Economic costs of invasive non-native species in urban areas: An underexplored financial drain.

Urbanization is an important driver of global change associated with a set of environmental modifications that affect the introduction and distribution of invasive non-native species (species with populations transported by humans beyond their natural biogeographic range that established and are spreading in their introduced range; hereafter, invasive species). These species are recognized as a cause of large ecological and economic losses. Nevertheless, the economic impacts of these species in urban areas are still poorly understood.

Pet cat personality linked to owner-reported predation frequency.

The domestic cat, , is one of the most popular and widespread domestic animals. Because domestic cats can reach high population densities and retain at least some tendency to hunt, their overall impact on wildlife can be severe. Domestic cats have highly variable predation rates depending on the availability of prey in their environment, their owners' practices, and individual cat characteristics.

Absence of genetic isolation across highly fragmented landscape in the ant Temnothorax nigriceps.

Background: Human activities, including changes in agricultural landscapes, often impact biodiversity through habitat fragmentation. This potentially reduces genetic exchange between previously connected populations. Using a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial markers, we investigated (i) genetic diversity and population structure at multiple spatial scales and (ii) colony genetic structure and queen mating frequency in the ant species Temnothorax nigriceps in a highly anthropized environment.

Discrimination of conspecifics from heterospecifics in a hybrid zone: Behavioral and chemical cues in ants.

Species and nestmate recognition in social insects occurs mostly through cuticular hydrocarbons acting as chemical cues. These compounds generate a colony-specific odor profile depending on genetic and environmental factors. Species and nestmate recognition results in specific behavioral responses, regulating the level of aggression toward other individuals during an interaction.

The Native Ant Can Limit the Access to Resources of the Invasive Argentine Ant.

Within ant communities, the biotic resistance of native species against invasive ones is expected to be rare, because invasive species are often highly dominant competitors. The invasive Argentine ant ( (Mayr)) often demonstrated numerical dominance against its opponents, increased aggressiveness, and ability to quickly recruit to food. The present study aimed to assess the behavioral mechanisms involved in the interspecific competition between , facing either an invasive species ( Van Loon, Boomsma and Andrásfalvy) or a native dominant species ( (Linnaeus)).

Multiple mating in the context of interspecific hybridization between two Tetramorium ant species.

In eusocial Hymenoptera, haplodiploidy and polyandry may facilitate selection for hybridization. Interspecific hybridization is widespread in ants and can lead to hybrid inviability as well as the formation of new species through hybrid speciation. However, in ants, polyandry is uncommon.