Surveillance and invasive risk of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren in China

Abstract

BACKGROUND The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren is one of the world's most successful and destructive invasive ant species. In mainland China, fast, monthly and annual pest reports on all pests have been established since 2010. The distribution of S. invicta resulting from climate change in China was predicted using MaxEnt modeling in combination with comprehensive surveillance data and 56 environmental factors. RESULTS The fast and monthly reports revealed that S. invicta had spread to new territories almost every year in this timeframe. The transportation of seedlings and deployment of turfgrass were the major artificial transmission pathways. Annual reports indicated that control efforts had effectively reduced its occurrence areas and degree of severity of infestations, and retrieved the economic loss caused by S. invicta. The MaxEnt model predicted that S. invicta would expand to 23 provinces in China as a result of climate change. Moisture variables were the key factors affecting the distribution of this pest. CONCLUSION Based on the theoretical reference framework of this research, China proposed the first‐ever integrated tactics against a single pest, jointly involving nine ministries, which include clarifying responsibilities, cutting off transmission pathways, strengthening surveillance, declaring pest distributions and conducting preventive and control campaigns. Practical efforts and measures combating the devastation of S. invicta may shed light on its management and other invasive species worldwide. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Integrated approaches for Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) management: insights from laboratory studies with entomopathogenic nematodes and insecticides

“…2 Currently, it has spread to >500 regions in more than a dozen provinces in mainland China. 3,4 The severe damage and rapid spread of RIFA necessitate urgent measures for its eradication. Among various control methods, chemical control is the most common and fastest approach.…”

Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Impact of the Biopesticide Metarhizium anisopliae on the Immune System of Major Workers in Solenopsis invicta

“…Furthermore, S. invicta can also cause economic losses to agricultural production by displacing farmers and forcing them to abandon cultivated land [ 7 ]. In China, S. invicta is primarily found in habitats such as farmland and parks with frequent human disturbance [ 8 ]. In this scenario, the use of chemical insecticides to prevent or control S. invicta not only contaminates the environment but also poses risks to human health [ 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Use of Artificial Intelligence for Automated Detection and Surveillance of Red Imported Fire Ants Nests

“…Published research on RIFA has primarily focused on its physiological characteristics, invasion risk, and integrated pest management strategies [5][6][7][8] . Integrated pest management relies heavily on monitoring invasive species populations to deliver effective control measures in a timely manner.…”

“…One widely-used method for estimating RIFA density involves tallying the number of active nests per unit of area [9] . However, identifying RIFA nests visually can be challenging due to their diverse and non-distinctive physical profiles, and confirmation of RIFA presence often requires molecular techniques [10] .Various attempts have been made to develop technologies for automatically detecting RIFA nests, including through the use of aerial imagery [10,11] , drones [6] , and trained dogs [12,13] . Nevertheless, the scalability of these methods is often hindered by the need for specialized machinery and expertise.…”