One of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Detected in Cyprus

Abstract

Native to the Neotropics, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) has been unintentionally introduced around the world, heavily impacting native ant biodiversity, societies, and economies as well as human and animal health due to its potentially dangerous stings. Herein we report on the first record of W. auropunctata in Cyprus. Specimens were collected from plant nurseries and tourist facilities in Paphos and Limassol district. Wasmannia auropunctata is believed to spread via the horticultural pathway to locations with sufficient humidity. Further research is necessary to determine the distribution and assess possible negative impacts of W. auropunctata to native biodiversity, society, the economy and human health in Cyprus.

Full text

Open access journal: http://periodicos.uefs.br/index.php/sociobiology
ISSN: 0361-6525
DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v69i4.8536
Sociobiology 69(4): e8536 (December, 2022)
Introduction
Invasive alien species (hereafter IAS) represent
one of the main causes of biodiversity loss with impacts
on ecosystem function and services (Vilà & Hulme, 2017;
Blackburn et al., 2019). Alien species also negatively affect
societies, economies as well as both human and animal
health and well-being on a global scale (Mazza & Tricarico,
2018; Chinchio et al., 2020; Pyšek et al., 2020). More than
14,000 alien species are currently distributed across Europe,
including 65 alien ant species (EASIN, 2022). Among them,
four species have been identied as IAS of Union Concern,
namely the re ants Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius, 1804),
S. invicta Buren, 1972 and S. richteri Forel, 1909 as well as the
Abstract
Wasmannia auropunctata
       

         
   W. auropunctata
        
       Wasmannia
auropunctata

       
 W. auropunctata     

Sociobiology
An international journal on social insects
4
Arcle History
Edited by





Keywords
    
    

Corresponding author






little re ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) (EU
Regulation 1203/2022). Furthermore, four alien ant species
have been identied among the 100 of the World’s Worst
Invasive Alien Species (GISD, 2022), namely the Argentine
ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868), the recently revised
African big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius,
1793) (Salata & Fisher, 2022), the red imported re ant S.
invicta, and W. auropunctata. These species have been
considered responsible inter alia for the displacement of local
ant species, economic losses in agriculture and have been
reported as human nuisance (GISD, 2022).
Wasmannia auropunctata also called the “electric
ant” and “little or small re ant” is native to the Neotropical
zoogeographic realm and currently spread throughout the







