New research helps to explain the dynamics of conflicts between native and non-native invasive ants, suggesting a new approach for managing invasive species.

New research using insight from virtual gaming and real-world ant battles shows how native insects can be given an upper hand against some aggressive introduced species, which could help guide non-native invasive ant management.

These concepts were then confirmed in the real-world by observing ant battles between Australian meat ants, a native species, and smaller Argentine ants, a notorious pest.

“We used two ant species that clearly differed in their fighting prowess.”

Dr Bruce Webber, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, said the ant battlefield research could have practical application for non-native invasive ant management.

“Non-native invasive ants are some of the worst pests on the planet, costing the global economy tens of billions of dollars per year,” Dr Webber said.