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] Within the United States, it is an adventive and possibly invasive species. It is documented from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Unpublished records place it in Alabama and Tennessee.[3] The pest species is of growing concern due to ecological impacts on biodiversity[4] and medical risks to human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]

Asian needle ants and Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) have been battling for territory in the U.S.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pat Zungoli. "Asian needle ant, Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery)". Household & Structural Urban Entomology. Clemson University. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ 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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