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Alien ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Mexico: the first database of records

Biological Invasions volume 23, pages 1669–1680 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

The synthesis of comprehensive databases on the identity and distributions of alien organisms is a critical step to developing informed invasion management plans and identifying areas that are data-deficient. Here, we assembled all available records of alien ant distributions for Mexico, based on the literature, databases and unpublished data for a period ranging from 1855 to 2019; we compiled 967 records for 42 ant species non-native to Mexico, distributed across 438 localities. For the first time, we present mapped records and the distribution database of alien ants which is available through The Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics database at www.antmaps.org. The most commonly recorded species were Paratrechina longicornis, Monomorium pharaonis and Anoplolepis gracilipes. The states with the most records were Veracruz, Chiapas, Jalisco and Quintana Roo. The alien ants were most frequently encountered in urban areas (372 records) and in deciduous forest habitats (220). We provide summary of their distribution patterns and other related information useful for the control of these species in Mexico.

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Availability of data and materials

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. The data is available for consultation in supplementary Table 1.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to John T. Longino, William Mackay, Aldo De la Mora Rodríguez and Luis Adrián Bonilla Ramírez for contributing the distributional data. The funding was provided by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología DICB No. 282471, Program CONACYT for Postdoctoral fellowships No. CVU 321229, by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México PAPIIT IN206818, Czech Science Foundation (14-36098G), by Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad and by Program of United Nations for Development PNUD No. 89333. The suggestions and corrections from the two anonymous reviewers and P. Pyšek greatly improved the manuscript.

Funding

The funding was provided by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología DICB No. 282471, Program CONACYT for Postdoctoral fellowships No. CVU 321229, by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México PAPIIT IN206818, Czech Science Foundation (14-36098G) and by Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad and the Program of the United Nations for Development PNUD No.89333, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (No. 17K15180 to E.P.E.) and Japan Ministry of Environment (4-1904).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, División del Golfo Núm. 356, 87019, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico

    Madai Rosas-Mejía

  2. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pok Fu Lam Road, Lung Fu Shan, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Benoit Guénard

  3. División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Guanajuato, Campus Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, 36050, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Mario Josué Aguilar-Méndez

  4. Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería Campus Guanajuato, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36275, Silao de la Victoria, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Mario Josué Aguilar-Méndez

  5. Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Adrian Ghilardi & Milan Janda

  6. Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico

    Adrian Ghilardi

  7. Entomología, Centro de Estudios en Zoología, Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Km. 15.5 Carr. Nogales, Apdo. Postal 134, 45110, Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

    Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños

  8. Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, 36, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan

    Evan P. Economo

  9. Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

    Milan Janda

Authors
  1. Madai Rosas-Mejía
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  2. Benoit Guénard
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  3. Mario Josué Aguilar-Méndez
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  4. Adrian Ghilardi
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  5. Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños
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  6. Evan P. Economo
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  7. Milan Janda
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by MJ, MR-M. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MR-M. Map design and writing support MJA-M and MV-B. Data contributions and critical review of the work BG, EPE and AG. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Milan Janda.

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Rosas-Mejía, M., Guénard, B., Aguilar-Méndez, M.J. et al. Alien ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Mexico: the first database of records. Biol Invasions 23, 1669–1680 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02423-1

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Keywords

  • Non-native
  • Ants
  • Distribution
  • Mexico
  • Invasions
  • Exotic