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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 #94819
Title: IMPACT OF THE IMPORTED FIRE ANT ON BIODIVERSITY: STANDARDIZED SPATIAL MONITORING OF FORAGING INTERACTIONS

Author
item Wojcik, Daniel
item Brenner, Richard
item Focks, Dana
item Williams, David
item ALLEN, CRAIG - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fire ants occur in parts of 11 southern states, and cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to domestic animals, wildlife, and the infrastructure (roads, electrical systems, equipment), in addition to the adverse impact on human health each year. Understanding the biology and behavior of fire ants is critical to developing new management strategies. Researchers at the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fl, compared two bait/monitoring approaches, used in combination with spatial statistical analysis, to assess relative abundance and foraging patterns of several species of ants. For fire ant, the standard hamburger bait resulted in more specimens than the new multiple ant species attractant bait, but the majority of the locations showed no differences between the occurrence of RIFA on the baits. The multiple ant species attractant bait is attractive to ant species which feed on sugars (carpenter and pyramid ants.), or protein (fire and big- headed ants.), and to species which are usually not attracted to protein baits). The multiple ant species attractant bait has distinct logistical advantages over hamburger such as time-savings in preparation, handling, and processing; monetary savings in recycling and waste reduction; and sanitation. We have adopted this method to quantify the impact of fire ants on biodiversity using spatial analysis and precision targeting to develop and implement reduced-risk management strategies, setting the stage for future comparisons with the introduction of interventions to reduce fire ant populations and enhance/safeguard biodiversity of the ecosystem.

Technical Abstract: Two bait monitoring systems, were used in combination with spatial statistical analysis, to assess relative abundance and foraging patterns of red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, and other species of ants. For S. invicta, a standard hamburger bait resulted in more specimens than the new multiple ant species attractant bait (MASA), but the majority of the locations showed no differences between the occurrence of RIFA on the baits. The MASA bait is attractive to ant species which feed on sugars (Dorymyrmex bureni Trager, S. littoralis Creighton, Camponotus spp.), or protein (S. invicta, Pheidole spp.), and to species which are usually not attracted to protein baits (Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola), Odontomachus brunneus (Patton)). The MASA bait has distinct logistical advantages over hamburger such as time-savings in preparation, handling, and processing; monetary savings in recycling and waste reduction; and sanitation. We have eadopted the MASA bait method as our standard method to quantify the impact of fire ants on biodiversity.