Wasmannia auropunctata 


Jakovos Demetriou et al. – First record of Wasmannia auropunctata in Cyprus

world (Wetterer, 2013; Janicki et al., 2016; Guénard et al.,
2017). Within its invaded range, it has been found to reduce
native arthropod biodiversity (Lubin, 1984; Roque-Albelo
et al., 2000; Wetterer & Porter, 2003; Mbenoun-Masse et
al., 2017), affect the fecundity and fertility of vertebrates
(i.e. tortoises and birds) (Hayashi, 1999; Roque-Albelo &
Causton, 1999; Nishida & Evenhuis, 2000) but also to pose a
signicant health risk to humans due to its stinging that may
cause anaphylactic shocks to allergic people or harm domestic
animals (i.e. cats and dogs) (Wetterer et al., 1999; Nishida &
Evenhuis, 2000; Wetterer & Porter, 2003; Kidon et al., 2022).
In Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, W.
auropunctata has been reported indoors in the United
Kingdom (Donisthorpe, 1908), Germany (Geiter et al., 2002)
and the Netherlands (Boer & Vierbergen, 2008). The species
was recorded once in 1996 in Italy (Lisa Blanca island)
(Jucker et al., 2008), although upon further investigations “W.
auropunctata is to be considered absent from Lisca Bianca
where it was probably recorded erroneously” (Mr Enrico
Schifani, personal communication, September 23, 2022;
see Schifani, 2022). In Israel (Vonshak et al., 2009, 2010;
Vonshak & Ionescu-Hirsch, 2009) and Spain (Espadaler
et al., 2018, 2020) W. auropunctata has established viable
populations and spread into natural habitats. In Cyprus, nine
species of alien ants have been identied (Salata et al., 2019).
Nevertheless, the presence of Cardiocondyla mauritanica
Forel, 1890, Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus, 1758) and
Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius, 1804) on the island have been
supported only by single literature records (Emery, 1909;
Collingwood et al., 1997; Wetterer, 2010). In this publication,
W. auropunctata is reported for the rst time in Cyprus.
Materials and methods
Material examined
CYPRUS: ● Paphos, Veronica hotel [34.749580oN,
32.428932oE], alt. 20 m, 24.IV.2022, leg. and ident. L.
Borowiec and S. Salata, habitat details: hotel parking area.
● Paphos, Kato Paphos, [34.736479, 32.435402], alt. 6 m.
29.IV.2022, leg. and ident. L. Borowiec and S. Salata, habitat
details: collected from sea shore at night. ● Paphos, Kissonerga
- Lemba [34.813211, 32.410112], alt. 85 m, 30.IV.2022, leg.
J. Demetriou, C. Georgiadis, L. Borowiec and S. Salata, ident.
L. Borowiec and S. Salata, habitat details: in plant nursery on
plastic sheets placed on the soil. ● Paphos, Kissonerga - Lemba
[34.813211, 32.410112], alt. 85 m, 07.IΧ.2022, leg. J. Demetriou,
ident. J. Demetriou, habitat details: in plant nursery on plastic
sheets placed on the soil. ● Paphos, Kissonerga [34.8333632,
32.405394], alt. 109 m, 30.IV.2022, leg. J. Demetriou, C.
Georgiadis, L. Borowiec and S. Salata, ident. L. Borowiec and
S. Salata, habitat details: in plant nursery on the soil. ● Paphos,
Chlorakas [34.7979, 32.3960], alt. 20 m, 6+23.VIII.2022, leg.
J. Demetriou, ident. J. Demetriou, habitat details: on pedestrian
path with ornamental surrounded by luxury villas. ● Limassol,
Kato Polemidia [34.6811, 33.0051], alt. 38 m, 26.III.2022,
leg. J. Demetriou, ident. L. Borowiec, habitat details: urban
park, nest under rock close to Pistacia atlantica. ● Limassol,
Savvas Savva Park [34.6805, 33.0357], alt. 15 m, 31.V.2022,
leg. J. Demetriou, ident. L. Borowiec and S. Salata, habitat
details: collected from pavement bordering urban park, shaded,
predominantly with large Ficus microcarpa L. trees (Fig 1, 2).
Specimens were collected by hand and stored in ≥70o
ethanol at the Myrmecological Laboratory, Department
of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Taxonomy, University
of Wroclaw, Poland and JD’s personal collection. Species
identication was performed using the identication keys of
Bolton (1994) and Longino and Fernández (2007) as well as
through comparison with available photographic material on
AntWeb (2022).
(https://www.antweb.org/images.do?subfa
mily=myrmicinae&genus=wasmannia&species=auropunct
ata&rank=species&project=allantwebants). The competent
authorities were informed upon the identication of collected
specimens.
Fig 1. Habitus of worker of Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863),
dorsal and lateral, collected from Cyprus (locality Kissonerga): scale
bar 0.5 mm (photographed by L. Borowiec).
Maps
Maps were created using QGIS Version 3.18.2 free
and open source Geographic Information System (https://
qgis.org/en/site/).
Results and discussion
Specimens of W. auropunctata were collected in urban
habitats of Limassol and Paphos such as a hotel’s parking
area, two plant nurseries, and urban parks; representing the

