Invasion of the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Taiwan

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata is an invasive species native to Central and South America. We report the establishment of this species in Taiwan, which is also the first confirmed population in the East Asian region. Little fire ants were found at two locations in central Taiwan, separated by approximately 30 km. Genetic and behavioral analyses indicated that the two populations both employ clonal reproduction and showed no aggression towards each other. Results of population genetic analyses indicate that the two populations are most likely derived from a common source population or genetically similar populations.