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Science 30 October 1998:
Vol. 282. no. 5390, pp. 949 - 952
DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5390.949

Reports

Loss of Intraspecific Aggression in the Success of a Widespread Invasive Social Insect

David A. Holway, * Andrew V. Suarez, Ted J. Case

Despite the innumerable ecological problems and large economic costs associated with biological invasions, the proximate causes of invasion success are often poorly understood. Here, evidence is provided that reduced intraspecific aggression and the concomitant abandonment of territorial behavior unique to introduced populations of the Argentine ant contribute to the elevated population densities directly responsible for its widespread success as an invader. In the laboratory, nonaggressive pairs of colonies experienced lower mortality and greater foraging activity relative to aggressive pairs. These differences translated into higher rates of resource retrieval, greater brood production, and larger worker populations.

Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dholway{at}biomail.ucsd.edu


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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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Intraspecific competition influences the symmetry and intensity of aggression in the Argentine ant.
M. L. Thomas, N. D. Tsutsui, and D. A. Holway (2005)
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Alternative Genetic Foundations for a Key Social Polymorphism in Fire Ants.
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Genetic diversity, asymmetrical aggression, and recognition in a widespread invasive species.
N. D. Tsutsui, A. V. Suarez, and R. K. Grosberg (2003)
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Evolution of supercolonies: The Argentine ants of southern Europe.
T. Giraud, J. S. Pedersen, and L. Keller (2002)
PNAS 99, 6075-6079
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Evolution of supercolonies: The Argentine ants of southern Europe.
T. Giraud, J. S. Pedersen, and L. Keller (2002)
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Reduced genetic variation and the success of an invasive species.
N. D. Tsutsui, A. V. Suarez, D. A. Holway, and T. J. Case (2000)
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)