Sociobiology 69(4): e8536 (December, 2022) 
ornamental and aromatic plants grown in well-irrigated
plant nurseries and subsequently planted in parks and tourist
facilities with sufcient moisture.
In neighbouring Israel, it was suspected that “W.
auropunctata was rst established in irrigated gardens in
the warm climate of the Jordan Valley, and only afterwards
spread into less favourable habitats […] through commercial
transport of chopped wood, logs, and potted plants” (Vonshak
et al., 2010). “As initial eradication efforts failed the ants
widely spread mainly by commerce in owerpots” (Dr Armin
Ionescu, personal communication, September 5, 2022). As a
result, the species currently occurs predominantly in irrigated
habitats or near natural water sources with frequent human
activity, enabling its survival in both warmer and drier
habitats than those of its native range (Vonshak et al., 2010).
In addition, the species has been found entering households
during the warm summer months in search of habitats with
sufcient moisture (Vonshak et al., 2010), a much needed
resource that is considered to facilitate the species spread
(Meier, 1994; Vonshak et al., 2010).
Its adverse environmental impacts on the abundance,
species richness, and community composition of native
arthropod biodiversity in Israel (Vonshak et al., 2010) as well
as the related human health risks connected with a reported
case of severe anaphylactic allergic reaction (Kidon et al.,
2022), conrm the need for further research on its origin,
distribution, pathways of spread and impacts on Cyprus.
Fig 2. Current known distribution of Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) in the Mediterranean Basin and Cyprus (inset).
rst records for Cyprus and supplementing our knowledge
around the distribution of this invasive alien ant in Europe and
the Mediterranean (Fig. 2). Opportunistic material surveys in
Larnaca, Famagusta and Nicosia yielded no specimens. As
biological invasions have been found to pose an important
threat to island ecosystems (Reaser et al., 2007; Russel et
al., 2017), the presence of W. auropunctata in Cyprus raises
concerns regarding its possible spread to natural habitats and
threat towards native biodiversity. This omnivorous alien
species is predicted to expand its range in Cyprus over the
next decades because of its ability to colonize and establish in
a wide range of disturbed and undisturbed habitats (Longino
& Fernández, 2007; Mbenoun Masse et al., 2017; CABI,
2022), construct polygynous nests in a variety of substrates
(Longino & Fernández, 2007) and tolerate a wide range of
climatic and environmental conditions (i.e. altitude and
humidity) (Longino & Fernández, 2007; Vonshak et al., 2010;
Cuezzo et al., 2015).
Horizon scanning exercises for IAS not yet present
on the island, ranked W. auropunctata amongst the top 50
most likely IAS to reach Cyprus and potentially threaten
human health and the island’s economy (Peyton et al., 2020).
Peyton et al. (2020) mention organic packing material, ships,
containers and natural dispersal across borders as the most
prominent introduction pathways for the species. Based on
our study, the W. auropunctata is presumed to have spread
through the horticultural pathway, hidden in the soil of

