Invasive ants influence native lizard populations

Darracq, Andrea K.; Smith, Lora L.; Oi, David H.; Conner, L. Mike; McCleery, Robert A.

doi:10.1002/ecs2.1657

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is a significant pest that has been introduced into many areas around the world, including North America, Australia, China, and Asian-Pacific regions (Morrison et al, 2004; Zeng et al, 2005; Ascunce et al, 2011; Wetterer, 2013; Wylie & Janssen-May, 2017). The invasion of Solenopsis invicta has represented a major threat to native arthropods and small vertebrates in many ecological communities (Holway et al, 2002; Orrock & Danielson, 2004; Thawley & Langkilde, 2016; Darracq et al, 2017). Baiting is one of the most successful methods for the control of S. invicta , especially when area-wide fire ant management is needed (Williams, Collins & Oi, 2001; Rust & Su, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Qin

Chen

Hooper‐Bùi

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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The food-burying behavior has been reported in many mammals and birds, but was rarely observed in invertebrates. The red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an invasive pest in many areas of the world that usually performing food-burying during the foraging processes. However, the impacted factors and measureable patterns of this behavior is largely unknown. In the present study, food-burying vs food-transport behaviors of Solenopsis invicta were observed under laboratory and field conditions. When starved (no food was provided for 37 days) in the laboratory, food (sausage) was consumed by large numbers of ants, and few burying behaviors were observed. However, when food was provided until satiation of the colonies, food-transport was suppressed and significantly more soil particles were relocated on the food and graph paper square (where the food was placed) when compared with these colonies exposed to starved conditions. Videotapes showed that soil particles (1.47 ± 0.09 mm2) were preferentially placed adjacent to (in contact with) the food items at the beginning; and after the edges were covered, ants transported significantly smaller soil particles (1.13 ± 0.06 mm2) to cover the food. Meanwhile, larger particles (1.96 ± 0.08 mm2) were pulled/dragged around (but not in contact with) the food. Interestingly, only a small number of ants, mainly the small workers, were involved in food-burying, and the ants tended to repeatedly transport soil particles. A total of 12 patterns of particle transport were identified, and soil particles were most frequently picked from the foraging arena and subsequently placed adjacent to the food. In the field, almost all released food was actively transported by Solenopsis invicta workers, and no burying behavior was observed. Our results show that the food-burying behavior of Solenopsis invicta may be associated with the suppressed foraging activity, and the burying task may be carried out by certain groups of workers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Qin

Chen

Hooper‐Bùi

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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“…Although there is increasing appreciation that the effects of maternally-derived glucocorticoids on offspring traits are likely to be context-dependent ( Sheriff and Love 2013 ; Sheriff et al 2017 ), few studies have tested whether and how an offspring’s early life environment can modulate their phenotypic response to maternal glucocorticoids. Here, we tested: a) whether elevated maternal glucocorticoids resulted in changes in offspring phenotype in the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) ; and b), whether phenotypic changes in offspring varied in the context of high- and low-predation risk from invasive fire ants ( Solenopsis invicta ), a key novel predator of fence lizards during early life ( Darracq et al 2017 ; Gifford et al 2017 ). Despite their small size, fire ants are voracious predators capable of subduing relatively large animals by aggressively swarming and simultaneously stinging prey individuals ( Langkilde 2009b ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of maternal glucocorticoids on offspring phenotype in high- and low-risk environments

et al. 2021

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Elevated maternal glucocorticoid levels during gestation can lead to phenotypic changes in offspring via maternal effects. Although such effects have traditionally been considered maladaptive, maternally derived glucocorticoids may adaptively prepare offspring for their future environment depending upon the correlation between maternal and offspring environments. Nevertheless, relatively few studies test the effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure across multiple environments. We tested the potential for ecologically relevant increases in maternal glucocorticoids in the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) to induce adaptive phenotypic changes in offspring exposed to high or low densities of an invasive fire ant predator. Maternal treatment had limited effects on offspring morphology and behavior at hatching, but by 10 days of age, we found maternal treatment interacted with offspring environment to alter anti-predator behaviors. We did not detect differences in early-life survival based on maternal treatment or offspring environment. Opposing selection on anti-predator behaviors from historic and novel invasive predators may confound the potential of maternal glucocorticoids to adaptively influence offspring behavior. Our test of the phenotypic outcomes of transgenerational glucocorticoid effects across risk environments provides important insight into the context-specific nature of this phenomenon and the importance of understanding both current and historic evolutionary pressures.

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“…In addition to sharing a broad geographic range, fence lizards and fire ants occupy open, anthropogenically disturbed habitats, resulting in frequent interactions between the two species (Langkilde, 2009a, 2009b). A multitude of ill effects have been found in fence lizards in the presence of fire ants, including increased mortality (Langkilde & Freidenfelds, 2010) and reduced recruitment of new individuals to the population (Darracq et al, 2017). Exposed populations of lizards are adapting, and many interactions with fire ants are sublethal, with the lizard escaping and surviving after being attacked and stung (Boronow & Langkilde, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A multitude of ill effects have been found in fence lizards in the presence of fire ants, including increased mortality (Langkilde & Freidenfelds, 2010) and reduced recruitment of new individuals to the population (Darracq et al, 2017). Exposed populations of lizards are adapting, and many interactions with fire ants are sublethal, with the lizard escaping and surviving after being attacked and stung (Boronow & Langkilde, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecoimmune reallocation in a native lizard in response to the presence of invasive, venomous fire ants in their shared environment

et al. 2020

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Exposure to stressors over prolonged periods can have fitness‐relevant consequences, including suppression of immune function. We tested for effects of presence of an invasive species threat on a broad panel of immune functions of a coexisting lizard. Eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) have been exposed to invasive fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) for over 80 years. Fire ants sting and envenomate lizards, causing physiological stress, but we do not have a comprehensive understanding of the broad immune consequences of lizard exposure to fire ant presence. We conducted a suite of immune measures on fence lizards caught from areas with long histories of fire ant invasion and lizards from areas not yet invaded by fire ants. The effect of fire ant presence on immunity varied depending on the immune component measured: within fire ant invaded areas, some portions of immunity were suppressed (lymphocytic cell‐mediated immunity, complement), some were unaffected (phagocytic respiratory burst, natural antibodies), and some were enhanced (anti‐fire ant immunoglobulin M, basophils) compared to within uninvaded areas. Rather than fire ants being broadly immunosuppressing, as generally assumed, the immune response appears to be tailored to this specific stressor: the immune measures that were enhanced are important to the lizards' ability to handle envenomation, whereas those that were unaffected or suppressed are less critical to surviving fire ant encounters. Several immune measures were suppressed in reproductive females when actively producing follicles, which may make them more susceptible to immunosuppressive costs of stressors such as interactions with fire ants.

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Invasive ants influence native lizard populations

Cited by 13 publications

References 55 publications

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The influence of maternal glucocorticoids on offspring phenotype in high- and low-risk environments

Ecoimmune reallocation in a native lizard in response to the presence of invasive, venomous fire ants in their shared environment

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