Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| decreased small mammal and on-host tick abundance in association with invasive red imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta). | invasive species may impact pathogen transmission by altering the distributions and interactions among native vertebrate reservoir hosts and arthropod vectors. here, we examined the direct and indirect effects of the red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta) on the native tick, small mammal and pathogen community in southeast texas. using a replicated large-scale field manipulation study, we show that small mammals were more abundant on treatment plots where s. invicta populations were experime ... | 0 | 27651533 |
| effects of ploidy and sex-locus genotype on gene expression patterns in the fire ant solenopsis invicta. | males in many animal species differ greatly from females in morphology, physiology and behaviour. ants, bees and wasps have a haplodiploid mechanism of sex determination whereby unfertilized eggs become males while fertilized eggs become females. however, many species also have a low frequency of diploid males, which are thought to develop from diploid eggs when individuals are homozygous at one or more sex determination loci. diploid males are morphologically similar to haploids, though often l ... | 0 | 25355475 |
| antibacterial activity of venom alkaloids from the imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren. | the antibacterial properties of synthetic fire ant venom alkaloids were tested by disc-diffusion procedures against a variety of bacteria and by doubling concentrations in broth cultures of staphylococcus aureus and escherichia coli. gram-positive bacteria were inhibited by lower concentrations of trans-2-methyl-6-n-undecylpiperidine, trans-2-methyl-6-n-tridecylpiperidine, and trans-2-methyl-6-n-pentadecylpiperidine than were gram-negative bacteria. a fourth alkaloid, trans-2-methyl-6-(cis-6-pen ... | 1972 | 4670503 |
| gynandromorphism in the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren (hymenoptera: formicidae). | 1975 | 1175547 | |
| mirex residues in bobwhite quail after aerial application of bait for fire ant control, south carolina--1975-76. | mirex, the organochlorine compound used for control of the imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta buren), was applied aerially under supervision of the south carolina plant pest regulatory service in october 1975 to a game management area in hampton county, s.c. influenced by recent reports indicating that low levels of mirex were toxic to certain nontarget organisms in laboratory studies, authors initiated a program for monitoring mirex residues in bobwhite quail (colinus virginianus). pretreatm ... | 1977 | 600676 |
| medical implications: imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta. | 1977 | 559570 | |
| light and electron microscope study of thelohania solenopsae n. sp. (microsporida: protozoa) in the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. | 1977 | 850074 | |
| treatment of local skin response to imported fire ant sting. | the sting of the imported fire ant (ifa), solenopsis invicta buren and solenopsis richteri forel, produces characteristic sterile pustules. substantial morbidity and occasional mortality from secondary infection of the ifa pustule(s) or anaphylaxis in hypersensitive persons has occurred. ifas are found in the southeastern and south central united states. the effects of various medical regimens currently used to treat ifa pustules were evaluated clinically and histologically in rabbits. neither p ... | 1981 | 7302637 |
| pheromonal control of dealation and oogenesis in virgin queen fire ants. | in the fire ant solenopsis invicta, sexually mature virgin females are prevented from shedding their wings and becoming functional egg layers by the presence of the mated queen. experimental data suggest that this inhibitory effect results from the action of a relatively nonvolatile primer pheromone (or pheromones) produced by the mated queen and distributed by the workers. target ants are both virgin queens and workers. | 1981 | 17747633 |
| fire ant envenomation in children. | fire ants (solenopsis richteri and solenopsis invicta) have received scant attention from individuals other than agriculturists, entomologists, and victims of the bite and sting. since their original importation into mobile, alabama, these small, seemingly benign, creatures have slowly migrated throughout most of the southern united states. not unexpectedly, physicians working in the southern portions of the united states have been confronted with increasingly large numbers of patients, particul ... | 1984 | 6201811 |
