants Misbehaving: Argentine and Asian Ants Battle for U.S. Dominance; "In a fierce battle for dominance, Asian needle ants are displacing other species and threatening U.S. ecosystems" May 5, 2013 Scientific American


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