1,145 research outputs found
Complete Genome Sequence of a New Isolate of Solenopsis invictavirus 3 from Solenopsis invicta × richteri Hybrid Ants
Solenopsis invicta virus 3 (SINV-3) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that infects the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. We report here the full genome (10,383 nucleotides) of an isolate infecting Solenopsis invicta× richteri hybrid ants, which we have identified as SINV-3 hybrid
Controlling invasive ant species: a theoretical strategy for efficient monitoring in the early stage of invasion
Invasion by the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, has
destructive effects on native biodiversity, agriculture, and public health.
This ant's aggressive foraging behaviour and high reproductive capability have
enabled its establishment of wild populations in most regions into which it has
been imported. An important aspect of eradication is thorough nest monitoring
and destruction during early invasion to prevent range expansion. The question
is: How intense must monitoring be on temporal and spatial scales to eradicate
the fire ant? Assuming that the ant was introduced into a region and that
monitoring was conducted immediately after nest detection in an effort to
detect all other potentially established nests, we developed a mathematical
model to investigate detection rates. Setting the monitoring limit to three
years, the detection rate was maximized when monitoring was conducted shifting
bait trap locations and setting them at intervals of 30 m for each monitoring.
Monitoring should be conducted in a radius of at least 4 km around the source
nest, or wider --depending on how late a nest is found. For ease of
application, we also derived equations for finding the minimum bait interval
required in an arbitrary ant species for thorough monitoring.Comment: Revised the manuscrip
Development of Food-Luring Baited Traps for Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Monitoring in the Field in Southern China
Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a red imported fire ant that originated from South America, is a worldwide invasive pest. This study investigated the efficacy of the newly designed baited trap to detect red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, under field conditions in China. Among the five food lures tested for red imported fire ants, the ants preferred ham sausage and fish powder, followed by mixed powder (50% fish powder + 50% black soldier fly powder) and black soldier fly powder. These lures were compared to sugar water (control) to determine their efficacy in trapping red imported fire ants. Field data revealed that the ham sausage powder trap was more efficient than the fish powder trap based on its ability to trap more red imported fire ants under field conditions and ease of use. Thus, it was concluded that the baited traps are efficient for longterm red imported fire ants monitoring
Observations of Intercastes in Solenopsis Invicta Buren
The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, exhibits classical polymorphism, which is defined as the coexistence of 2 or more functionally different castes of the same sex (Wilson 1971). The 2 basic castes are the worker and the female sexuals
Effects of Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) on the Species Structure of Ant Communities in South China
We evaluated the effects of invasive red imported fire ants (RIFAs), Solenopsis invicta Buren, on native ant communities at three habitats in South China. By using paired control and treatment plots, the change in diversity and community structure of native ants due to the invasion of red imported fire ants could be observed. Ant species richness was reduced by 46 and 33% at RIFA-infested lawn and pasture habitats, respectively; however, the ant species richness in the lichee orchard was not affected by red imported fire ants. Our results indicated that red imported fire ants became one of several dominant species or the only dominant species in all three habitats in South China
Exotic spread of Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) beyond North America
The South America fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren arrived in Mobile, Alabama by ship sometime before 1945. Since then, S. invicta has spread in North America across the southern US and northeastern Mexico. More recently, it has invaded the West Indies and parts of the Old World. Here, I examine this more recent exotic spread of S. invictabeyond North America, reporting new West Indian records and questioning some Asian records. In 1981, S. invicta was first found in the West Indies, on Puerto Rico. With my new records from Vieques, Aruba, and Jamaica, S. invicta is now known from 28 West Indian islands. In 2001, the first Old World populations of S. invicta were discovered in New Zealand and Australia. Nascent populations of S. invicta in New Zealand have been exterminated and Australia populations have been kept in check through intensive control efforts. Populations of S. invicta in Taiwan and China first found in 2003-2004, however, have spread broadly. Published reports of S. invicta from Malaysia and Singapore were based on misidentifications, presumably of the more widespread Neotropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius). Reports of S. invicta from India and the Philippines seem questionable and need confirmation. Where S. invicta has invaded, it has displaced S. geminata in open habitats, leaving remnant S. geminata populations, primarily in forested areas. In working to limit the spread and impacts of fire ants, it will be important to differentiate among the species, and recognize their similarities and their differences
The Downregulation of Short Neuropeptide Receptor (SNPFR) in the Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis Invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and the Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia Fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) using RNA Interference, and the Use of an Anthranilic Diamide as a Novel Management Technique