| use of computerized pattern recognition in the study of the cuticular hydrocarbons of imported fire ants. i. introduction and characterization of the cuticular hydrocarbon patterns of solenopsis invicta and s. richteri. | a method is described in which gas chromatographic (gc) data obtained from cuticular hydrocarbons are treated by methods of pattern recognition. based on a recently described sample preparation procedure, gc data are normalized to eliminate slight variations in chromatographic conditions and converted into the proper format for discriminant analysis by computer. the results of several methods of data treatment and display are discussed, based upon the chemometric system package, arthur. the appr ... | 1985 | 4086644 |
| fluoroaliphatic sulfones: a new class of delayed-action insecticides for control of solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae). | 1985 | 4078136 | |
| tetradonema solenopsis n. sp. (nematoda: tetradonematidae) parasitic on the red imported fire ant solenopsis invicta buren from brazil. | explorations in brazil to find parasites of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, have uncovered a new species of the tetradonematidae, tetradonema solenopsis n. sp. the nematode parasite was fatal to about 25% of the colony. the female nematodes are large and sausage shaped and the males are small and difficult to find, which is typical of the genus. the ant is a new host record for tetradonematids. | 1987 | 19290149 |
| allergens in hymenoptera venom. xx. isolation of four allergens from imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta) venom. | commercial solenopsis invicta (sol i) venom was fractionated by gel filtration and high-performance cation exchange chromatography. four proteins were isolated and purified to homogeneity. the four proteins were tested with a panel of sera from patients allergic to fire ant venom; all proteins had significant allergenic activity. these proteins corresponded to four of the bands we previously reported to be allergenic by immunoblot analysis. sol i i has an apparent molecular weight of 37,000 dalt ... | 1988 | 3192865 |
| rast-inhibition studies of the imported fire ant solenopsis invicta with whole body extracts and venom preparations. | whole body extracts of imported fire ants (ifawbe) are the only reagents currently available for diagnosis and immunotherapy of patients with anaphylaxis to these hymenoptera. to characterize better ifawbe of the species solenopsis invicta, we evaluated the sera of 29 patients with systemic or large local reactions to imported fire ant (ifa) stings. forty-eight percent (14/29) of these sting-sensitive patients were ifawbe rast positive (greater than or equal to 6% binding of total radioactivity ... | 1988 | 3379222 |
| allergens in hymenoptera venom. xxi. cross-reactivity and multiple reactivity between fire ant venom and bee and wasp venoms. | the relationships between fire ant venom and bee and wasp venoms were explored by studying sera from five groups of subjects. group 1 included adults not allergic to any venoms and who were not exposed to fire ants. group 2 included adults with fire ant exposure who were not allergic to venoms. group 3 included patients with recent systemic reactions to fire ant venom. group 4 included patients allergic to bee and vespid venoms with no fire ant exposure. last, group 5 included patients allergic ... | 1988 | 3192866 |
| crossed immunoelectrophoretic studies of whole body extracts and venom from the imported fire ant solenopsis invicta. | although allergic reactions occur after imported fire ant (ifa) sting, currently, only ifa whole body extract (ifawbe) is available for diagnosis and immunotherapy of ifa-sensitive individuals. we report our crossed immunoelectrophoretic studies comparing antigenicity and allergenicity of solenopsis invicta ifawbe and ifa venom (ifav). rabbits were hyperimmunized with ifawbe prepared from s. invicta or with ifav obtained from s. invicta by an electric shock method. crossed immunoelectrophoresis ... | 1988 | 3123537 |
| multiple stings by imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta), without systemic effects. | this is the first case report of imported fire ants invading a building and aggressively attacking a human being, resulting in multiple stings. this case illustrates that, although the venom has a high ld50 in mice, it does not induce toxic systemic effects in humans when the venom is introduced intradermally. | 1989 | 2567534 |
| chemical mimicry in a parasitoid (hymenoptera: eucharitidae) of fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae). | a wasp (orasema sp.) parasitic on the fire ant,solenopsis invicta buren, develops to the adult stage within the ant colony, where wasp larvae are ectoparasitic on ant pupae. this phase of the parasite's life cycle requires a mechanism of integration into the host colony. gas chromatographic profiles of hexane soaks of various stages of the parasite and host suggest that during development within the ant colony the parasite acquires the colony odor of the host through a passive mechanism, based o ... | 1989 | 24272384 |
