The Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the West Indies: Distribution of Natural Enemies and a Possible Test Bed for Release of Self-Sustaining Biocontrol Agents

Sample collections of Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were taken from 20 islands of the West Indies and evaluated for the presence of key pathogens and parasites of this invasive pest ant. We hypothesized that bottleneck events during the introduction of this ant species in the We...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Florida entomologist 2015-12, Vol.98 (4), p.1101-1105
Main Authors: Valles, Steven M, Wetterer, James K, Porter, Sanford D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ants
Beetles
biological control agents
Control
Densovirus
Diseases
Entomology
Fire ants
geographical distribution
Identification and classification
Insect colonies
Insect genetics
Insect pests
islands
Kneallhazia solenopsae
microbial detection
Microsporidia
monogyny
Natural enemies
parasite
parasites
parásitos
pathogen
Pathogens
patógenos
polygyny
population
Pseudacteon
RESEARCH PAPERS
SiDNV
SINV
Solenopsis invicta
Vairimorpha
Vairimorpha invictae
Viruses
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Summary:Sample collections of Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were taken from 20 islands of the West Indies and evaluated for the presence of key pathogens and parasites of this invasive pest ant. We hypothesized that bottleneck events during the introduction of this ant species in the West Indies would have resulted in populations devoid, or nearly so, of natural enemies. Monogyne and polygyne social forms were found throughout the islands surveyed with monogyny being more prevalent (65%) compared with polygyny (35%). Among 254 samples, only 25 (~10%) tested positive for the presence of pathogens or parasites. The microsporidian Kneallhazia solenopsae was the most prevalent pathogen detected; it was found in 20 colonies. A second microsporidian species, Vairimorpha invictae, was shown to be present in a polygyne sample collected from St. Croix—the first detection of this pathogen outside South America. Similarly, Solenopsis invicta densovirus (SiDNV) was detected in one polygyne sample from Anguilla. SiDNV is not found in S. invicta U.S. populations, so this detection also represents the first geographic discovery outside of South America. Two species of Pseudacteon decapitating flies were found to have dispersed into the Bahamas. Utilization of the islands of the West Indies for release, establishment, and impact assessment of S. invicta natural enemies is discussed.
ISSN:0015-4040
1938-5102
DOI:10.1653/024.098.0414