Ability to Respond Total:15 / 25Ability to Respond = ( Ease of Response + Tools in Place )
Confidence:Medium
Confidence Notes:
Impact
Spread
Notes
Score
Spread Rate
Queens fly, ants may be transported in vegetation or soil, or they may hitchhike on just about anything.
5
Spread Amount
Found in grasslands and forest openings, likes disturbed sites, natural (riverbanks, animal trails) or man-made. Found in tropical to warm temperate lowland S. America. Rapid colonizer of disturbed areas.
4
Damage
Notes
Score
Ecological
Capable of displacing native ant species, a potential threat to birds and small mammals.
2
Agricultural
Tends honeydew producing insects (i.e., aphids), Impacts to farm workers and poultry. Costly treatments to containerized nursery stock to allow movement from infested areas.
4
Infrastructure
2
Cultural
Negative effects on gardening and recreational use of infested areas.
2
Health
Inflicts painful sting, in some cases anaphalaxis may occur.
2
Benefit
Notes
Score
Ecological
0
Agricultural
0
Infrastructure
0
Cultural
0
Health
0
Total
21
Ability to Respond
Ease of Response
Notes
Score
Detection
Detection must be made visually, ie. Noticing the presence of ants or ant hills that appear different than what is normally present. Detection may also be made physically (ie. Getting stung).
2
Control
Queen unaffected by poison baits (fed by workers), infestations may be massive, chemical treatment may exacerbate problem (injury to competing ant species). Injecting individual mounds is costly and time-consuming. Some predators/enemies in S. America.
