Toxicity and repellency of compounds from clove (Syzygium aromaticum) to red imported fire ants Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

The toxicity and repellency of the bioactive chemicals of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) powder, eugenol, eugenol acetate, and beta-caryophyllene were evaluated against workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Clove powder applied at 3 and 12 mg/cm2 provided 100% ant mortality within 6 h, and repelled 99% within 3 h. Eugenol was the fastest acting compound against red imported fire ant compared with eugenol acetate, beta-caryophyllene, and clove oil.

Efficacy of natural products against Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in Nepal.

This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of local natural products against the beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), in stored chickpea Cicer arietinum L. (Fabaceae) in Chitwan, Nepal.

Determining the most effective concentration of cypermethrin and the appropriate carrier particle size for fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) bait.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective particle size of DDGS (distiller's dried grains with solubles) as fire ant bait carrier, as well as the most effective concentration of cypermethrin as a toxicant against the red imported fire ant (RIFA) Solenopsis invicta Buren under laboratory conditions.

Results: The DDGS particle size did not affect the fire ant's preference for the bait, but it did affect the mass of DDGS being carried back to the nest. The size of the DDGS particles and the mass of DDGS being carried back to the nest were positively correlated.

Propagule pressure and colony social organization are associated with the successful invasion and rapid range expansion of fire ants in China.

We characterized patterns of genetic variation in populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta in China using mitochondrial DNA sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci to test predictions as to how propagule pressure and subsequent dispersal following establishment jointly shape the invasion success of this ant in this recently invaded area. Fire ants in Wuchuan (Guangdong Province) are genetically differentiated from those found in other large infested areas of China. The immediate source of ants in Wuchuan appears to be somewhere near Texas, which ranks first among the southern USA infested states in the exportation of goods to China.

Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana against the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Taiwan.

Background: Combining biological control and chemical control could be used for controlling red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, more effectively. Beauveria bassiana F256, a local strain from Taiwan, was evaluated for its efficacy in the control of S. invicta under both laboratory and field conditions.

Interspecific competition between Solenopsis invicta and two native ant species, Pheidole fervens and Monomorium chinense.

This study was designed to understand the effects of the interspecific competition between red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren and two native ant species, Pheidole fervens Smith and Monomorium chinense Santschi, by conducting colony interference and individual confrontation tests under laboratory conditions. The colony interference test showed that both native ant species, owing to their numerical advantage, killed the Solenopsis invicta virus-1 (SINV-1)-infected or healthy queens of S. invicta.

Global invasion history of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta.

The fire ant Solenopsis invicta is a significant pest that was inadvertently introduced into the southern United States almost a century ago and more recently into California and other regions of the world. An assessment of genetic variation at a diverse set of molecular markers in 2144 fire ant colonies from 75 geographic sites worldwide revealed that at least nine separate introductions of S. invicta have occurred into newly invaded areas and that the main southern U.

The genome of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta.

Ants have evolved very complex societies and are key ecosystem members. Some ants, such as the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, are also major pests. Here, we present a draft genome of S.

A new fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) bait base carrier for moist conditions.

Background: A new water-resistant fire ant bait (T-bait; cypermethrin 0.128%) consisting of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) as a carrier was developed and evaluated against a standard commercial bait (Advion; indoxacarb 0.045%) under both laboratory and field conditions.

Phylogenetic utility of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 in Strumigenys spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Sequence variations and phylogenetic relationships of Strumigenys from different localities in Taiwan were inferred from sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal RNA genes. The ITS2 sequences of different species of Strumigenys vary in length from 659 to 953 bp, because there are many large repeated insertion-deletion fragments, and these short tandem repeat units form microsatellites. The average GC content of the ITS2 is 60.