Invasive and socially parasitic ants are good bioindicators of habitat quality in Mediterranean forest remnants in northeast Spain

We surveyed ants in 16 forest remnants in the Vallès lowlands north of Barcelona, Spain: eight with invasive exotic ants (IE = Linepithema humile and/or Lasius neglectus) present, seven with native parasitic ants (P = Lasius meridionalis, Lasius carniolicus, Plagiolepis xene, Chalepoxenus muellerianus, and/or Polyergus rufescens) present, and one remnant with both invasive exotic and parasitic ants present. Forest remnants with IE ants were smaller, more isolated, had greater perimeter/area, lower ant species density, and lower ant species richness than remnants with P ants. The community composition was also significantly different, with greater dissimilarity within remnants with alien, invasive species. The presence of some species is bio-indicator of low disturbance, whereas others are indicative of high disturbance. Our findings underscore the value of different types of ants as bio-indicators of fragmentation and habitat quality. © 2013 The Ecological Society of Japan.