Review paper on Polygyny and the Success of the Argentine Ant

Invasive ant species are a huge problem, causing billions of dollars in expenses each year and displacing native population around the world. A principal aspect of the success of these ant species is their ability to form supercolonies, which are large populations of a single ant species that function as a single colony. These supercolonies are extremely prolific and enduring, and they thrive under relaxed ecological constraints in their invaded ranges taking over huge swaths of land. Jacob wrote a review paper examining the latest research on unicoloniality, the ability to form supercolonies, in these invasive species, using the Argentine ant as a model organism for his inquiry. His review paper further explores future avenues of research with supercolonies with the goal of containing and deterring the threats of invasive ants.