Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan
Characters in invasive populations often differ from those in the native range, and the ability to express different characters may enhance invasive potential. Ants are among the most pervasive and damaging invasive species, by virtue of their transportability and broad-ranging ecological interactio...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-09-01
|
Series: | Animals |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2702 |
id |
doaj-6582dfd614c349f79b0c8b9f4d4223bf |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-6582dfd614c349f79b0c8b9f4d4223bf2021-09-25T23:36:29ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-09-01112702270210.3390/ani11092702Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in JapanDiyona Putri0Masanori Yokozawa1Toshiro Yamanaka2Adam L. Cronin3Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, JapanDepartment of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, JapanSchool of Marine Resource and Environment, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, JapanDepartment of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, JapanCharacters in invasive populations often differ from those in the native range, and the ability to express different characters may enhance invasive potential. Ants are among the most pervasive and damaging invasive species, by virtue of their transportability and broad-ranging ecological interactions. Their success is often attributed to the ability to exhibit different characteristics in invasive populations, including the formation of large, unicolonial associations (‘supercolonies’). It remains unclear, however, if such characteristics are a product or cause of the ecological dominance of invasive ants, and the advancement of our understanding has likely been restrained by the fact that studies to date have focused on a few globally important species with well-established invasions. In this study, we take advantage of an ongoing invasion of the tramp ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan to assess trait plasticity in the invasive range of this species. We find evidence for plasticity in social structure among island populations, with a supercolony evident on one of the three islands studied. Interestingly, we found no evidence of lower genetic diversity in this population, though natural isotope data indicate it was operating at a lower trophic level than other populations. These findings add weight to arguments that invasive species may benefit from the capacity to adaptively mould themselves to new ecological contexts.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2702Formicidaeislandsupercolonysocial insectsgenetic diversity |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Diyona Putri Masanori Yokozawa Toshiro Yamanaka Adam L. Cronin |
spellingShingle |
Diyona Putri Masanori Yokozawa Toshiro Yamanaka Adam L. Cronin Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan Animals Formicidae island supercolony social insects genetic diversity |
author_facet |
Diyona Putri Masanori Yokozawa Toshiro Yamanaka Adam L. Cronin |
author_sort |
Diyona Putri |
title |
Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan |
title_short |
Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan |
title_full |
Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan |
title_fullStr |
Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trait Plasticity among Invasive Populations of the Ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan |
title_sort |
trait plasticity among invasive populations of the ant <i>technomyrmex brunneus</i> in japan |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Animals |
issn |
2076-2615 |
publishDate |
2021-09-01 |
description |
Characters in invasive populations often differ from those in the native range, and the ability to express different characters may enhance invasive potential. Ants are among the most pervasive and damaging invasive species, by virtue of their transportability and broad-ranging ecological interactions. Their success is often attributed to the ability to exhibit different characteristics in invasive populations, including the formation of large, unicolonial associations (‘supercolonies’). It remains unclear, however, if such characteristics are a product or cause of the ecological dominance of invasive ants, and the advancement of our understanding has likely been restrained by the fact that studies to date have focused on a few globally important species with well-established invasions. In this study, we take advantage of an ongoing invasion of the tramp ant <i>Technomyrmex brunneus</i> in Japan to assess trait plasticity in the invasive range of this species. We find evidence for plasticity in social structure among island populations, with a supercolony evident on one of the three islands studied. Interestingly, we found no evidence of lower genetic diversity in this population, though natural isotope data indicate it was operating at a lower trophic level than other populations. These findings add weight to arguments that invasive species may benefit from the capacity to adaptively mould themselves to new ecological contexts. |
topic |
Formicidae island supercolony social insects genetic diversity |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2702 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT diyonaputri traitplasticityamonginvasivepopulationsoftheantitechnomyrmexbrunneusiinjapan AT masanoriyokozawa traitplasticityamonginvasivepopulationsoftheantitechnomyrmexbrunneusiinjapan AT toshiroyamanaka traitplasticityamonginvasivepopulationsoftheantitechnomyrmexbrunneusiinjapan AT adamlcronin traitplasticityamonginvasivepopulationsoftheantitechnomyrmexbrunneusiinjapan |
_version_ |
1717368451078553600 |