Jakovos Demetriou et al. – First record of Wasmannia auropunctata in Cyprus
4
Furthermore, Cyprus has similar climatological conditions to
Israel therefore we expect that the spread of W. auropunctata
could follow the same patterns observed in Israel causing
negative impacts to biodiversity, human health and socio-
economic parameters. The use of molecular markers could
help identify the origin and number of introductions of W.
auropunctata in Cyprus. Further research is necessary to
assess both the native and alien myrmecofauna of Cyprus,
which are relatively understudied. Structured material
surveys in plant nurseries and touristic facilities are required
to study pathways of introduction and further spread of W.
auropunctata. Additionally, sampling in natural habitats could
enhance early detection efforts in protected areas and establish
effective management strategies for its rapid eradication.
Acknowledgements
We are very thankful to Dr Armin Ionescu (The
Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University)
and Section Editor MSc Enrico Schifani (Department of
Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability,
Università degli Studi di Parma) for their valuable provided
information on the distribution of W. auropunctata in Israel
and Italy, respectively. We are also thankful to the anonymous
reviewers for their comments, suggestions and corrections
upon the manuscript. We would also like to thank the UK
Government through Darwin Plus (DPLUS0124), for funding
this project and material surveys of Jakovos Demetriou.
Authors’ Contributions
Conceptualization: JD, SS; Methodology: JD, CG, LB, SS;
Software: JD; Validation – Verication: LB, SS; Formal analysis:
JD; Investigation: JD, CG, AFM, HER, LB, SS; Resources: JD,
CG, AFM, HER, LB, SS; Data Curation: JD; Writing-Original
Draft: JD, SS; Writing-Review & Editing: JD, CG, AFM, HER,
LB, SS; Visualization: JD, LB; Supervision: AFM, HER, LB,
SS; Project administration: SS; Funding acquisition: AFM,
HER, LB, SS.
References
AntWeb. (2022). Version 8.81. California Academy of Sciences.
https://www.antweb.org. (accessed date: 14 May, 2022).
Blackburn, T.M., Bellard, C. & Ricciardi, A. (2019). Alien
versus native species as drivers of recent extinctions. Frontiers
in Ecology and the Environment, 17: 203-207. doi: 10.1002/
fee.2020
Boer, P. & Vierbergen, B. (2008). Exotic ants in the Netherlands
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomologische Berichten, 68:
121-129.
Bolton, B. (1994). Identication guide to the ant genera of the
world. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 222 pp.
Brangham, A.N. (1938). Additions to the wild fauna and ora
of the Royal Botanic gardens, Kew: XVIII. Bulletin of
Miscellaneous Information (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew),
9: 390-396.
CABI (2022). Wasmannia auropunctata (little re ant).
https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/56704 (accessed date: 14
May, 2022).
Chinchio, E., Crotta, M., Romeo, C., Drewe, J.A., Guitian,
J. & Ferrari, N. (2020). Invasive alien species and disease
risk: An open challenge in public and animal health. PLoS
Pathogens, 16: e1008922. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008922
Collingwood, C.A., Tigar, B.J. & Agosti, D. (1997).
Introduced ants in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Arid
Environments, 37: 505-512. doi: 10.1006/jare.1997.0309
Cuezzo, F., Calcaterra, L.A., Chifet, L. & Follett, P. (2015).
Wasmannia Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
in Argentina: Systematics and distribution. Sociobiology, 62:
246-265. doi: 10.13102/sociobiology.v62i2.246-265
Donisthorpe, H. (1908). Additions to the wild fauna and
ora of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: VII. Hymenoptera.
Formicidae (ants). Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information,
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1908: 121-122.
EASIN. (2022). European Alien Species Information Network.
https://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu/easin (accessed date: 15 May, 2022)
Emery, C. (1909). Beiträge zurm der Formiciden des
paläarktischen faunengebietes. (Hym.) Teil VI. Deutsche
Entomologische Zeitschrift, 1909: 19-37.
Espadaler, X., Pradera, C. & Santana, J.A. (2018). The rst
outdoor-nesting population of Wasmannia auropunctata in
continental Europe (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Iberomyrmex,
10: 5-12.
Espadaler, X., Pradera, C., Santana, J.A. & Ríos Reyes, A.
(2020). Dos nuevas poblaciones europeas de la pequeña
hormiga de fuego, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863)
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en Andalucía (España). Boletín
de la SAE, 30: 189-192.
Geiter, O., Homma, S. & Kinzelbach, R. (2002). Bestandsaufnahme
der neozoen in Deutschland. Forschungsbericht
Umweltforschungsplan des Bundesministeriums fur Umwelt,
Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, 308 p
GISD. (2022). Global Invasive Species Database. http://www.
iucngisd.org/gisd/100_worst.php on 14-05-2022 (accessed date:
14 May, 2022)
Guénard, B., Weiser, M., Gomez, K., Narula, N. & Economo, E.P.
(2017). The Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics (GABI) database:
a synthesis of ant species geographic distributions. Myrmecological
News, 24: 83-89. doi: 10.25849/myrmecol.news_024:083
Hayashi, A.M. (1999). Attack of the re ants. Scientic American,
280: 26-28.