| allergens in hymenoptera venom. xxii. comparison of venoms from two species of imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta and richteri. | venoms were collected by electrical stimulation from the two major species of imported fire ants found in the united states, solenopsis invicta (sol i) and s. richteri (sol r). antigens similar to three of the four known sol i venom proteins (i, ii, iii, and iv) were isolated from sol r. the n-terminal amino acid sequences for the antigens iii were identical; but those for the antigens ii demonstrated only nine of 20 residues to be identical. two monoclonal antibodies raised against sol i ii did ... | 1990 | 2355158 |
| fly pupae as attractant carriers for toxic baits for red imported fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae). | eight laboratory-reared ant species were fed baits of house fly, musca domestica l., pupae treated with hydramethylnon. two fire ant species, solenopsis invicta buren and solenopsis geminata (f.), and pheidole morrissi (forel) were killed; average percentage of mortality of the five other species was less than 20%. in contrast, all species that were fed the commercial fire ant bait containing hydramethylnon (amdro) died or were adversely affected. in the field, applications of house fly pupae an ... | 1990 | 2324379 |
| nephrotic syndrome associated with ant bite. | a 3-year-old child experienced edema of the face and extremities approximately 2 weeks after being stung on the legs, scrotum, and penis by "fire ants" (solenopsis invicta). after diagnosis of idiopathic minimal-change nephrotic syndrome and treatment with steroids, the edema rapidly disappeared. follow-up 3 years after his hospitalization showed no recurrence of nephrotic syndrome. we have correlated this case with previously published reports of the causal relationship of allergy to nephrotic ... | 1990 | 2185577 |
| red imported fire ant (hymenoptera: formicidae) control with a corn grit bait of fenoxycarb without soybean oil. | the standard fenoxycarb fire ant bait formulation (logic), composed of pregel defatted corn grits and soybean oil toxicant, was modified by eliminating the soybean oil. this formulation without soybean oil contained greater than 2 times more fenoxycarb and was as effective as the standard bait formulation against laboratory colonies of red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren. in field tests, the modified and standard baits were equally effective in controlling fire ants after 6, 12, and ... | 1991 | 1885843 |
| distribution and density of polygyne fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae) in texas. | multiple-queen or "polygyne" solenopsis invicta buren colonies are a serious economic and environmental concern because they occur in much higher densities than the monogyne form. polygyne colonies have been found at numerous locations in the united states; nevertheless, the frequency and distribution of this form are poorly known. almost 700 roadside sites in 168 texas counties were surveyed. polygyny was discovered at 54% of the infested sites. polygyne populations were scattered in a mosaic a ... | 1991 | 1885844 |
| susceptibility and behavioral response of red imported fire ant (hymenoptera: formicidae) to selected entomogenous nematodes (rhabditida: steinernematidae & heterorhabditidae). | pathogenicity of infective juveniles of selected steinernema spp. and heterorhabditis spp. toward developing and reproductive stages of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, was tested under laboratory conditions. at 10(3)-10(5) infective juveniles per petri dish, mortality of reproductive larvae, pupae, and alates ranged from 28 to 100% at higher doses after 96 h at 23-25 degrees c. steinernema carpocapsae all was the most consistent species tested; this nematode caused mortality ... | 1992 | 1593012 |
| fire ant allergy. | two species of imported fire ants (ifa) now infest large areas of the southern united states. the most aggressive species, solenopsis invicta, has adapted well to environmental conditions in the south where it has become a considerable agricultural pest and a significant public health problem. sting reactions range from local pustules and large, late-phase responses to life-threatening anaphylaxis. four important sol i venom allergens have been isolated and characterized. clinical studies under ... | 1992 | 1577260 |
| effects of fire ant venom alkaloids on platelet and neutrophil function. | about 95% of venom of the imported fire ant solenopsis invicta is composed of dialkyl piperidines. these alkaloids produce a distinct pustule at the site of injection. the formation of this pustule may involve the activation of platelets and neutrophils. the purpose of this paper was to characterize the effects of fire ant venom alkaloids (fava) on certain physiological and biochemical functions of human platelets and neutrophils. in platelets, fava caused a rise in intracellular [ca2+], secreti ... | 1993 | 8396703 |
