Exotic Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Invading Mediterranean Europe: a Brief Summary over About 200 Years of Documented Introductions

Exotic ants have emerged as a relevant topic worldwide because of their remarkable impacts on native ecosystems and human activities. A first regional overview is given on the dozens of exotic ant species recorded in Mediterranean Europe since the end of the 19th century. About 39 exotic ant species, belonging to 17 genera and originating from 5 different biogeographical realms, are currently believed to be established in this region. The genera Nylanderia and Tetramorium are those hosting the larger proportion of species, while the Afrotropical realm is the prevalent source of taxa. According to the available data, France, Greece, Italy and Spain all host a high number of exotic species, which has increased at a dramatic rate during the last decades. On the other hand, Mediterranean countries on the Eastern part of the Adriatic Sea appear to be almost empty of exotic ants, perhaps due to both a lesser number of introductions and a lack of targeted investigations. Neighboring countries of the region do not necessarily have more species in common than those geographically distant. Very little is known on the intra-Mediterranean or intra-Palearctic introduction processes which probably occurred prior to the 19th century and on their influence on the current species distribution. The vast majority of the species that are actually established in the region are either restricted to indoor habitats or outdoor anthropogenic habitats, fewer of them were able to colonize semi-natural or natural habitats and very few are recognized as serious pests

First record of the vulnerable social parasite ant Plagiolepis grassei in Italy (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The first Italian records of the rare parasitic ant species Plagiolepis grassei Le Masne, 1956 are here reported. This species is considered as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN's Red List, and was previously recorded from France and Spain only

Plesiobiotic Associations Between Ants: A Common Yet Underreported Phenomenon in the Mediterranean Region?

Among ants, plesiobiotic associations are defined as occasional or regular nesting of heterospecific colonies in close proximity and without any biological interdependence. Habitats with a scarcity of available nesting microhabitats and ecological dissimilarity between the involved species are supposed to favor the frequency of plesiobiosis. In the last review published on this topic, the authors summarized all the plesiobiotic species pairs reported in the literature for the Holarctic region, listing 48 species pairs. On the basis of our field investigation in the Mediterranean island of Sicily (Italy), we are able to report additional 81 plesiobiotic ant-ant species pairs, two associations of three ant species, and four ant-termite pair associations. We suggest plesiobiosis to be severely underreported rather than rare, at least in the Mediterranean region

Los foros y las redes sociales ayudan a descubrir especies exóticas en Europa y monitorear su propagación: el caso de Exaireta spinigera (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera, Stratiomyidae) en la península italiana y Sicilia

La mosca soldado Exaireta spinigera (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera, Stratiomyidae) es originaria de Australia y se introdujo en Hawái, América del Norte y se está extendiendo rápidamente por Europa. Comentamos el conocimiento sobre su presencia en Italia y publicamos los primeros registros de Sicilia. El conocimiento existente sobre la llegada y distribución de esta especie en Italia se fundamenta exclusivamente en datos proporcionados por ciudadanos a través de foros de internet y grupos de Facebook sobre biodiversidad, que así han demostrado ser una ayuda útil para la difícil detección de especies invasoras

three endemic aphaenogaster from the siculo maltese archipelago and the italian peninsula part of a hitherto unrecognized species group from the maghreb hymenoptera formicidae myrmicinae

Abstract More than 100 years ago, the Italian myrmecologist Carlo Emery described two endemic Sicilian ants: Aphaenogaster sicula Emery, 1908, which he originally considered a subspecies of A. crocea André, 1881, and A. fiorii Emery, 1915 stat. nov., which he believed was a subspecies of A. gibbosa (Latreille, 1798). Males of the two species and the queen of A. fiorii were never described. The scarcity of information contained in the original description led to several misunderstandings by subsequent authors: for example, A. sicula was later elevated to species-rank on the basis of misidentified material of A. fiorii stat. nov. We redescribe the two species, adding the descriptions of their missing castes and designating their lectotypes. We also describe a third related species of the genus: A. trinacriae sp. nov. from Sicily. The ecology and distribution of the three are illustrated. Their relationship with the other congeneric species of the Mediterranean basin is discussed considering the morphology of all three castes, with attention to the often-overlooked males. Despite the fact that A. fiorii and A. sicula were lately believed to be close relatives of A. subterranea (Latreille, 1798), the morphological elements available suggest that they probably belong to a separate, hitherto unrecognized clade from the Maghreb (North-Western Africa), together with A. trinacriae sp. nov