The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive species endemic to South America that was inadvertently introduced into the United States. This invasive species costs over six billion dollars (USD) annually and causes substantial ecological and agricultural damage. Anthranilic diamides are novel chemical insecticides that selectively target the insect ryanodine receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum, causing calcium release and insect mortality. In this study, cyclaniliprole, an anthranilic diamide, was used to cause significant mortality in S. invicta workers. RNA interference (RNAi) is a known regulator of biological systems in insects and was also used in this study to downregulate the short Neuropeptide F Receptor (sNPFR) in S. invicta workers and larvae. Gene expression was quantified for sNPFR in different S. invicta caste members, and dsRNA was produced for sNPFR and was administered to S. invicta brood and workers. Primers for the sNPFR sequence were also produced and tested on Tawny crazy ant workers, Nylanderia fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a natural enemy of S. invicta and invasive pest. By doing this, a single dsRNA construct could potentially be used to manage both S. invicta and N. fulva
Evolutionary history of Wolbachia infections in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta
BACKGROUND: Wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that commonly infect numerous arthropods. Despite their broad taxonomic distribution, the transmission patterns of these bacteria within and among host species are not well understood. We sequenced a portion of the wsp gene from the Wolbachia genome infecting 138 individuals from eleven geographically distributed native populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. We then compared these wsp sequence data to patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation of both infected and uninfected host individuals to infer the transmission patterns of Wolbachia in S. invicta. RESULTS: Three different Wolbachia (wsp) variants occur within S. invicta, all of which are identical to previously described strains in fire ants. A comparison of the distribution of Wolbachia variants within S. invicta to a phylogeny of mtDNA haplotypes suggests S. invicta has acquired Wolbachia infections on at least three independent occasions. One common Wolbachia variant in S. invicta (wSinvictaB) is associated with two divergent mtDNA haplotype clades. Further, within each of these clades, Wolbachia-infected and uninfected individuals possess virtually identical subsets of mtDNA haplotypes, including both putative derived and ancestral mtDNA haplotypes. The same pattern also holds for wSinvictaA, where at least one and as many as three invasions into S. invicta have occurred. These data suggest that the initial invasions of Wolbachia into host ant populations may be relatively ancient and have been followed by multiple secondary losses of Wolbachia in different infected lineages over time. Finally, our data also provide additional insights into the factors responsible for previously reported variation in Wolbachia prevalence among S. invicta populations. CONCLUSION: The history of Wolbachia infections in S. invicta is rather complex and involves multiple invasions or horizontal transmission events of Wolbachia into this species. Although these Wolbachia infections apparently have been present for relatively long time periods, these data clearly indicate that Wolbachia infections frequently have been secondarily lost within different lineages. Importantly, the uncoupled transmission of the Wolbachia and mtDNA genomes suggests that the presumed effects of Wolbachia on mtDNA evolution within S. invicta are less severe than originally predicted. Thus, the common concern that use of mtDNA markers for studying the evolutionary history of insects is confounded by maternally inherited endosymbionts such as Wolbachia may be somewhat unwarranted in the case of S. invicta
Behavioral discrimination between monogyne and polygyne red fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in their native range
Nestmate recognition among social insects is presumed to restrict non-nestmates from exploiting nest resources. Here, we developed aggression bioassays to assess the discrimination behaviors of both polygynous and monogynous forms of the red fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, during symmetrical interactions in neutral arenas. Workers from polygyne colonies exhibited risk avoidance behaviors; that is, defensive postures or the avoidance of direct contact during interactions. Workers from monogyne colonies always exhibited aggressive behaviors in the form of physical or chemical attacks. In interactions between both, monogyne workers usually started the aggression by surrounding and biting the polygyne ants. Polygyne S. invicta workers also distinguished nestmates from foreigners, but their response was not as aggressive as that of monogynes. The proposed ethogram that we constructed identified monogyne and polygyne forms of S. invicta colonies in concordance with current measures, including number of queens, and expression of the Gp-9 gene.Fil: Chirino, Monica Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Centro de Estudios e Investigación; ArgentinaFil: Gilbert, Lawrence E.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: Folgarait, Patricia Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Centro de Estudios e Investigación; Argentin
Efeito da estrutura de habitat sobre a abundância de parasitóides Pseudacteon Coquillett (Diptera, Phoridae) em ninhos de Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).
Efeito da estrutura de habitat sobre a abundância de parasitóides Pseudacteon Coquillett (Diptera, Phoridae)em ninhos de Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). A influência de características do habitat na abundância dos parasitóides Pseudacteon Coquillett(Diptera, Phoridae) de Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) foi estudada em um agroecossistema orgânico diversificado no sudeste do Brasil. Os parasitóides foram coletados durante 30 minutos após a perturbação de ninhos da formiga lava-pé em áreas com culturas anuais ou perenes. Foram coletados no total 228 parasitóides de quatro espécies diferentes em 61,90% dos 84 ninhos da formiga lava-pé perturbados. Pseudacteon obtusus Borgmeier foi a espécie mais abundante (70 fêmeas), seguida por Pseudacteon litoralis Borgmeier (37 fêmeas),Pseudacteon tricuspis Borgmeier (23 fêmeas) e Pseudacteon solenopsidis Schmitz (1 fêmea). Pseudacteon litoralis foi mais freqüente em ninhos presentes nas culturas perenes que anuais enquanto que P. obtusus e P. tricuspis tiveram um padrão oposto.Correlações significativamente negativas foram encontradas para as abundâncias de P. litoralis e P. obtusus com a temperatura do ar. Houve correlação significativamente positiva entre a abundância dos parasitóides e o tamanho dos ninhos da formiga lava-pé. Considerando que os forídeos são importantes inimigos naturais de S. invicta,esse estudo fornece informações para o manejo de S. invicta em agroecossistemas tropicais diversificados
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