Predaceous Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at Sea Turtle (Testudines: Cheloniidae) Nesting Beaches and Hatcheries in El Salvador

• Published in: The Florida entomologist 2016-03, Vol.99 (1), p.106-109
• Main Authors: Wetterer, James K, Liles, Michael J, Sermeño, José M, Cervantes, Leopoldo Serrano, Echeverria, Eunice E, Hernández, Rosa María Estrada, Henriquez, Ana, Pérez, Dagoberto, García, Doris Argentina Sánchez, Peralta, Carlos E. Gómez, Sorto, Rubén López, Melendez, Glenda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ants; Aquatic insects; Beaches; conservación; conservation; criadero de tortugas marinas; endangered species; Environmental conservation; especies en peligro de extinción; Fire ants; hormiga depredadora; Insect eggs; Insect nests; Nesting sites; predaceous ant; RESEARCH PAPERS; sea turtle hatchery; Sea turtles; Turtles
• ISSN: 0015-4040; 1938-5102
• DOI: 10.1653/024.099.0119

As in many other parts of the world, in El Salvador, few sea turtle (Testudines: Cheloniidae) eggs develop and hatch in situ on nesting beaches. Instead, conservationists relocate most sea turtle eggs to hatcheries for protection. Hatchery managers incubate the eggs in artificial nests within protected enclosures and then release the hatchling sea turtles into the ocean. We surveyed ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on 2 sea turtle nesting beaches and at 14 sea turtle hatchery sites in El Salvador to evaluate the potential threat of predaceous ant species to sea turtle eggs and hatchlings. Of the ant species we found, only the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata (F.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is a known threat to sea turtle hatchlings. We found S. geminata at 5 of 7 (71%) and 7 of 30 (23%) baits along sea turtle nesting beaches at Las Bocanitas and Las Isletas, respectively, and within the nest enclosures at 7 of 14 (50%) hatchery sites. Given the widespread use of hatcheries for protecting sea turtle eggs worldwide, we believe it is important for hatchery managers to recognize the potential threat that predaceous ants pose to hatchling sea turtles. Hatchery managers may be unknowingly releasing apparently healthy but stung hatchlings to the ocean, only to have the hatchlings soon die from sting-related impairment. Fortunately, because of the small size of the incubation enclosures, controlling ants at hatcheries by using chemicals that have low toxicity to vertebrates and that degrade quickly (e.g., hydramethylnon) should be safe, simple, and relatively inexpensive.