All Across North Africa: The Non-Native Longhorn Crazy Ant Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Libya and Tunisia

Authors

  • Wala Oueslati Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1143-4942
  • Antonio Alicata Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7762-2420
  • Mattia Menchetti Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Berlin, Germany & Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu-Fabra), Barcelona, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0707-7495
  • Saïd Nouira Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
  • Enrico Schifani Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0684-6229

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v72i3.11799

Keywords:

ant diversity, alien species, Maghreb

Abstract

The longhorn crazy ant Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802) is one of the most widespread ant species worldwide due to human-mediated introductions. It is particularly successful in tropical and subtropical regions across all continents and has become widespread in the Mediterranean, where it is usually detected in heavily disturbed sites. Southern Europe seemingly represents the northern limit for outdoor populations in this region. Here we report the first data from Libya and Tunisia, bridging the only major distribution gap in North Africa. Specimens were collected from one Libyan and 15 Tunisian sites from 2003 to 2025. The range of P. longicornis is virtually continuous from Morocco to China. Despite its cosmopolitan range, very little is known about the interactions with native ants or other organisms.

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Published

2025-08-07

How to Cite

Oueslati, W., Alicata, A., Menchetti, M., Nouira, S., & Schifani, E. (2025). All Across North Africa: The Non-Native Longhorn Crazy Ant Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Libya and Tunisia. Sociobiology, 72(3), e11799. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v72i3.11799

Issue

Vol. 72 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Short Note

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Copyright (c) 2025 Wala Oueslati, Antonio Alicata, Mattia Menchetti, Saïd Nouira, Enrico Schifani

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