Sociobiology 69(4): e8536 (December, 2022) 
Janicki, J., Narula, N., Ziegler, M., Guénard, B. & Economo,
E.P. (2016). Visualizing and interacting with large-volume
biodiversity data using client-server web-mapping applications:
The design and implementation of antmaps.org. Ecological
Informatics, 32: 185-193. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2016.02.006
Jucker, C., Rigato, F. & Regalin, R. (2008). Exotic ant records
from Italy (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bollettino di Zoologia
Agraria e di Bachicoltura Series II, 40: 99-107.
Kidon, M., Klein, Y. & Weinberg, T. (2022). Little re ant
(Wasmannia auropunctata) in Israel – from nuisance to life-
threatening. Harefuah, 161: 207-209.
Longino, J.T. & Fernández, F. (2007). Taxonomic review of
the genus Wasmannia. In R.R. Snelling, B.L. Fisher & P.S.
Ward (Eds.), Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O.
Wilson – 50 years of contributions (pp. 271-289). Memoirs of
the American Entomological Institute, 80.
Lubin, Y. (1984). Changes in the native fauna of the Galapagos
Islands following invasion by the little re ant Wasmannia
auropunctata. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 21:
229-242. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1984.tb02064.x
Mazza G, Tricarico E (2018) Invasive species and human
health. Wallingford: CABI, 186 p
Mbenoun-Masse, P.S., Tindo, M., Kenne, M., Tadu, Z.,
Mony, R. & Djieto-Lordon, C. (2017). Impact of the invasive
ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) on
local ant diversity in southern Cameroon. African Journal of
Ecology, 55: 423-432. doi: 10.1111/aje.12366
Meier, R.E. (1994). Coexisting patterns and foraging behavior
of introduced and native ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in
the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). In D.F. Williams (Ed.),
Exotic ants: biology, impact and control of introduced species
(pp. 174-180). Boulder: Westview Press.
Nishida, G.M. & Evenhuis, N.L. (2000). Arthropod pests
of conservation signicance in the Pacic: A preliminary
assessment of selected groups. In G. Sherley (Ed.), Invasive
Species in the Pacic: A Technical Review and Draft Regional
Strategy (pp. 154-142). Samoa: South Pacic Regional
Environment Programme.
Peyton, J.M., Martinou, A.F., Adriaens, T., Chartosia, N.,
Karachle, P.K., Rabitsch, W., Tricarico, E., Arianoutsou,
M., Bacher, S., Bazos, I., Brundu, G., Bruno-McClung, E.,
Charalambidou, I., Demetriou, M., Galanidi, M., Galil, B.,
Guillem, R., Hadjiafxentis, K., Hadjioannou, L., Hadjistylli,
M., Hall-Spencer, J.M., Jimenez, C., Johnstone, G., Kleitou,
P., Kletou, D., Koukkoularidou, D., Leontiou, S., Maczey, N.,
Michailidis, N., Mountford, J.O., Papatheodoulou, A., Pescott,
O.L., Phanis, C., Preda, C., Rorke, S., Shaw, R., Solarz, W.,
Taylor, C.D., Trajanovski, S., Tziortzis, I., Tzirkalli, E.,
Uludag, A., Vimercati, G., Zdraveski, K., Zenetos, A. &
Roy, H.E. (2020). Horizon scanning to predict and prioritize
invasive alien species with the potential to threaten human
health and economies on Cyprus. Frontiers in Ecology and
Evolution, 8: 1-15. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2020.566281
Pyšek, P., Hulme, P.E., Simberloff, D., Bacher, S., Blackburn,
T.M., Carlton, J.T., Dawson, W., Essl, F., Foxcroft, L.C.,
Genovesi, P., Jeschke, J.M., Kühn, I., Liebhold, A.M., Mandrak,
N.E., Meyerson, L.A., Pauchard, A., Pergl, J., Roy, H.E.,
Seebens, H., van Kleunen, M., Vilà, M., Wingeld, M.J. &
Richardson, D.M. (2020). Scientists’ warning on invasive
alien species. Biological Reviews, 95: 1511-1534. doi: 10.11
11/brv.12627
Reaser, J., Meyerson, L., Cronk, Q., de Poorter, M., Elgrege,
L., Green, E., Kairo, M., Latasi, P., Mack, R.N., Mauremooto,
J., O’Down, D., Orapa, W., Sastroutomo, S., Saunders, A.,
Shine, C., Thrainsson, S. & Vaiutu, L. (2007). Ecological and
socioeconomic impacts of invasive alien species in island
ecosystems. Environmental Conservation, 34: 98-111. doi:
10.1017/S0376892907003815
Roque-Albelo, L. & Causton, C. (1999). El Niño and the
introduced insects in the Galápagos Islands: Different dispersal
strategies, similar effects. Noticias de Galápagos, 60: 30-36.
Roque-Albelo, L., Causton, C.E. & Mieles, A. (2000). The
ants of Marchena Island, twelve years after the introduction
of the little re ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. Noticias de
Galápagos, 61:17-20.
Russell, J.C., Meyer, J.-Y., Holmes, N.D. & Pagad, S. (2017).
Invasive alien species on islands: impacts, distribution,
interactions and management. Environmental Conservation,
44: 359-370. doi: 10.1017/S0376892917000297
Salata, S. & Fisher, B.L. (2022). Taxonomic revision of
the Pheidole megacephala species-group (Hymenoptera,
Formicidae) from the Malagasy Region. PeerJ, 10: e13263.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13263
Salata, S., Georgiadis, C. & Borowiec, L. (2019). Invasive ant
species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Greece and Cyprus.
North-Western Journal of Zoology, 15(1): 13-23. Available at:
https://biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/content/v15n1/nwjz_e171204_
Salata.pdf
Schifani, E. (2022). The new checklist of the Italian fauna:
Formicidae. Biogeographia - The Journal of Integrative
Biogeography, 37: ucl006. doi: 10.21426/B637155803
Vilà, M. & Hulme, P.E. (2017). Impact of biological invasions
on ecosystem services. Cham: Invading Nature - Springer
Series in Invasion Ecology 12, 354p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-
45121-3
Vonshak, M. & Ionescu-Hirsch, A. (2009). A checklist of the
ants of Israel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Israel Journal of
Entomology, 39: 33-55. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.217979
Vonshak, M., Dayan, T. & Hefetz, A. (2009). The little re

