Ants

*[Five of the world's 100 worst invasive species are ants, even though ants make up only a minuscule fraction of the world's biodiversity. There are over 12,000 described ant species, yet in some places, it is possible to spend entire days studying the ants, without seeing any native ants. Almost without fail, when invasive ant species become established, they dramatically affect populations of native ants, other arthropods, & in some cases populations of vertebrates and plant communities. This review has focused especially on Anoplolepis gracilipes, Linepithema humile, Pheidole megacephala, Solenopsis invicta, & Wasmannia auropunctata. Even within this limited list, S. invicta & L. humile are the most thoroughly studied species. The paucity of information on many problematic and potentially problematic species provides a clear impetus for more research on the basic biology, in both the native & introduced ranges, & potential impact of these species: Cardiocondyla spp., Doleromyrma darwiniana, Lasius neglectus, Monomorium pharaonsis, Monomorium sydneyense, Myrmica rubra, Ochetellus glaber, Pachycondyla chinensis, Paratrechina longicornis, Paratrechina fulva, Pheidole obscurithorax, Technomyrmex albipes, & Tetramorium tsushimae.]