Surrogate habitats demonstrate the invasion potential of the African pugnacious ant

*[We demonstrate that a particularly opportunistic & locally dominant ant Anoplolepis custodiens, which is a major indigenous African pest, overrides habitat structure to maintain its population level. We compared A. custodiens activity, morphology, foraging behavior, & ant species diversity in artificially established surrogate habitats (= cover crops) in a vineyard containing an ample food resource in the form of the honeydew-producing mealybug Planococcus ficus. These cover crops were chosen so as to create highly altered habitats. The ant's ability to overcome these potentially suppressive habitat conditions hinged on its tight mutualism with the mealybug, & on its chasing away mealybug parasitoids. This ant species is predicted to be a latent invasive beyond Africa.]