The affect of wooden and concrete house on the occurrence and behaviour of household ant, paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicinae)

Abstract

Ants are abundant, diverse and ecologically dominant. P. longicornis is an invasive ant which is accidentally spread by human commerce around the world. P. longicornis may act as a predator upon pest species in plantations and agriculture farms. In spite of that, this cosmopolitan ant species is also a pest in houses (Fox et. al, 2007). P. longicornis is one of the most common ants found in buildings and would be the first species to arrive in a newly disturbed habitats or new buildings (Lee, 2002). The aim of this study is to determine and compare the variation in behaviour and nesting of P. longicornis found in wooden and concrete houses. Thus, this study intends to update all biological information on P. longicornis that is not much being studied worldwide.