Next in Australia’s Battle Against Cane Toads: Meat Ants. What Could Go Wrong?

What could go wrong? Nothing. They are native. Unlike the toads, whose toxic (sic) are introduced.

That the ants are eating toads is not a matter of human intervention. It is not a gov’t sponsored control effort. It is just nature.

When a new species is introduced to an area, it can often make an easy living. Organisms that are not a problem in the area in which they evolved can overrun the natives when they find themselves in new locations. They have an easy time of it, squeeze out native species, and breed like crazy.

Eventually however, the presence of these invaders who become so plentiful becomes an opportunity for another species, one that preys on the invader. The predator might itself be an introduced species, or it might be an existing organism that has adapted and stepped up to the task/free lunch offered by the invasive species.

Yes, over time, these things have a way of working themselves out. But the span of time required can be longer that is convenient for human activities. And certainly much diversity is lost along the way.

Humans have been responsible for the introduction of so many organisms into new locations. Sometimes it is intentional, like the cane toads. Sometimes introductions are a by-product of other activities such as Eurasian plants brought to the Americas as seed in animal fodder or larval stages of marine organisms in ballast tanks.

In most cases, we’ve lost diversity, a lot of diversity. The case of the cane toads is a rare one in that people pay attention to it. They don’t so much notice the difference in the assemblage of weeds in roadside ditches, or the loss of native bee species.

It’s a pity. Sadly it is rather inevitable.

Yes. And Soylent Green is made of people.

Even if these ants are native to the area, won’t this massive food supply upset some sort of ecological equilibrium?

The sharks were replaced with crocodiles equipped with rocket propelled grenades.