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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #293713
Title: The toxicity of Poison Dart Frog alkaloids against the Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)

Author
item Vander Meer, Robert - Bob
item WELDON, PAUL - Smithsonian Institute
item CARDOZA, YASMIN - North Carolina State University
item Hoffmann, Wesley
item SPANDE, THOMAS - National Institutes Of Health (NIH)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/5/2013
Publication Date: 8/19/2013
Citation: Vander Meer, R.K., Weldon, P., Cardoza, Y., Hoffmann, W.C., Spande, T. 2013. The toxicity of Poison Dart Frog alkaloids against the Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta). Proceedings of the International Chemical Ecology Conference, 19-23 August 2013, p. 62.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Hundreds of alkaloids, representing over 20 structural classes, have been identified from the skin of neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae). These alkaloids are derived from arthropod prey of the frogs, and are generally are believed to deter vertebrate predators. We developed a method to put individual red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) worker cuticle in contact with discrete amounts of the above alkaloids. We then tested the worker ant response following contact with each of 20 poison dart frog alkaloids (12 structural classes). Individual ants forced to contact the dried residues of 13 compounds exhibited convulsions and/or reduced ability to move. The cutaneous concentrations of several compounds were estimated and our results indicate that some poison dart frog skin compounds can function defensively as contact toxins against arthropod predators, such as the fire ant.