scholarly journals The discrepancy between fire ant recruitment to and performance on rodent carrion

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance Lin ◽  
Aaron M. Tarone ◽  
Micky D. Eubanks
Keyword(s):  
Interesting Case ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Colony Performance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Carrion Decomposition

AbstractAnts have not been considered important in the process of vertebrate carrion decomposition, but a recent literature review reported over 150 carrion-visiting ant species. Though many ant species have been observed to remove carrion tissue and consume carrion-exuded liquids, the significance of ant recruitment to vertebrate carrion is poorly understood. We conducted a combination of field and laboratory experiments to quantify red imported fire ant recruitment to rodent carrion and determine whether consuming rodent carrion is beneficial to ant colony performance. In the field, 100% of rat carcasses were rapidly colonized by fire ants at high abundances. In our laboratory experiment, the performance of mice-fed fire ant colonies was poor when compared to colonies that were fed mice and insects or insects only. Our results suggest that there is a discrepancy between high levels of fire ant recruitment to vertebrate carrion and the poor colony performance when fed carrion. We hypothesize that fire ants are attracted to vertebrate carrion not because it is a high-quality food, but rather because it hosts large numbers of other invertebrates that can serve as prey for fire ants, potentially showcasing an interesting case of tritrophic interaction in carrion ecology.

scholarly journals The Economics of Optimal Foraging by the Red Imported Fire Ant

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl A Roeder ◽  
Rebecca M Prather ◽  
Anna W Paraskevopoulos ◽  
Diane V Roeder
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Inflection Point ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Collective Group ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Discovery Time ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Abstract For social organisms, foraging is often a complicated behavior where tasks are divided among numerous individuals. Here, we ask how one species, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), collectively manages this behavior. We tested the Diminishing Returns Hypothesis, which posits that for social insects 1) foraging investment levels increase until diminishing gains result in a decelerating slope of return and 2) the level of investment is a function of the size of the collective group. We compared how different metrics of foraging (e.g., number of foragers, mass of foragers, and body size of foragers) are correlated and how these metrics change over time. We then tested the prediction that as fire ant colonies increase in size, both discovery time and the inflection point (i.e., the time point where colonial investment toward resources slows) should decrease while a colony’s maximum foraging mass should increase. In congruence with our predictions, we found that fire ants recruited en masse toward baits, allocating 486 workers and 148 mg of biomass, on average, after 60 min: amounts that were not different 30 min prior. There was incredible variation across colonies with discovery time, the inflection point, and the maximum biomass of foragers all being significantly correlated with colony size. We suggest that biomass is a solid indicator of how social taxa invest their workforce toward resources and hypothesize ways that invasive fire ants are able to leverage their enormous workforce to dominate novel ecosystems by comparing their foraging and colony mass with co-occurring native species.

Effectiveness of Spot Insecticide Treatments for Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Control2

1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Homer L. Collins ◽  
Anne-Marie A. Callcott
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Field Trial ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Spot treatments with Dursban 2EC, Optem PT-600, Bengal Fire Ant Killer, and Orthene 75S were evaluated for control of imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, colonies. Because imported fire ant colonies frequently relocate their nest following insecticide applications, a field trial utilizing an experimental design which compensated for colony relocation was conducted. Results of this trial showed that, in addition to frequent colony relocation, large numbers of individual ants succumbed to several of the insecticides under trial. However, many ant colonies survived some treatments, and actual colony mortality ranged from 11.1% with Orthene 75S to 80.4% with Dursban 2EC 8 wks after treatment.

Hymenopteran Pests: Family Formicidae

2020 ◽  
pp. 317-331
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Vittum
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
The Many ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

This chapter explores the many species of ants, order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae, which invade turfgrass areas throughout the United States. The subfamily Formicinae includes many ants found on turf. The fire ants are by far the most important and common pest ants of turfgrass in the southeastern states. Ants are primarily troublesome in turfgrass areas because they build mounds as they form subterranean homes for their colonies. They seek out drier, well-drained sandy soils that have low water-holding capacity. The galleries they form, which damage roots, add to the desiccation of the soil, and the turf in the surrounding areas becomes thin and unsightly. Mounds of various sizes and shapes, formed according to the habits of the ant species, are often detrimental to mower blades. The chapter then looks at the red imported fire ant, the turfgrass ant, and the harvester ant.

