Pachycondyla chinensis
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
  • General
  • Distribution
  • Impact
  • Management
  • Bibliography
  • Contact
Common name
Asian needle ant (English)
Synonym
Similar species
Summary
Pachycondyla chinensis commonly known as the Asian needle ant and a native to East Asia was introduced to the United States around the 1930’s from Japan. Habitats where it is established include anthropogenic habitats, agricultural habitats and mature forests. It is considered a potential public health threat on account of its poisonous sting. Results of studies show that diversity and abundance of native ants are negatively associated with the presence and abundance of P. chinensis. In the temperate deciduous forests of eastern North America P. chinensis is also associated with the disruption of an ant-plant seed dispersal mutualism and is potentially reducing abundance of ant-dispersed plants

Principal source:

Compiler: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group

Review:

Publication date: 2011-11-03

Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Pachycondyla chinensis. Downloaded from http://iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/Pachycondyla+chinensis on 02-11-2024.

General Impacts
The results of a study conducted by Guenard & Dunn (2010) found that ‘diversity and abundance of native ants were negatively associated with the presence and abundance of P. chinensis’.

The results of a study by Rodriguez-Cabal et al (2011) concluded “that P. chinensis is associated with the disruption of an ant-plant seed dispersal mutualism and is potentially reducing abundance of ant-dispersed plants. They found that P. chinensis causes precipitous declines in the abundance of the keystone mutualist, Aphaenogaster rudis. A.rudis in the temperate deciduous forests of eastern North America is responsible for between 48 and 100% of all seed dispersal events. This displacement ‘causes reduced seed dispersal in invaded areas, leaving the seeds susceptible to predation by rodents and competition with parent plants’. The authors concluded that the impacts of P. chinensis on seed dispersal were similar in magnitude to the impacts of the Argentine ant Linepithema humile.

Countries (or multi-country features) with distribution records for Pachycondyla chinensis
ALIEN RANGE
NATIVE RANGE
  • east asia
Informations on Pachycondyla chinensis has been recorded for the following locations. Click on the name for additional informations.
Lorem Ipsum
Location Status Invasiveness Occurrence Source
Details of Pachycondyla chinensis in information
Status
Invasiveness
Arrival date
Occurrence
Source
Introduction
Species notes for this location
Location note
Management notes for this location
Impact
Mechanism:
Outcome:
Ecosystem services:
Impact information
The results of a study conducted by Guenard & Dunn (2010) found that ‘diversity and abundance of native ants were negatively associated with the presence and abundance of P. chinensis’.

The results of a study by Rodriguez-Cabal et al (2011) concluded “that P. chinensis is associated with the disruption of an ant-plant seed dispersal mutualism and is potentially reducing abundance of ant-dispersed plants. They found that P. chinensis causes precipitous declines in the abundance of the keystone mutualist, Aphaenogaster rudis. A.rudis in the temperate deciduous forests of eastern North America is responsible for between 48 and 100% of all seed dispersal events. This displacement ‘causes reduced seed dispersal in invaded areas, leaving the seeds susceptible to predation by rodents and competition with parent plants’. The authors concluded that the impacts of P. chinensis on seed dispersal were similar in magnitude to the impacts of the Argentine ant Linepithema humile.

Red List assessed species 0:
Locations
UNITED STATES
Outcomes
[1] Environmental Ecosystem - Habitat
  • [1] Reduction in native biodiversity
[1] Environmental Species - Population
  • [1] Interference with reproduction
Management information
Bibliography
9 references found for Pachycondyla chinensis

Management information
Bednar, D. M.; Silverman, J., 2011. Use of termites, Reticulitermes virginicus, as a springboard in the invasive success of a predatory ant, Pachycondyla (=Brachyponera) chinensis. Insectes Sociaux. 58(4). NOV 2011. 459-467.
Guenard, Benoit; Dunn, Robert R., 2010. A New (Old), Invasive Ant in the Hardwood Forests of Eastern North America and Its Potentially Widespread Impacts. PLoS One. 5(7). JUL 21 2010. Article No.: e11614.
Summary: Available from: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011614 [Accessed 10 November 2011]
Guenard, Benoit; Silverman, Jules, 2011. Tandem carrying, a new foraging strategy in ants: description, function, and adaptive significance relative to other described foraging strategies. Naturwissenschaften. 98(8). AUG 2011. 651-659.
Nelder, Mark P.; Paysen, Eric S.; Zungoli, Patricia A.; Benson, Eric P., 2006. Emergence of the introduced ant Pachycondyla chinensis (Formicidae : Ponerinae) as a public health threat in the southeastern United States. Journal of Medical Entomology. 43(5). SEP 2006. 1094-1098.
Rodriguez-Cabal, M. A., Katharine L. S., Benoit G., Robert R. D., Nathan J. S., 2011. Disruption of ant-seed dispersal mutualisms by the invasive Asian needle ant (Pachycondyla chinensis). Biol Invasions DOI 10.1007/s10530-011-0097-5
Yashiro, Toshihisa; Matsuura, Kenji; Guenard, Benoit; Terayama, Mamoru; Dunn, Robert R., 2010. On the evolution of the species complex Pachycondyla chinensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), including the origin of its invasive form and description of a new species. Zootaxa.(2685). NOV 24 2010. 39-50.
General information
AntWeb, 2011. Species: Pachycondyla chinensis
Summary: Available from: http://www.antweb.org/description.do?name=chinensis&genus=pachycondyla&rank=species&project=philippinesants [Accessed 3 November 2011]
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), 2011. Pachycondyla chinensis � Overview
Summary: Available from: http://eol.org/pages/485763/overview [Accessed 3 November 2011]
MacGown, J. A., 2009. The Asian Needle Ant, Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Reported from Alabama. Midsouth Entomologist 2: 88�89
Contact
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Pachycondyla chinensis
Asian needle ant
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Recommended citation
(2024). Pachycondyla chinensis. IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT).