Data from: Chemical warfare among invaders: a detoxification interaction facilitates an ant invasion

As tawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva) invade the southern USA, they often displace imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). Following exposure to S. invicta venom, N. fulva applies abdominal exocrine gland secretions to its cuticle. Bioassays reveal that these secretions detoxify S. invicta venom. Further, formic acid, from N. fulva venom, is the detoxifying agent. N. fulva exhibits this detoxification behavior after conflict with a variety of ant species; however, it expresses it most intensely after interactions with S. invicta. This behavior may have evolved in their shared South American native range. The unique capacity to detoxify a major competitor’s venom likely contributes substantially to its ability to displace S. invicta populations, making this behavior a causative agent in the ecological transformation of regional arthropod assemblages.

黄疯蚁（Nylanderia fulva）入侵美国南部地区时，常会取代入侵红火蚁（Solenopsis invicta）的种群。当接触到红火蚁的毒液后，黄疯蚁会将自身腹部外分泌腺（exocrine gland）的分泌物涂抹于体表角质层（cuticle）。生物测定法（Bioassays）结果表明，此类分泌物能够有效中和红火蚁毒液。进一步研究显示，黄疯蚁毒液中的甲酸正是该解毒行为的活性物质。黄疯蚁在与多种蚂蚁发生冲突后，均会展现出此种解毒行为，但在与红火蚁互动后，该行为的表达强度最高。该行为或许是在二者共同的南美原生分布区中演化形成的。黄疯蚁具备解毒主要竞争者毒液的独特能力，这极大概率是其得以取代红火蚁种群的核心驱动因素之一，也使得该行为成为推动区域节肢动物群落生态重构的关键诱因。