Influence of the arrival of Anoplolepis gracilipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the composition of an ant community in a clearing in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia

The arrival of the invasive yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, significantly altered the composition and diversity of an ant community in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Between 2006 and 2009, researchers monitored the ant community in an artificial clearing using pitfall traps, identifying 42 species overall. After A. gracilipes arrived in 2007, community diversity declined, even before species richness decreased. Ecologically similar native species, such as Dolichoderus affinis, were among the first to disappear. The study suggests that abiotic factors like irregular flooding events may have further influenced community composition, potentially impacting invasive species more than native ones, which may be better adapted to these conditions.

Mezger, D., & Pfeiffer, M. (2011). Influence of the arrival of Anoplolepis gracilipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the composition of an ant community in a clearing in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Penerbit UMS. https://doi.org/10.20362/AM.004006