Virome of red imported fire ants by metagenomic analysis in Guangdong, southern China.

The red imported fire ant (RIFA) has made China its habitat for approximately 25 years, but few reports have described the species and amount of virus circulating in it. Researchers are currently exploring viruses associated with RIFAs as potential biological control agents against invasive ants. The present meta-transcriptome analysis revealed the virome of red imported fire ants in Guangdong, southern China, which included 17 viruses, including virus 4-GD (SINV-4) and Guangdong Polycipiviridae ant virus 1 (GPAV1) in the family; virus 1-GD (SINV-1), and Guangdong Dicistroviridae ant virus 2-3 (GDAV2-3) in the family; Guangdong Iflaviridae ant virus 4-9 (GIAV4-9) in the family; Guangdong Parvoviridae ant virus 10 (GPAV10) in the family; and Guangdong ant virus 11-15 (GAV11-15). A total of 15 novel viruses and 2 known viruses were identified in this study. These findings reveal the virome of red imported fire ants in Guangdong Province and present a different result from that of a similar study reported in the United States, providing more choices for potential classical biological control agents against red imported fire ants in China.