Abstract
The ghost ant Tapinoma melanocephalum is a common household pest worldwide. The present study examined the occurrence of the species in urban homes in Korea. During the period of September 2014 to January 2016, T. melanocephalum workers were collected from 58 homes at 29 different localities using bait traps with 10% sugar solution. The species was widely distributed throughout urban homes at 29 different localities, and the indoor occurrence of T. melanocephalum was highest in Seoul (32.7%) and metropolitan areas of Gyeonggi-do (Province) (29.3%). The indoor incidence rate of T. melanocephalum peaked in September (22.8%), remained moderate from October through April, and peaked again in May (15.7%). In contrast, a low incidence was observed from June to August (7.0%). The present study provides evidence that native ants, such as T. melanocephalum, are potential indoor pests of homes in Korea throughout the year.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 225-228 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Korean Journal of Parasitology |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 Apr |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was financially supported by the Arthropods of Medical Importance Resource Bank, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Korean Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases
