Ant Pests of Western Australia, with Particular Reference to the Argentine Ant (Linepithema Humile)

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile , originated in South America; however, with the unintentional aid of humans, the ant has now been distributed to many regions of the world including the United States, South Africa, Europe and Australia. Populations of these pest insects can subsequently increase if the Argentine ants protect them from their predators, some of which were originally introduced as biological control agents. In South African fynbos, W. Bond and P. Slingsby demonstrated that the displacement of native ants by Argentine ants resulted in a disruption of myrmecochory and seeds became more vulnerable to predation by vertebrates and invertebrates. Argentine ants were first discovered in Albany, Western Australia (W.A.) in 1941, and rapidly spread to southwestern parts of the State, including the Perth metropolitan area. Infestations of Argentine ants in W.A. are being monitored by the Agriculture Protection Board. Several plant nurseries within the metropolitan area are infested with Argentine ants and present a spread risk.