Jakovos Demetriou et al. – First record of Wasmannia auropunctata in Cyprus

ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) in Israel. https://www.tau.
ac.il/lifesci/zoology/members/dayan_files/articles/merav_
ziv_2006.pdf (accessed date: 14 May, 2022)
Vonshak, M., Dayan, T., Ionescu-Hirsh, A., Freidberg, A. &
Hefetz, A. (2010). The little re ant Wasmannia auropunctata:
a new invasive species in the Middle East and its impact on
the local arthropod fauna. Biological Invasions, 12: 1825-
1837. doi: 10.1007/s10530-009-9593-2
Wetterer, J.K. & Porter, S.D. (2003). The little re ant,
Wasmannia auropunctata: distribution, impact and control.
Sociobiology, 44: 1-41.
Wetterer, J.K. (2010). Worldwide spread of the pharaoh
ant, Monomorium pharaonis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
Myrmecological News, 13: 115-129.
Wetterer, J.K. (2013). Worldwide spread of the little re
ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews, 6: 173-184. doi: 10.1163/18
749836-06001068
Wetterer, J.K., Walsh, P.D. & White, L.J.T. (1999). Wasmannia
auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a highly
destructive tramp ant, in wildlife refuges of Gabon, West Africa.
African Entomology, 7: 292-294.