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In a recent study, and discovered micronutrients in the ground (Nylanderia fulva).

Tawny crazy ants—named for their fast, erratic movements—can blanket the ground by the millions. Originating in South America and now established in parts of the southern U.S., they .

Crazy ants are . Ants crave these sugary resources, which , enabling them to outcompete native species and ultimately spread.

The nutritional content of nectar and honeydew vary widely, however, . There are 25 chemical elements required to build life—too much or too little of one may cause disease. So far, ecologists only really know about the importance of macronutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, that are abundant in living tissue. My team wanted to learn more about what micronutrients might be important to crazy ants.

We conducted a fertilization experiment at the and were able to demonstrate that the abundance of tawny crazy ants decreased 24% where there was more potassium and 45% where there was more sodium and potassium.

What greatly surprised our team was the discovery that ants were 13% more abundant in areas where there was more calcium—even in areas that had more sodium and potassium. This finding, , could have big implications for the continued spread of crazy ants.

Why it matters

Ours is the first study showing calcium is important to an invasive ant, which is somewhat surprising given ants don't have bones. It turns out, though, calcium is important in their , and .

, the calcium-rich limestone bedrock of the lower U.S. Midwest may provide ideal conditions for populations to explode. Farmlands may be at risk because calcium is found in many fertilizers. Additionally, cities often have , thanks to heavy cement use, limestone quarrying and destruction of buildings.

Tawny crazy ants not only are a major threat to the biodiversity and conservation of ecosystems but also .

What still isn't known

Our results add to a small but to insects.

How far will tawny crazy ants make it in the United States? Will calcium influence their spread? Could other micronutrients like magnesium or iron be important to crazy ants?

In a world where at an alarming rate, people may be unwittingly creating more favorable habitats for some invasive species. Figuring out which elements are most important to invasive species will be key to predicting, preventing and managing their spread.

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