Worker ant foraging response on and near mounds of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren.

摘要

Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, are an invasive species that has infested more than 145 million hectares in the southern United States. Management of this insect pest often relies on the use of food lures and granular bait insecticides. This experiment was conducted to determine the response of red imported fire ant workers when a food lure was placed on the center of a mound or 0.3, 0.9, and 1.8 m from a mound. Percentage of foraging worker ants after 60 minutes of exposure to the food lure was 31.7 to 36.0 at the mound center, 24.5 to 22.3 at 0.3 m, 19.6 to 21.4 at 0.9 m, and 24.2 to 20.4 at 1.8 m. These results demonstrate that red imported fire ants forage on top of their mounds. These data should help convince insecticide manufacturers to allow placement of granular baits on top of nondisturbed mounds in addition to scattering bait around the mound.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.3958/059.035.0405