The introduced Argentine ant, L. humile (Mayr) , is abundant in many urban and agricultural locations in lowland California, and it has invaded natural habitats along rivers and in some coastal regions. Workers avidly tend plant nectaries and honeydew-producing hemipterans. L. humile aggressively eliminates epigeic (above-ground foraging) native ant species(Ward 1987; Human & Gordon 1996; Holway 1998). Most California populations of L. humile exhibit a unicolonial population structure, in which there is little or no intraspecific aggression, and they have reduced genetic diversity compared to native populations in Argentina (Tsutsui et al. 2000).
Additional references (a sampling only): Buczkowski et al. (2004), Carney et al. (2003), Gordon et al. (2001), Heller (2004), Holway (1999), Holway et al. (1998, 2002), Holway and Suarez (2004), Human and Gordon (1997), Ingram and Gordon (2003), Knight and Rust (1990), Longcore (2003), Newell and Barber (1913), Sanders et al. (2001), Shattuck (1992a, 1992c), Smith (1965), Suarez et al. (1998, 1999, 2001), Tsutsui and Case (2001), Tsutsui et al. (2003), Vega and Rust (2001).
Mas: Corpus angustian, elongatum. Mandibulae deplanatae, apice cruciatae, marginatus externo et interno parallelus, margine masticatorio obliquo indistincte denticulata. Palpi maxillares sexarticulata Caput quinquangulare, haud crassum, thorace vix latins Clypeus triangularis, postice impressione transversa curvata distinctissima et inter antennarum articulationes paulo interserias, margine antico curvata. Area frontalis triangularis indistincta. Laminae frontales brevissimae, vix pone antennarum articulationes continuatae. Antennae 13 articulatae filiformes; scapus brevis, funiculi articulas primus brevissimus incrassatus,. vix longior quam crassior, articulus secundus cylindricus scapo longior, articuli ceteri cylindrici sensim apicem versus breviores. Sulcus frontalis indistinctus. Oculi magni, laterales, prominentes. Ocelli magni. Thorax inermis. Petiolus supra cum squama erecta, humili, incrassata, latiore quam altiore, antice convexa, postice plana, supra margine incrassata. Abdomen dimidia corporis longitudine, supra subplanum, latius quam altius, thorace vix latius. Genitalium valvulae externae semicirculares occultae, tenues, valvulae intermediae filiformes, longue et pilosae; valvulae internae, intermediis longior es, laminaeformes quadrangulares, postice supra spina perlonga deorsum curvata et acuta, infra dente acuta triangulari. Hypopygium medio exsectum. Pedes graciles, calcaribus breviter pectinatis. Alae anticue cellulis cubitalibus duubus, cellula discoidali quinquangulari nec non cellula radiali clausa.
Diese Gattung, welche zu jener Gruppe gehoert, wo der Clypeus mehr oder weniger zwischen die Fuehlergelenke eingeschoben ist, naehert sich in Bezug der Fluegelzellenbildung am meisten den Gattungen Liometopum und Hypoclinea , von welchen sie sich besonders durch den hinten stark quer eingedrueckten Clyeus, durch die sowohl absolut als relativ zu den ziemlich verborgenen kleinen aeusseren Klappen bedeutend verlaengerten mittleren und inneren Genitalklappen, so wie durch die andere Koerpergestalt leicht unterscheidet, waehrend bei diesen beiden Gattungen der Clypeus hinten nicht eingedrueckt ist, die aeusseren Genitalklappen relativ zu den anderen Klappen gross sind und die mittleren und inneren Klappen klein und von den aeusseren Klappen eingeschlossen sind.
Linepithema is a genus of small ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae.[2]
Their native distribution rage from northern Mexico, east into the Caribbean, and south into northern Argentina. Two species have been spread around the world by human activities: L. iniquum and L. humile. The latter is better known as the Argentine ant, an invasive species with notable presence in Mediterranean climates. Linepithema species are found from sea level and up to 4,000 meters above sea level in the Andes.[3]
Linepithema is a genus of small ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae.
