Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802)

Material examined. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, 8 Sep 2005, collector unknown, yellow pan trap, ZRC _HYM_0000163; Commonwealth Avenue West, 21 Nov 2006, HK Lua leg., LHK 464, ZRC _HYM_0000167; Commonwealth Road, 1.31115, 103.78171, 22-24 Nov 2016, G.W.Yong leg., CW3/4, ZRC _HYM_0001525- 1527; HougangAvenue 4, 1.34561, 103.88884, 12-14 Dec 2016, G.W. Yong leg., trunk pitfall trap, HA4TPd952, ZRC _HYM_0001528; workers and males, National University of Singapore campus, Apr-Sep 2015, M.S. Foo & W. Wang leg., malaise trap, ZRC _BDP (multiple); Kent Ridge Park, 11 Jan 2014, Sk. Yamane leg., ZRC _HYM_0000400; Kent Ridge, 6 Jan 1983, D.H. Murphy leg., ZRC _HYM_0000621; Nee Soon Swamp Forest, 5 Apr 2005, P. Grootaert leg., malaise trap, PGT 25046-25048, ZRC _ HYM_0000166; Pulau Ubin, 7 Jan 2014, Sk. Yamane leg., ZRC _HYM_0000401; Sungei Buloh, Feb 2015, R.Z.B. Quek leg., mangrove, ZRC _ ENT00007862; Sunset Way, 1.32609, 103.77187, Aug-Sep 2016, G.W. Yong leg., SW1/4/5, ZRC _HYM_0001491-1512 .

Material not physically examined. Non-types, ANIC32-010873 (in timber imported from Singapore), ANIC32-053856 (ANIC). Non-types, J.K. Wetterer leg. (USNM) – Bishan, 31 Jul 2014, vial #423; Buona Vista, by MRT station, 5 Aug 2014, vial #485; City Hall, by church, Jul-Aug 2014, vials #376, 489; Dhoby Ghaut, Istana Park, 30 Jul 2014, vial #403; Hougang, 30 Jul 2014, vial #402; Kallang, Riverside Park, 29 Jul 2014, vial #373; Katong, Jul-Aug 2014, vials #328, 334, 349, 444, 447; Kranji, by MRT station, 2 Aug 2014, vial #452; Little India, 27 Jul 2014, vial #330; Marine Parade, Jul-Aug 2014, vials #353, 370, 436; Mountbatten, by MRT station, 4 Aug 2014, vial #464; Pasir Panjang, by MRT station, 5 Aug 2014, vial #481; Promenade, by MRT station, 4 Aug 2014, vial #468; Punggol, by MRT station, 30 Jul 2014, vial #391; Queenstown, 29 Jul 2014, vials #382, 384; Serangoon, 30 Jul 2014, vial #389; Singapore Botanic Gardens, by MRT station, 5 Aug 2014, vial #476; Tai Seng, by MRT station, 31 Jul 2014, vial #422.

Literature. Wetterer (2008); Tan & Corlett (2012); Yong et al. (2017); Wang et al. (2018a).

Localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Commonwealth Avenue West; Commonwealth Road; Dhoby Ghaut; Fort Canning Park; Hougang; Katong; Kent Ridge; Kranji; Little India; Marine Parade; Mountbatten; National University of Singapore campus; Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Pasir Panjang; Promenade; Pulau Ubin; Punggol; Queenstown; Serangoon; Singapore Botanic Gardens; Sungei Buloh; Sunset Way; Tai Seng.

Habitat/Ecology. This infamous invasive pest is mostly associated with areas of or close to human disturbance in Singapore, such as parks in semi-urban settings and urban residential areas. The ants are also common in young secondary forest fragments and at forest edges, for example waste woodlands and abandoned plantation secondary forests. The species appears tolerant of a broad range of different environment stressors, and has been collected from inland forest fragments, swamp forest, even mangroves.

Remarks. A well-known widespread global tramp species spread by human commerce and often ubiquitous in heavily disturbed environments, the earliest known record of P. longicornis in Singapore is a specimen in the BMNH dated back to 1931 (Wetterer 2008).