Abstract Native to Central and South America, the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) has been introduced to many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide through humanmediated dispersal and poses a major threat to humans and other organisms in most of its introduced environments. Because of its highly aggressive nature and the damage it inflicts, W. auropunctata has been listed as one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species. This paper reports the first record of W. auropunctata in Taiwan as well as preliminary description of the current distribution and colony structure. Wasmannia auropunctata was identified primarily in secondary forests and along roadsides in the Wuri and Heping Districts of Taichung City, with secondary forests and roadsides being primarily habitats. A low level of aggression among the colonies indicated that all W. auropunctata in Taiwan most likely belong to the same supercolony and may have originated from the same source population. Like other introduced populations, W. auropunctata in Taiwan form polygynous, polydomous, and unicolonial populations that are mainly distributed in areas with significant human disturbance. The nesting sites were located in tree bark and above-ground superficial cavities. In light of the ant’s potential impacts on human health and local biodiversity, implementation of appropriate control measures to curb the spread of W. auropunctata is urgently required.
摘要 光點小火蟻 (Wasmannia auropunctata) 是原產於中南美洲的小型螞蟻，隨著人爲途徑被引入到世界其它熱帶與亞熱帶地區。因其具有強烈侵略性且善於使用螫針，對人類、生態環境、以及生物多樣性已造成嚴重威脅，目前被列為世界百大外來入侵種之一。本研究首次確認光點小火蟻入侵台灣，同時也是東亞地區第一個被光點小火蟻入侵的案例。初步調查結果顯示，光點小火蟻群落主要分布於台中烏日區與和平區的次生林及道路旁。行爲試驗的結果顯示，台灣兩入侵地的光點小火蟻蟻巢間攻擊行為不顯著，可能屬於來自單一入侵源之超級群落 (supercolony)。與世界其它入侵族群相似，台灣的光點小火蟻蟻巢結構為多蟻后 (polygynous)、多蟻巢 (polydomous) 的單一群落化 (unicoloniality) 族群，主要分布於人爲干擾程度較大的棲地，並常在樹皮縫隙、地面淺層空間中築巢。有鑒於光點小火蟻對於人身安全及本土生物多樣性帶來的潛在威脅，建請相關單位應儘早啟動防治措施，以有效減緩光點小火蟻族群於台灣島內持續擴散。
| Key words: Wasmannia auropunctata, invasive species, distribution, first record | | 關鍵詞: 光點小火蟻、入侵物種、分佈、首次記錄 |
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