| effect of a founder event on variation in the genetic sex-determining system of the fire ant solenopsis invicta. | effects of a recent founder event on genetic diversity in wild populations of the fire ant solenopsis invicta were studied, with particular attention given to the genetic sex-determining system. diploid males are far more common relative to haploid males in introduced populations than in native populations of fire ants, and queens that produce diploid males account for a significantly larger proportion of the mated queens in introduced than in native populations. differences between native and i ... | 1993 | 8293983 |
| clinical and histologic characterization of cutaneous reactions to stings of the imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta) in dogs. | four adult dogs received experimentally controlled stings in the dorsolateral abdominal skin by imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta). the sites were examined grossly 15 minutes and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours and histologically 15 minutes and 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after stinging. the initial gross lesions at 15 minutes were swelling and erythema, and the microscopic changes were vascular congestion and superficial dermal edema. by 6 hours, the lesions consisted of bright eryth ... | 1993 | 8116149 |
| stability of polygyne and monogyne fire ant populations (hymenoptera: formicidae: solenopsis invicta) in the united states. | over the past decade, polygyne red imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta buren) have been found at more and more sites across the southeastern united states. the objective of my study was to determine if polygyne (multiple-queen) populations are expanding and at what rate this might be occurring. more than 200 sites were inspected for polygyny in florida and several other southeastern states. these sites were reinspected 1-3 yr later. results showed that polygyne populations were not expanding ... | 1993 | 8254133 |
| the breeding system of the fire ant solenopsis invicta: effects on colony genetic structure. | genetic and observational data are combined to describe the breeding system in a polygyne population of solenopsis invicta using a formal theoretical framework that links properties of the breeding system with colony genetic structure. queens of s. invicta mate only once, and the study population is outbred. the number of mated queens per nest is variable but generally low, with the average relatedness of nest-mate queens indistinguishable from zero. the genetic data are sufficiently complete th ... | 1993 | 19425999 |
| effect of the red imported fire ant (hymenoptera: formicidae) and carcass type on the daily occurrence of postfeeding carrion-fly larvae (diptera: calliphoridae, sarcophagidae). | red imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta buren, caused an increased in the proportion of gaps in the daily occurrence of postfeeding larvae of cochliomyia macellaria (f.) in carrion-baited traps. chrysomya rufifacies appeared later in the decomposition process and over a wider period of days in goat than in rabbit carcasses. the dependence of presence or absence of a carrion arthropod taxon at a given point in succession on interactions between other arthropods or carcass type must be consider ... | 1994 | 8158622 |
| laboratory study of predation by solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae) on eggs of aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae). | the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, punctured and fed on the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus (skuse), eggs in the laboratory. the presence and actions of the ants, especially the minima workers, reduced the hatching of egg populations. | 1994 | 7966185 |
| the natural history of exposure to the imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta). | imported fire ants (ifa) are a common cause of insect venom hypersensitivity in the southeastern united states. the purpose of this study was to determine the sting attack rate and development of specific ige in an unsensitized population. | 1995 | 7722162 |
| hypersensitivity to fire ant venom. | reading this article will reinforce the reader's knowledge of the taxonomy, origin, and distribution of fire ants and will increase his ability to diagnose and manage reactions caused by the two imported species, solenopsis invicta and richteri. this review will also enhance the reader's knowledge of the available diagnostic methods and therapeutic measures, including the role of fire ant venom versus whole body extract in the management of fire ant allergy. | 1996 | 8760773 |
| social evolution in a new environment: the case of introduced fire ants. | the inadvertent introduction of the fire ant solenopsis invicta to the united states from south america provides the opportunity to study recent social evolution by comparing social organization in native and introduced populations. we report that several important elements of social organization in multiple-queen nests differ consistently and dramatically between ants in argentina and the united states. colonies in argentina contain relatively few queens and they are close relatives, whereas co ... | 1996 | 11607647 |
