Aliens on the Menu: High Prevalence of Introduced Ants in the Diet of Galápagos Lava Lizards, Microlophus spp.

Aliens on the Menu: High Prevalence of Introduced Ants in the Diet of Galápagos Lava Lizards, Microlophus spp. | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Aliens on the Menu: High Prevalence of Introduced Ants in the Diet of Galápagos Lava Lizards, Microlophus spp. Ignacio J. Moreno-Buitrón, Estefanía Boada-Viteri, Juan Manuel Guayasamin, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4566875/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Aug, 2024 Read the published version in Biological Invasions → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Galápagos Archipelago, a unique and ever-changing natural experiment, has seen an increase in introduced species due to increased human mobility. Among these, introduced ants represent a significant concern given their potential to reach high densities and displace native fauna. This study analyzed the diet of six Galápagos lava lizard species (Microlophus spp.) through the examination of 177 fecal pellets collected over two seasons. We identified 7084 food items across 39 categories, with ants predominating, making up 65% of occurrences and 90% of the total abundance. Notably, introduced ants constituted 57.1% of these occurrences and 79.4% of the total abundance, indicating a significant prevalence of non-native prey. This finding suggests a substantial shift in the islands’ ecological dynamics away from their natural state (i.e., without introduced ants). We also explore the dietary breadth of each lizard species and their similarity. Finally, we discuss the possible direct and indirect effects of the high prevalence of ants in the diet of Galápagos lava lizards, report interesting findings in their diet, and advocate for the use of feces as a non-invasive method to monitor for invasive ants. Our study highlights the ecological changes underway on these islands, underscoring the need for targeted conservation strategies to mitigate the impact of invasive species and preserve Galápagos biodiversity. Archipelago exotic Formicidae island invasive Tropiduridae. Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Aug, 2024 Read the published version in Biological Invasions → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Jun, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 23 Jun, 2024 Editor invited by journal 18 Jun, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 12 Jun, 2024 First submitted to journal 11 Jun, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4566875","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":317920084,"identity":"c34c244f-1782-4a68-a90a-5a62cbe45b2b","order_by":0,"name":"Ignacio J. 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Among these, introduced ants represent a significant concern given their potential to reach high densities and displace native fauna. This study analyzed the diet of six Galápagos lava lizard species (Microlophus spp.) through the examination of 177 fecal pellets collected over two seasons. We identified 7084 food items across 39 categories, with ants predominating, making up 65% of occurrences and 90% of the total abundance. Notably, introduced ants constituted 57.1% of these occurrences and 79.4% of the total abundance, indicating a significant prevalence of non-native prey. This finding\nsuggests a substantial shift in the islands’ ecological dynamics away from their natural state (i.e., without introduced ants). We also explore the dietary breadth of each lizard species and their similarity. 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