Eradication and Control Strategies for Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) in Taiwan

Liu, Helen; Lin, Chih-Chieh; Huang, Li Hsin; Huang, Sin An; Huang, Rong

doi:10.3390/su12103951

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…The control strategies in the plan included a large-scale broadcast of IGR-based bait in the areas invaded by RIFA in combination with strengthened public education, intensive surveillance (or monitoring) in high-risk areas, and strict control of human-assisted dispersal (movement control). However, the strategies for the prevention and control of RIFA were modified for hot spots and high-risk zone treatment owing to budget constraints after 2012 [ 13 ]. This modification accelerated the spread of RIFA southward and northward from Taoyuan City ( Figure 1 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The initial goal of NRIFACC was to eradicate RIFA from Taiwan completely, and the RIFA control practices have been consecutively performed for 16 years in Taiwan. Although the eradication program is still far from being successful, complete eradication has been achieved in Yi-Lan, Taichung, and Chia-Yi counties [ 13 ]. RIFA was also found on Kinmen Island four years ago (2015); however, genetic data suggested that it was derived from China, and not from Taiwan [unpublished results].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Movement control is difficult to achieve. Human-assisted dispersal through nursery pots and soil is the most challenging part of controlling RIFA because it can easily transport the ants over a long distance [ 41 , 45 ], as evidenced in the case of Taichung World Flora Exposition on 2 November 2018, in Taiwan [ 13 ]. The dilemma has to be overcome by promulgating regulations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The toll-free hotline cases reported were further confirmed on-site by NRIFACC members. Active surveillance was performed annually using potato chips to attract foraging ants, as described by Bao [ 13 , 14 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Establishment and Social Impacts of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Taiwan

Liu

Huang

Lin

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The first report of the red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, in Taiwan was in the city of Taoyuan in 2003. The government has made great efforts to bring RIFA-infested areas under control. RIFA has gradually spread outward since its discovery, but it is still confined in northern Taiwan, in part due to the control efforts. RIFA is well established in densely populated environments (i.e., urban areas), causing damage to public utilities and significantly affects the inhabitants of Taiwan. Out of 10,127 human encounters with RIFA reported by the Plant Pest Information Management System in the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, 3819 (37.71%) persons were stung, with 834 (21.8%) persons exhibiting wheal-and-flare reaction (swelling and redness of the skin). Among the victims, 288 (7.5%) sought medical care, and about 21 (0.6%) developed severe cellulitis and urticaria. Unexpectedly, 2.8% (106) of the victims exhibited anaphylactic shock, which was higher than previously reported cases (1%). The high anaphylactic shock percentage was probably because most victims were elderly farmers or because Asian people have higher sensitivity to the RIFA sting. RIFA is well adapted to the environmental conditions in Taiwan, which makes it extremely difficult (if not impossible) to eradicate. The management of RIFA in the future should focus on lowering the speed of spread to mitigate possible dangers to the inhabitants. Six major challenges of RIFA management in Taiwan are also discussed.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Establishment and Social Impacts of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Taiwan

Liu

Huang

Lin

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…( 2015 ) 7 = Wetterer and Davis ( 2010 ) 8 = Fukano and Soga ( 2019 ) 9 = Liu et al. ( 2020 ) 10 = Wylie et al. ( 2020 ) 11 = Mufti et al.…”

Section: Appendix B – Distribution Of Solenopsis Invictamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pest categorisation of Solenopsis invicta

Bragard¹,

Baptista²,

Chatzivassiliou³

et al. 2023

EFS2

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The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Solenopsis invicta Butler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) the red imported fire ant, for the EU territory. S. invicta is native to central South America and has spread to North and Central America, East Asia and Australia where it is recognised as a major invasive species causing serious environmental impacts to biodiversity and harming horticultural crops such as cabbage, eggplant and potatoes. It can girdle and kill young citrus trees. S. invicta is not listed as a Union quarantine pest in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. However, the European Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species lists S. invicta as a species of Union concern (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1203). Like other ant species, S. invicta is a social insect commonly creating colonies in the soil. Long-distance spread in the Americas has been attributed to nests being carried in soil accompanying plants for planting, or simply in soil alone. S. invicta could enter the EU via conveyances carrying a wide range of goods if the conveyance is contaminated with soil or has been in close contact with soil, and with plants for planting in soil or growing media. Climatic conditions in large parts of the southern EU are suitable for establishment and spread would occur when mated females disperse to form new colonies. If S. invicta established in the EU, losses to horticultural crops would be expected in addition to losses to biodiversity. The impacts of S. invicta go beyond plant health with the ant attacking new-born, hatching, weak or sick animals. Stings can cause allergic reactions in humans and are a public health issue. However, such factors are outside the scope of a pest categorisation. S. invicta satisfies the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

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The implementation of robotic dogs in automatic detection and surveillance of red imported fire ant nests

Su,

Shi,

Zhong

et al. 2024

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUNDThe Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA), scientifically known as Solenopsis invicta, is a destructive invasive species causing considerable harm to ecosystems and generating substantial economic costs globally. Traditional methods for RIFA nests detection are labor‐intensive and may not be scalable to larger field areas. This study aimed to develop an innovative surveillance system that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic dogs to automate the detection and geolocation of RIFA nests, thereby improving monitoring and control strategies.RESULTSThe designed surveillance system, through integrating the CyberDog robotic platform with a YOLOX AI model, demonstrated RIFA nest detection precision rates of >90%. The YOLOX model was trained on a dataset containing 1118 images and achieved a final precision rate of 0.95, with an inference time of 20.16 ms per image, indicating real‐time operational suitability. Field tests revealed that the CyberDog system identified three times more nests than trained human inspectors, with significantly lower rates of missed detections and false positives.CONCLUSIONThe findings underscore the potential of AI‐driven robotic systems in advancing pest management. The CyberDog/YOLOX system not only matched human inspectors in speed, but also exceeded them in accuracy and efficiency. This study's results are significant as they highlight how technology can be harnessed to address biological invasions, offering a more effective, ecologically friendly, and scalable solution for RIFA detection. The successful implementation of this system could pave the way for broader applications in environmental monitoring and pest control, ultimately contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and economic stability. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

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Eradication and Control Strategies for Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) in Taiwan

Cited by 6 publications

References 53 publications

Establishment and Social Impacts of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Taiwan

Establishment and Social Impacts of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Taiwan

Pest categorisation of Solenopsis invicta

The implementation of robotic dogs in automatic detection and surveillance of red imported fire ant nests

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