scholarly journals Naturally Occurring Compounds/Materials as Alternatives to Synthetic Chemical Insecticides for Use in Fire Ant Management

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 758
Author(s):  
Jian Chen ◽  
David H. Oi
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Natural Toxins ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Made In

The invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (hereafter, fire ants), is a significant threat to public health and a danger to livestock, pets and wildlife due to their venomous stings. The fire ant has invaded many countries and regions and has become a globally significant pest. The current major tool to manage fire ants are synthetic insecticides that are used largely as stomach poisons in bait products or contact insecticides in spray, broadcast, drench, and dust products for area and nest treatments. In addition to these insecticide products, repellants and fumigants can also be useful in some unique scenarios. The ever-increasing public concern about the potential adverse effects of synthetic insecticides on health and the environment has been a driving force for searching for safer alternatives to control fire ants. Tremendous effort has been made in developing biologically-based control for managing fire ants; however, natural products continue to be one of the most attractive sources of safe alternatives to synthetic insecticides. Here, we summarized the synthetic insecticides that are currently used in managing fire ants, available alternative products in the current market, and academic efforts in searching for fire ant natural toxins, repellants and fumigants.

Comparison of Diets of Two Fire Ant Species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Solid and Liquid Components

1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 450-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leeanne E. Tennant ◽  
Sanford D. Porter
Keyword(s):  
Solid Food ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
South Central ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Adjacent Field ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Sufficient Food ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Diets of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, and the native fire ant, Solenopsis geminata [F.], were studied in adjacent field colonies in south central Texas. A comparison of solid food diets of the two species revealed a 59% overlap of identifiable arthropods and other solid food matter. The major difference was that S. geminata collected eight times more seeds than did S. invicta. Both species collected liquid food much more frequently than solid food; in fact, an average of 70–80% of successful foragers returned with liquid. Rates of liquid collection were approximately 40% higher for S. invicta than for S. geminata. Foraging rates fluctuated with season but the percent of successful foragers returning with liquid remained relatively constant. Plants and honeydew producing homopterans are the most probable sources of this liquid based on sugar and amino acid analyses of S. invicta foragers. Use of liquid carbohydrate energy sources helps explain how fire ant colonies can collect sufficient food to sustain extremely dense field populations.

Effects of Repeated Use of Fenoxycarb and Hydramethylnon Baits on Nontarget Ants

1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Zakharov ◽  
L. C. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Repeated Use ◽  
Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Ant Diversity ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Sites receiving repeated broadcast applications of fenoxycarb and hydramethylnon baits for red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, control were examined for impact of bait treatments on ant diversity in southeastern Arkansas. Ants collected from sugar baits belonged to three subfamilies and 25 species. As compared with checks, native ant species increased on fenoxycarb-treated plots and decreased on hydramethylnon-treated plots. Except for S. invicta, ants within the subfamily Myrmicinae practically disappeared from hydramethylnon-treated plots. Sensitivity of ants in the subfamilies Formicinae and Dolichoderinae to hydramethylnon and fenoxycarb was comparatively low. As a consequence, fenoxycarb shows promise for the integrated management of imported fire ants when broadcast applications are desirable.

scholarly journals Are invasive fire ants kept in check by native aerial insectivores?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 20160059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackson A. Helms ◽  
Aaron P. Godfrey ◽  
Tayna Ames ◽  
Eli S. Bridge
Keyword(s):  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Progne Subis ◽  
Aerial Insectivores ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Purple Martin ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Aerial predator–prey interactions may impact populations of many terrestrial species. Here, we use altitude loggers to study aerial foraging in a native insectivore, the purple martin ( Progne subis ), in the southern USA. Purple martins fed primarily on mating queens and males of the invasive red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta ), and doubled their foraging efficiency by doing so. Across the USA, purple martins likely eat billions of fire ant queens each year, potentially impacting the spread of this species. Alternatively, predation on fire ants may help sustain populations of purple martins and other aerial insectivores.

scholarly journals Red Imported Fire Ants and Their Impacts on Wildlife

EDIS ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 2006 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Willcox ◽  
William M. Giuliano
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Solenopsis Geminata ◽  
Wildlife Ecology ◽  
Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Two species of fire ant are found in Florida, the notorious red imported fire ant (RIFA; Solenopsis invicta; Figure 1) and the less common native fire ant (Solenopsis geminata). This document is WEC 207 and one of a series of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension. First published: April 2006.

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