![]() Most studies addressing these impacts have been conducted in natural or semi-natural areas, few are those conducted in agricultural ecosystems, such as citrus orchards. The invasion of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) can alter the entire ecosystem with serious impacts on the native community structure (e.g., ant diversity) and processes (e.g., trophic interactions) leading to biodiversity loss and pest outbreaks. At a local scale, its establishment and dominance is associated with ant community composition and a lack of dominant native ant species, which can be responsible for straightening the spread of one of the world most invasive ant species. humile in this subregion, related to anthropogenic factors and geologically unfavorable sites. Based on the results we hypothesized the existence of ecological factors at regional scale preventing the establishment of L. Despite the same habitat, ant species composition differed in contiguous subregions with particular significance to the absence of Argentine ant in the inner subregion. In total 21 species were observed, covering 81% of the species reported for the region. A novel extensive sampling approach in citrus canopy (including the trunk) along 49 orchards in three ecological subregions was performed. In this work we assess the current impact of this invasive species on ant communities of citrus orchards and compare the invasibility between different ecological sub-regions in relation to some biotic and abiotic requirements. The Argentine ant Linepithema humile (Mayr) established in Algarve, Portugal, about 120 years ago. ![]()
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