scholarly journals Preference and effect of gustatory sense on sugar-feeding of fire ants

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11943
Author(s):  
Waqar Jaleel ◽  
Qunchen Li ◽  
Qingxing Shi ◽  
Lihua LYU
Keyword(s):  
Sucrose Solution ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Sugar Feeding ◽  
Gustatory Sense ◽  
Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Hcl Solution

Background The red imported fire ant is one of the notorious species of ants all over the world. Sugar is one of the most important components of food and necessary for the survival of ants. Because more than 70% food of fire ants is honeydew produced by Homopteran insects such as aphids and scales. Methodology It is well known that beetles, flies, and honey bees can recognize the sugar taste through their legs and antennae, but in the case of fire ants, no records regarding gustatory sense were published. In the current study, considering the importance of sugar bait, we investigated the gustatory sense of the fire ant workers to sucrose via behavioral sequence and gustatory behavior. First, the feeding sequence (ethogram) of the fire ant workers on most preferred sugar (sucrose) solution was observed and categorized. Secondly, the gustatory behavior of treated fire ant workers (without flagellum and foreleg tarsi treated with HCL solution) was observed on the sucrose solution. In addition, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, we identified the possible porous sensilla types on antenna flagellum and foreleg tarsi of fire ant workers. Results Based on the results of feeding sequence, foreleg tarsi of workers were the main body appendages in the detection of the sucrose droplet as compared to antennae flagellum and palps. Feeding time of treated workers with HCL solution was significantly decreased on sucrose solution as compared to those workers having no flagellum. While both types of treated workers have less feeding time in comparison to normal workers. Based on the results of feeding sequence analysis and feeding time, it is indicating that the foreleg tarsi of workers play a more important role in the detection of sucrose solution as compared to antennae flagellum. Based on the SEM results, sensilla chaetic, trichoid II, and basiconic I and II have a clear pore at their tip. This study provides a substantial basis for elucidating the gustatory function of antennal and tarsal sensilla on appendages of fire ant workers to sugars and further baits improvement for the management of fire ants.

scholarly journals Distinct colony boundaries and larval discrimination in polygyne red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
MacKenzie Kjeldgaard ◽  
Pierre-André Eyer ◽  
Collin McMichael ◽  
Alison Bockoven ◽  
Joanie King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Sucrose Solution ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Invasive Ant ◽  
Nestmate Discrimination ◽  
Social Forms

Evaluating the factors that promote invasive ant abundance is critical to assess their ecological impact and inform their management. Many invasive ant species show reduced nestmate recognition and an absence of boundaries between unrelated nests, which allow populations to achieve greater densities due to reduced intraspecific competition. We examined nestmate discrimination and colony boundaries in introduced populations of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta; hereafter, fire ant). Fire ants occur in two social forms: monogyne (colonies with a single egg-laying queen) and polygyne (colonies with multiple egg-laying queens). In contrast with monogyne nests, polygyne nests are thought to be interconnected due to the reduced antagonism between non-nestmate polygyne workers, perhaps because polygyne workers habituate the colony to an odor unique to Gp-9-carrying adults. However, colony boundaries and nestmate discrimination are poorly documented, particularly for worker-brood interactions. To delimit boundaries between field colonies, we correlated the exchange of a N-glycine tracer dissolved in a sucrose solution with social form. We also evaluated nestmate discrimination between polygyne workers and larvae in the laboratory. Counter to our expectations, polygyne colonies behaved identically to monogyne colonies, suggesting both social forms maintain strict colony boundaries. Polygyne workers also preferentially fed larval nestmates and may have selectively cannibalized non-nestmates. The levels of relatedness among workers in polygyne colonies was higher than those previously reported in North America (mean ±SE: 0.269 ± 0.037). Our study highlights the importance of combining genetic analyses with direct quantification of resource exchange to better understand the factors influencing ant invasions.

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.

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.

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.

Toxicity and Sublethal Effect of Triflumezopyrim Against Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1753-1760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Wang ◽  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Qiuhong Tao ◽  
Jiayi Li ◽  
Yijuan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Invasive Ants ◽  
Sugar Water ◽  
Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

Abstract The use of insecticide remains the frontline method in controlling red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), one of the worst invasive ants in the world. Neonicotinoids are effective ingredients in toxic baits for suppressing S. invicta population. To search for new and effective insecticides, the toxicity and sublethal effects of triflumezopyrim, a novel neonicotinoid analog, were evaluated against S. invicta. No high mortality of ants was observed after they fed on sugar water containing 120 μg/ml triflumezopyrim for 72 h; however, 100% mortality was achieved after ants fed on sugar water containing 10 μg/ml triflumezopyrim for 2 wk. Furthermore, at 10 μg/ml, triflumezopyrim did not inhibit ant food consumption within the 7-d treatment period. These results indicate that triflumezopyrim is a slow acting toxin and may be qualified as bait toxin for managing red imported fire ants. At 1 μg/ml, triflumezopyrim did not cause any significant effect on colony growth within 56 d and did not inhibit the food consumption during the whole trial period. At 10 μg/ml, triflumezopyrim displayed a significant reduction of aggressiveness during confrontation with native ants, resulting in higher mortality than the ants in the control. However, at 1 μg/ml, triflumezopyrim did not show any significant impact on both aggressiveness and mortality of the red imported fire ants.

scholarly journals The Effects of Temperature on the Foraging Activity of Red Imported Fire Ant Workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South China

Sociobiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Yue Lu
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
South China ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Imported Fire Ant

In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature of the ambient air, ground surface, and the soil at 5-cm deep on the foraging activity of the workers of red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, in South China with the method of bait traps. Significant correlations were observed between the temperature and the foraging activity of fire ants. Specifically, when the ambient temperature was above 20 °C, the fire ants foraged actively, and the activity reached a maximum when the ambient temperature was between 25 to 33 °C. But the foraging activity decreased as the ambient temperature rose higher than 34 °C. Moreover, fire ants were found to forage at maximal rates with the soil surface temperature between 27 to 40 °C. The ants started foraging when the soil temperature at 5-cm deep was between 16 to 48 °C, while 28~37 °C was the optimal temperature for the foraging activity. The extreme temperature thresholds for foraging of the ambient air, soil-surface, and soil at 5-cm deep were 11 °C/44 °C, 10 °C/57 °C, and 12 °C/48 °C respectively. 

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