| reactions to less common species of fire ants. | there are four species of fire ants found in the united states in addition to the most common, solenopsis invicta. reactions have been reported from stings of each of these species, but large numbers of insects and adequate amounts of venom for study are very difficult to obtain. | 1997 | 9389299 |
| hierarchical analysis of genetic structure in native fire ant populations: results from three classes of molecular markers. | we describe genetic structure at various scales in native populations of the fire ant solenopsis invicta using two classes of nuclear markers, allozymes and microsatellites, and markers of the mitochondrial genome. strong structure was found at the nest level in both the monogyne (single queen) and polygyne (multiple queen) social forms using allozymes. weak but significant microgeographic structure was detected above the nest level in polygyne populations but not in monogyne populations using b ... | 1997 | 9335601 |
| detection of magnetism in the red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta) using magnetic resonance imaging. | red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta) workers, queens, and alates were analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging (mri) for the presence of natural magnetism. images of ants showed distortion patterns similar to those of honey bees and monarch butterflies, both of which possess ferromagnetic material. the bipolar ring patterns of mri indicated the presence in fire ants of small amounts of internal magnetic material, which may be used in orientation behaviors, as in the honey bees. | 1997 | 9209721 |
| multilocus evolution in fire ants: effects of selection, gene flow and recombination. | the reproductive success of individual fire ant queens (solenopsis invicta) previously has been shown to be strongly influenced by their genotype at a single enzyme-encoding gene, designated pgm-3. this paper presents evidence that a second, tightly linked gene, designated gp-9, is under similarly strong selection in these ants. selection appears to act independently on the two genes and is detectable in only one of the two social forms of this species (the "polygyne" social form in which nests ... | 1997 | 9093850 |
| efficacy of bait distributional strategies to deliver canine rabies vaccines to coyotes in southern texas. | this study sought to develop a baiting strategy to deliver an oral rabies vaccine to free-ranging coyotes (canis latrans) in southern texas. to determine bait longevity, dog foodlard baits were placed (n = 50) on- and off-roads during july 1994 and january 1995. coyote visitation and uptake rates did not differ between on-road and off-road placement of baits. to evaluate bait stations as possible visual cues, baits were placed out both with (n = 50) and without (n = 50) bait stations. a visual c ... | 1998 | 9476222 |
| population dynamics of immature amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae) and other ectoparasites on meadowlarks and northern bobwhite quail resident to the coastal prairie of texas. | a survey of ectoparasites from 219 meadowlarks conducted during 2 consecutive fall-winter periods in a coastal prairie found immature amblyomma maculatum koch to be the most abundant parasite. peak larval infestations occurred in december with 80-100% of collected birds infested and with a monthly mean of up to 34 larvae per bird. peak nymphal infestations occurred in february or march with 95-100% of birds infested and with a monthly mean of up to 11 nymphs per bird. seasonal dynamics of these ... | 1998 | 9701932 |
| analysis of the ribosomal dna sequences of the microsporidia thelohania and vairimorpha of fire ants. | sequences of the 16srrna gene of three microsporidia pathogenic to imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta and solenopsis richteri, were determined and compared to each other and 15 other species of microsporidia. the sequences of 2 thelohania species are nearly identical (99.2% identity), supporting light-microscopic and ultrastructural evidence that thelohania solenopsae and thelohania sp. are closely related but probably not conspecific. sequence comparisons further revealed that vairimorpha s ... | 1998 | 9709016 |
| fatal anaphylaxis due to fire ant stings. | imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta and solenopsis richteri) are the source of a potentially lethal environmental hazard in the southeastern united states. because of their resistance to natural and chemical control, fire ants can overwhelm their environment, causing destruction of land and animals. fire ants can also cause a variety of health problems in humans, ranging from simple stings to anaphylaxis and death. we present a case of a 30-year-old woman who died of anaphylaxis following mul ... | 1998 | 9662108 |