Yet another alien: a second species of Lepisiota spreading across the Canary Islands, Spain (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The Canary Islands are a biologically important archipelago hosting many unique species, whose myrmecofauna is peculiarly rich in both endemic and introduced species. Lepisiota frauenfeldi cfr. kantarensis Forel, 1911 is reported for the first time from Fuerteventura and Tenerife. It is the second species of Lepisiota introduced in the archipelago in the last few years, and one of the few documented cases in which Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr, 1855) s.l. acts as a successful tramp species. Comments are also given on taxonomic problems involving the L. frauenfeldi-group and related taxa. Finally, new additional information and comments are presented on the distribution of other alien ants species from the Canary Islands [Lasius neglectus Van Loon, Boomsma & Andrásfalvy, 1990, Lepisiota capensis (Mayr, 1862) and Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802)]

Ant diversity on the largest Mediterranean islands: on the presence or absence of 28 species in Sicily (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

The ant fauna of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean basin, has been significantly overlooked over the time. Drafting a reliable Sicilian ant checklist requires extensive field surveys, a careful review of the literature and of museum specimens, as well as the taxonomic investigation of some problematic issues. As a part of these ongoing efforts, we present our results on the presence or absence of 25 species. By analyzing specimens collected during the last 35 years across the island and reviewing old records in the light of present-day taxonomy, we provide evidence of the presence of 9 species (Camponotus ruber, Lasius myops, L. platythorax, Plagiolepis schmitzii, Ponera testacea, Solenopsis orbula, Temnothorax clypeatus, T. nylanderi, and T. ravouxi), while suggesting the absence of 19 others (Camponotus ligniperda, C. sicheli, C. spissinodis, Formica lugubris, Lasius alienus, L. flavus, L. niger, L. paralienus, Messor minor, M. wasmanni, Monomorium monomorium, Myrmica scabrinodis, M. spinosior, Nylanderia sp. 2 sensu Schifani & Alicata 2018, Solenopsis fugax, Temnothorax luteus, T. tuberum, Tetramorium caespitum, and T. indocile). Similar studies are necessary across Italy, as a significant portion of the existing ant records is outdated due to the evolved taxonomic framework

spermophora senoculata on sicily italy araneae pholcidae

The pholcid spider Spermophora senoculata (Duges, 1836) is recorded for the first time on the Mediterranean Island of Sicily (Italy) from indoor heated and non-heated habitats of two cities. This species is associated with mostly anthropogenic habitats around the globe. Uncertainty remains about where its native distribution range is located

Public Engagement Provides First Insights on Po Plain Ant Communities and Reveals the Ubiquity of the Cryptic Species Tetramorium immigrans (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Ants are considered a useful model for biodiversity monitoring and several of their characteristics make them promising for citizen science (CS) projects. Involving a wide range of public figures into collecting valuable data on the effect of human impact on ant biodiversity, the School of Ants (SoA) project represents one of the very few attempts to explore the potential of these insects in CS. Through the collaboration with the "BioBlitz Lombardia" project, we tested the SoA protocol on 12 Northern Italy parks, ranging from urban green to subalpine protected sites. As a result, we obtained some of the very first quantitative data characterizing the ants of this region, recording 30 species and highlighting some interesting ecological patterns. These data revealed the ubiquitous presence of the recently taxonomically defined cryptic species Tetramorium immigrans, which appears to be probably introduced in the region. We also discuss advantages and criticisms encountered applying the SoA protocol, originally intended for schools, to new categories of volunteers, from BioBlitz participants to park operators, suggesting best practices based on our experience