scholarly journals Identification and Diversity of Bacterial Communities Associated with the Venom Glands of the Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Yang ◽  
Jinyong Yu ◽  
Siqi Chen ◽  
Dongdong Ning ◽  
Babar Hassan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Diversity Analysis ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Venom Glands ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background Ant-microbe interactions that naturally occur in the venom microenvironment remain mostly unknown. To best of our knowledge, no research exists that shows the identity and diversity of bacterial communities in the fires ants, and what adaptive advantages that venom-associated microbes might offer to their hosts or that hosts might provide to venom-associated bacteria. This study assessed the diversity and identity of bacteria associated with the venom glands of Solenopsis invicta and compared this community with the bacterial communities of two other stinging ants, Solenopsis geminata and Diacamma rugosum. Results The major phylum associated with the venom glands of S. invicta (workers, alates, and queens) and S. geminata (workers) was Proteobacteria, while Firmicutes were abundant in the venom glands of D. rugosum (workers). Tenericutes were also more abundant in the venom glands of S. invicta queens than in those of workers and alates. The relative abundance of Spiroplasma in S. geminata was significantly higher than those in D. rugosum and S. invicta. A microbial diversity analysis of venom glands of worker ants of Solenopsis species showed that the relative abundances of Bacillus and Lactococcus were higher in Guangxi S. invicta workers than in workers collected from Guangzhou. However, the abundance of Lactococcus in workers of D. rugosum was higher than those in workers of S. geminata from Guangxi and S. invicta collected from Guangzhou. Conclusions This study provides the first insight into the microbiota in the venom glands of S. invicta, S. geminata, and D. rugosum, which might contribute to a more comprehensive view of the role of bacteria in the synthesis or degradation of active venom components in the host. We hypothesized that the differences in bacterial communities of three ant species could be due to the local adaptation of insects along with the coevolution of bacteria and hosts.

scholarly journals Red imported fire ant invasion reduces the populations of two banana insect pests in South China

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Wang ◽  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Ling Zeng ◽  
Yongyue Lu
Keyword(s):  
South China ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Banana Plantations ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

As a severe invasive pest, red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) had important effects on ecosystem of its infected areas. Here, we surveyed impact of S. invicta on populations of two banana insect pests, banana skipper (Erion tatorus Evans) and banana stephanitis (Stephanitis typical Distant). The results showed that influences of S. invicta on population of E. tatorus and S. typical depend on weed coverage degree of banana plantations. Comparing to the areas without S. invicta, banana skipper population was reduced by 39.2%, 41.4% and 23.4% respectively, in high, moderate and low weed coverage of banana plantations with S. invicta invasion. Banana stephanitis population was reduced by 17.8%, 43.0% and 39.2% respectively, in high, moderate and low weed coverage of banana plantations with S. invicta invasion. 

scholarly journals Metastriate Ixodid Life Stages Protected from Predatory Ants in Texas

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1063-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan T Showler ◽  
Weste L A Osbrink ◽  
Bailee N Dorsey ◽  
Ryan M Caesar
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Pogonomyrmex Barbatus ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Hot Dog ◽  
Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Predatory Ants

Abstract Multiple predatory ant species, including the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Buren) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), have been reported to attack ixodids (Ixodida: Ixodidae), but evidence has largely been circumstantial. When living lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acarina: Ixodidae), eggs, and unfed and blood-engorged larvae, nymphs, and adults were deployed on bait transects with hot dog slices and dead house flies, Musca domestica L., in West, Central, and South Texas. The various ixodid life stages were not attacked while ants were strongly recruited to the hot dog and M. domestica baits. Similarly, when the same ixodid life stages and other baits were placed adjacent to colonies of two ant species (red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith) and the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren) the ixodids were not preyed upon while hot dog slices and dead M. domestica were immediately attacked. Some ant species dragged blood-engorged adult ixodids and eggs away from the colony entrance, where they were originally placed, and discarded them. Evidence and mechanisms for allomone-based ant deterrence in the genera Amblyomma, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus (metastriate ixodids) are discussed. Protection of ixodids from predatory ants helps to explain why metastriate ixodids remain problematic worldwide despite the presence of predaceous ants.

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.

scholarly journals Unraveling a Tangled Skein: Evolutionary Analysis of the Bacterial Gibberellin Biosynthetic Operon

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan S. Nett ◽  
Huy Nguyen ◽  
Raimund Nagel ◽  
Ariana Marcassa ◽  
Trevor C. Charles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Genetic Heterogeneity ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene Cluster ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene ◽  
Ancestral Gene ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACT Gibberellin (GA) phytohormones are ubiquitous regulators of growth and developmental processes in vascular plants. The convergent evolution of GA production by plant-associated bacteria, including both symbiotic nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and phytopathogens, suggests that manipulation of GA signaling is a powerful mechanism for microbes to gain an advantage in these interactions. Although orthologous operons encode GA biosynthetic enzymes in both rhizobia and phytopathogens, notable genetic heterogeneity and scattered operon distribution in these lineages, including loss of the gene for the final biosynthetic step in most rhizobia, suggest varied functions for GA in these distinct plant-microbe interactions. Therefore, deciphering GA operon evolutionary history should provide crucial evidence toward understanding the distinct biological roles for bacterial GA production. To further establish the genetic composition of the GA operon, two operon-associated genes that exhibit limited distribution among rhizobia were biochemically characterized, verifying their roles in GA biosynthesis. This enabled employment of a maximum parsimony ancestral gene block reconstruction algorithm to characterize loss, gain, and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of GA operon genes within alphaproteobacterial rhizobia, which exhibit the most heterogeneity among the bacteria containing this biosynthetic gene cluster. Collectively, this evolutionary analysis reveals a complex history for HGT of the entire GA operon, as well as the individual genes therein, and ultimately provides a basis for linking genetic content to bacterial GA functions in diverse plant-microbe interactions, including insight into the subtleties of the coevolving molecular interactions between rhizobia and their leguminous host plants. IMPORTANCE While production of phytohormones by plant-associated microbes has long been appreciated, identification of the gibberellin (GA) biosynthetic operon in plant-associated bacteria has revealed surprising genetic heterogeneity. Notably, this heterogeneity seems to be associated with the lifestyle of the microbe; while the GA operon in phytopathogenic bacteria does not seem to vary to any significant degree, thus enabling production of bioactive GA, symbiotic rhizobia exhibit a number of GA operon gene loss and gain events. This suggests that a unique set of selective pressures are exerted on this biosynthetic gene cluster in rhizobia. Through analysis of the evolutionary history of the GA operon in alphaproteobacterial rhizobia, which display substantial diversity in their GA operon structure and gene content, we provide insight into the effect of lifestyle and host interactions on the production of this phytohormone by plant-associated bacteria.

Temporal Changes in a Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Colony Classification System Following an Insecticidal Treatment

1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie A. Callcott ◽  
Homer L. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Classification System ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren ◽  
Worker Brood ◽  
Insecticidal Treatment ◽  
Incipient Colonies ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

The decline of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (RIFA) following an application of fenoxycarb bait and the subsequent reinfestation from small, incipient colonies to large, mature colonies was studied in south Mississippi. Field colonies were rated using the numerical colony classification system of Lofgren and Williams (1982). The study site was considered RIFA free (98.9% decrease in pretreat population index) 3 months after a fenoxycarb bait treatment. Small incipient colonies categorized in class 7 (100–1,000 workers and worker brood present) appeared in the test site about 4 months after bait application. Mature colonies in classes 9 and 10 (10,000–50,000 workers present with worker brood and more than 50,000 workers with worker brood present, respectively) were detected after 12–15 months of development.

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