| proteolytic enzymes from larvae of the fire ant, solenopsis invicta. isolation and characterization of four serine endopeptidases. | the imported red fire ant (solenopsis invicta) is a problematic pest in the southern united states. the stages of development for these ants are as follows: egg, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instar larvae, prepupae, pupae, and adult. the 4th instar larvae plays an important role in the survival of the colony in that it is totally responsible for the digestion of solid foods and the source of nutrients for the queen and adult workers. in our studies we have been successful in purifying and characterizi ... | 1998 | 9603955 |
| discovery of thelohania solenopsae from the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, in the united states | copyright | 1998 | 9500936 |
| assessing genetic structure with multiple classes of molecular markers: a case study involving the introduced fire ant solenopsis invicta. | we used 30 genetic markers of 6 different classes to describe hierarchical genetic structure in introduced populations of the fire ant solenopsis invicta. these included four classes of presumably neutral nuclear loci (allozymes, codominant random amplified polymorphic dnas (rapds), microsatellites, and dominant rapds), a class comprising two linked protein-coding nuclear loci under selection, and a marker of the mitochondrial dna (mtdna). patterns of structure revealed by f statistics and exact ... | 1999 | 10331278 |
| venom alkaloids of fire ants in relation to worker size and age. | piperidine alkaloids compose most of the venom of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, and we examined how six of these alkaloids varied across worker size and age. in a colony sampled intensively, the relative abundance of each alkaloid was highly correlated with worker size with one exception, and ratios of saturated to unsaturated alkaloids were positively correlated with worker size. similarly, both the abundance and ratios of alkaloids differed significantly between the small and ... | 2000 | 10665803 |
| expanding habitat of the imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta): a public health concern. | residents in the southeastern united states would hardly describe life with the aggressive imported fire ant as peaceful coexistence. the continued spread of these insects has produced agricultural problems, changes in the ecosystem, and increasing numbers of subjects with sting sequelae, including hypersensitivity reactions, secondary infections, and rare neurologic sequelae. evolutionary changes have facilitated their expansion northward into virginia and westward into california, and increasi ... | 2000 | 10756216 |
| the structure of an insect chymotrypsin. | the south american imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta), without natural enemies in the united states, widely infests the southern united states, causing more than a half billion dollars in health and agriculture-related damage annually in texas alone. fire ants are resistant to most insecticides, so control will require a more fundamental understanding of their biochemistry and metabolism leading to the design of selective, ecologically safe insecticides. the 4th instar larvae play a crucial ... | 2000 | 10801356 |
| ecology. when fire ants move in, others leave. | researchers have uncovered new evidence about the long-range, and potentially long-term, ecological damage being wrought by an invasive species of fire ant. the red imported fire ant solenopsis invicta displaces other ant species and upsets the structures of native communities of ants--disruptions that appear to be permanent, they report in the july issue of ecology letters. the drop in biodiversity could represent a significant loss, experts note, because of the critical role ants play in recyc ... | 2000 | 10917841 |
| wolbachia infections in native and introduced populations of fire ants (solenopsis spp.). | wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited bacteria that induce a variety of effects with fitness consequences on host arthropods, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, male-killing and feminization. we report here the presence of wolbachia in native south american populations of the fire ant solenopsis invicta, but the apparent absence of the bacteria in introduced populations of this pest species in the usa. the wolbachia strains in native s. invicta are of two divergent types ( ... | 2000 | 11122476 |
| characterizing the interaction between fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae) and developing soybean plants. | this research characterizes the interaction between the fire ants solenopsis invicta buren and developing soybean plants. phagostimulant studies showed that fire ant foraging on soybean seeds increased once the seeds imbibed water. during seedling development over a 5-d germination period, fire ant foraging shifted from the stem/cotyledons to the roots, despite continual increases in fresh weights for each region, and the fact that stem/cotyledon tissue contained the majority of food reserves. c ... | 2000 | 11142298 |
