{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T21:31:30Z","timestamp":1771018290144,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,6]],"date-time":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1714953600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"KKL-JNF Israel","award":["UIDB\/00239\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00239\/2020"]}]},{"name":"KKL-JNF Israel","award":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal","award":["UIDB\/00239\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00239\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal","award":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal","award":["UIDB\/00239\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00239\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal","award":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Insects"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) poses a significant threat to ecosystem stability worldwide. In Mediterranean citrus ecosystems, its spread may be limited by interactions with dominant native ant species. We conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the competitive dynamics between Argentine ants and two major native species, Tapinoma nigerrimum and Lasius grandis. At the individual level, both native species exhibited superior competitive performance, attributed to their larger body sizes and potential differences in chemical defences. At the colony level, T. nigerrimum demonstrated efficiency in interference competition, successfully defending food resources from Argentine ants. However, the Argentine ant exhibited higher recruitment capacity, albeit it was density-dependent. Our findings support the hypothesis that dominant native ants can serve as barriers against Argentine ant invasion in citrus ecosystems, highlighting the importance of interspecific competition in shaping community dynamics and invasive species management. This study underscores the potential role of native ant species in mitigating the impacts of invasive ants on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes, offering valuable insights for invasive species management strategies in Mediterranean citrus ecosystems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/insects15050333","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,6]],"date-time":"2024-05-06T14:26:11Z","timestamp":1715005571000},"page":"333","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Do Dominant Native Ants Outcompete the Invasive Argentine Ant in Mediterranean Citrus Ecosystems? A Laboratory Test"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5202-881X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vera","family":"Zina","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory for Sustainable Land Use and Ecosystem Services, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Agroscope, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4579-951X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia","family":"Conde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8140-1257","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Branco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory for Sustainable Land Use and Ecosystem Services, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0898-3510","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 Carlos","family":"Franco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory for Sustainable Land Use and Ecosystem Services, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"187","article-title":"Worldwide spread of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)","volume":"12","author":"Wetterer","year":"2009","journal-title":"Myrmecol. 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