Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/L008904/1
The impact and spread of the 'Asian super ant': an alien invasive species in the UK
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor EJH Robinson, University of York, Biology
- Grant held at:
- University of York, Biology
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- Invasive alien species are capable of dramatically altering native ecosystems, including causing extinctions. Invasive species cost Britain at least 1.7billion GBP per year through damage and management costs; the true cost of their impact on biodiversity is likely to be much higher. The 'Asian super ant', Lasius neglectus has recently invaded Europe. This species is known to be damaging elsewhere in Europe, but since its arrival in the UK in 2010 no research has been carried out to investigate its impact on our native species. This project will investigate the spread, impact and behaviour of the Asian super ant in the UK, providing results that will inform management policy for the control of invasive species. Aims 1 To assess the scale of the Asian super ant invasion in the UK 2 To measure its impact on native species 3 To investigate what behaviours make this ant a successful invader This project will be carried out in collaboration with Hymettus Ltd, a charitable company with the aim of furthering the conservation of bees, ants, wasps and other invertebrates in Britain. Hymettus Ltd provides specialist support services, especially in species identification and ecological field techniques and will train the student in these areas. Through its affiliation with the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society, BWARS, Hymettus will give the student information about new sightings of the Asian super ant as they are reported. There are three known sites of the Asian super ant in UK. The student will visit these to assess how much the ant is spreading from these sites, and will also visit all newly reported sites to check identification and assess the invasion. The student will measure the effects that the Asian super ant has on native species, and compare these with the effects of the related native ant species Lasius niger, the Black garden ant. To collect individual-level data, e.g. on foraging rate, the student will use cutting-edge radio-tagging technology (RFID). To learn about the behaviours that make this ant a successful invader, the student will set up lab colonies of the Asian super ant and the Black garden ant, and perform controlled experiments to compare their behaviour, including foraging techniques and aggression. The results of this project will provide the first information on the spread, impact and behaviour of the Asian super ant in the UK. This data will be beneficial both academically and to the applied conservation community. Advice on the control and management of this invasive species will be made widely available: publicly via the BWARS and Hymettus websites; directly to any site owners concerned and to policy-makers through Hymettus' links with government bodies e.g. Natural England, DEFRA. Records of the invasion will be lodged publicly on the National Biodiversity Network. Tighter control of invasive species is a key target of the new EU Biodiversity Strategy and a goal of the UK's Biodiversity Framework. The results of this project will make a valuable contribution towards these targets.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/L008904/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Industrial CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £83,515
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| £16,226 | £11,000 | £56,292 |
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