Elissa Suhr (PhD Candidate)  

The Argentine ant is native to South America and has spread worldwide via human commerce to become established on six continents and many oceanic islands. Colony structure differs markedly between its native and introduced ranges. Argentine ants can form massive supercolonies and this trait may contribute to their ecological success in introduced ranges. The Argentine ant has invaded widely in Australia.

In my Honours research that used five microsatellite loci and intraspecific aggression assays, I reported that Argentine ants in Melbourne form a genetically and behaviourally homogenous supercolony spanning ~90 km.  A pilot study across Australia showed no greater levels of genetic differentiation, suggesting an Australia-wide supercolony. For my PhD, the sampling effort across Australia was increased to follow up on this indication. I am investigating the colony structure of Argentine ants within and between three cities across southern Australia using eleven microsatellite loci, six mitochondrial DNA regions and intraspecific aggression assays. I also obtained eleven potential source populations worldwide for genetic analyses. The results will give insight into the colonization and movement patterns of Argentine ants in Australia.