Dispersal and competitive impacts of a third fire ant decapitating fly (Pseudacteon obtusus) established in North Central Florida

Porter, Sanford D.; Calcaterra, Luis A.

doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2012.09.018

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Thus, it might be possible that E. breviloba excludes M. exrobusta from closed forest sites, forcing it to attack in harsher conditions. Two studies demonstrate that the parasitoid Pseudacteon curvatus, attacking invasive Solenopsis ants, behaviorally displaces P. tricuspis from the sites were it prefers to oviposit (LeBrun et al 2009;Porter & Calcaterra 2013). To determine conclusively which mechanism is involved, experimental assays are necessary in this system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitoids of the endangered leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier in urban and natural areas

Gomes¹,

Elizalde²,

Queiroz³

2013

Rev. Bras. entomol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. Parasitoids of the endangered leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier in urban and natural areas. Hosts of parasitoids in urban areas may suffer from a double threat of habitat destruction by urbanization and parasitism pressure. Moreover, the parasitoids themselves might be at risk if they are specialists. Here, we studied whether Atta robusta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), which is on the red list of Brazilian threatened species, suffers from higher parasitism pressure in an urban area compared to a natural one. In addition, we determined whether their specialist parasitoids, Eibesfeldtphora breviloba and Myrmosicarius exrobusta (Diptera, Phoridae), are in risk and evaluated whether they are influenced by habitat structure, temperature, humidity, ant traffic, and time of the day. The study was carried out in an urban park and in a natural protected area in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In each site we chose an open area and a closed area (forest) and sampled nine nests in each area. We found that parasitism pressure was similar in urban and natural areas, with the same two parasitoid species present in both areas. The main difference was related to habitat structure, since M. exrobusta was mainly present in open areas while E. breviloba was almost exclusively found in closed areas. Myrmosicarius exrobusta was not present during the hottest midday times, and its abundance was negatively correlated to vapor pressure deficit. These results suggest that green areas can be an important component in efforts to conserve diversity in urban areas. However, the complexity of the habitats in those areas is a fundamental issue in designing urban parks.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitoids of the endangered leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier in urban and natural areas

Gomes¹,

Elizalde²,

Queiroz³

2013

Rev. Bras. entomol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Using the average thorax width of females as a measure of body size, Porter & Calcaterra () categorized the three Pseudacteon species tested as medium‐large species (i.e. P .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…curvatus and P . cultellatus ) (Porter & Calcaterra, ). Size plays a role in the relationship between phorid flies and their fire ant hosts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing longevity of Pseudacteon species of different sizes: effect of sugar feeding

Ajayi

Fadamiro

2016

Physiol. Entomol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sugar feeding is known to enhance lifespan in many parasitoid species. Several species of phorid flies in the genus Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) have been introduced in the Southern U.S.A. for the biological control of imported fire ants of Solenopsis species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pseudacteon species are short‐lived flies and little is known about their nutritional ecology. Results from previous studies in our laboratory show that one of the introduced species, Pseudacteon tricuspis Borgmeier, is capable of feeding on sugar sources with a significant increase in lifespan. However, in Pseudacteon phorid flies, the degree to which sugar feeding can enhance the lifespan of other species is not clear, nor is it known whether there is a relationship between body size and longevity. In the present study, the effect of sugar feeding on the survival of three phorid fly species of different body sizes, Pseudacteon cultellatus Borgmeier, Pseudacteon curvatus Borgmeier and Pseudacteon obtusus Borgmeier, is investigated. For all three species, flies continuously provided with 40% or 20% sucrose solution live longer than individuals provided water only or 40% sucrose solution only on the first day of adult life. However, the degree to which sugar feeding enhanced longevity varies by species and is highest for P. obtusus. The data also indicate that longevity in Pseudacteon phorid flies is related to body size: the largest species (P. obtusus) lives significantly longer than the smaller species (P. cultellatus and P. curvatus). These results suggest that adults of all three Pseudacteon species are capable of feeding on sucrose solution and that sugar feeding can enhance their longevity. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the field performance of Pseudacteon phorid flies as biological control agents of imported fire ants.

show abstract

“…This species attacks the medium-sized and largesized fire ants and was released at multiple sites across the Southeast [21][22][23]. P. curvatus often accounts for more than 90% of decapitating flies collected at sample sites [24] and currently occupies almost all of the fire ant range in the United States. Pseudacteon curvatus Borgmeier is the second and most successful species of decapitating fly established in the United States (2000 and 2003).…”

Section: Fire Ant Decapitating Fliesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pseudacteon curvatus Borgmeier is the second and most successful species of decapitating fly established in the United States (2000 and 2003). A fourth species, Pseudacteon obtusus Borgmeier was recently established in Florida in 2008 [24] and several sites in Texas in 2006 [26]. A biotype from Las Flores, Argentina, has been established on black and hybrid fire ants in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.…”

Section: Fire Ant Decapitating Fliesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitigating the allergic effects of fire ant envenomation with biologically based population reduction

Porter

Valles

et al. 2013

Current Opinion in Allergy &Amp; Clinical Immunology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During separate founding events in the United States, Australia, mainland China, and Taiwan, fire ants native to South America escaped their native pathogens and parasites. Consequently, fire ant populations in these introduced regions pose a serious public health threat to the human populations by envenomation and subsequent allergic reactions. Specific, self-sustaining biological control agents have been discovered, studied, and released into fire ant populations in the United States in an effort to re-establish an ecological/competitive balance, resulting in reduced fire ant densities and human exposure.

show abstract

Dispersal and competitive impacts of a third fire ant decapitating fly (Pseudacteon obtusus) established in North Central Florida

Cited by 16 publications

References 53 publications

Parasitoids of the endangered leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier in urban and natural areas

Parasitoids of the endangered leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier in urban and natural areas

Comparing longevity of Pseudacteon species of different sizes: effect of sugar feeding

Mitigating the allergic effects of fire ant envenomation with biologically based population reduction

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About