| cloning of the 16-kda v-atpase proteolipid subunit from the red imported fire ant solenopsis invicta buren (hymenoptera: formicidae). | v-atpases are ubiquitous proton pumps found in eukaryotes, and are important in regulating the ph of cell compartments and in creating membrane potentials. the v-atpase creates a proton gradient that is used as an energy source for the transport of other ions. the 16-kda proteolipid is the proton-translocating subunit c of v-atpases. using pcr methods, we have cloned the fire ant 16-kda subunit c, providing the first molecular characterization of this protein in a social insect. northern blot an ... | 2000 | 11169750 |
| multiple glandular origins of queen pheromones in the fire ant solenopsis invicta. | the poison sac of the fire ant solenopsis invicta is the only identified glandular source of pheromones produced by a functional ant queen. this structure, which contains the poison gland, has previously been shown to be the source of a releaser pheromone that mediates queen recognition and tending by workers. the poison sac has also been demonstrated to be the source of a primer pheromone that inhibits winged, virgin queens from shedding their wings (dealating) and developing their ovaries. to ... | 2000 | 10818242 |
| behavioral and chemical analysis of venom gland secretion of queens of the ant solenopsis geminata. | bioassays in a y-tube olfactometer showed that workers of solenopsis geminata (hymenoptera: formicidae) were attracted to venom gland extracts of queens. gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry analysis of individual glands of queens of s. geminata showed that the secretion is composed mainly of a large amount of 2-alkyl-6-methylpiperidine alkaloids and a tiny amount of a delta-lactone and a a-pyrone, which have been earlier identified as components of the queen attractant pheromone of sole ... | 2001 | 11789950 |
| characterization of vitellogenin in the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: apocrita: formicidae). | vitellin (vn) and vitellogenin (vg) profiles were analyzed in monogyne and polygyne colonies of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. non-denaturing and sds-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (page) analyses indicated that the native vn was likely 350 kda and comprised of two subunits in the molecular size range of 170-185 kda. sds-page of hemolymph showed that the relative mobilities and subunit patterns of vg and vn were similar. vg was present in the hemolymph of reproductive queens; ... | 2001 | 11249942 |
| queen control of sex ratio in fire ants. | the haplodiploid sex-determination system of ants gives rise to conflict between queens and workers over colony sex ratios, and the female-biased allocation ratios seen in many species suggest that workers often prevail in this conflict. we exchanged queens between male- and female-specialist colonies of the fire ant solenopsis invicta. these exchanges quickly reversed the sex-ratio biases of adopting colonies. the sex ratio of queen-laid eggs differed strongly between male- and female-specialis ... | 2001 | 11509728 |
| evidence of intracolony transmission of thelohania solenopsae (microsporidia: thelohaniidae) in red imported fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae) and the first report of spores from pupae. | red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, colonies were infected horizontally by introducing live brood (mainly larvae and pupae) infected with thelohania solenopsae. live, infected brood introduced into uninfected colonies were adopted and raised to adulthood instead of being executed by the recipient colony. introductions of infected larvae with uninfected pupae, which eclose into adult worker caste fire ants, resulted in an 80% infection rate of the inoculated colonies. infections from intro ... | 2001 | 11812115 |
| development of thelohania solenopsae in red imported fire ants solenopsis invicta from polygynous colonies results in formation of three spore types. | 2001 | 11906091 | |
| stinging ants. | ants belong to the order hymenoptera, along with bees, wasps, yellow jackets, etc., they are the most successful animal genera in this world. it is their selfless social structure which accounts for their huge impact. their effect on man ranges from the parasol ant, which makes plant cultivation untenable in certain parts of south america, to solenopsis invicta in the southeastern united states of america, which kill ground dwelling birds and small animals, harass livestock, and renders farmland ... | 2001 | 11964710 |
| hemolymph of reproductives of solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae)-amino acids, proteins and sugars. | free amino acid composition and carbohydrate and protein concentration of the hemolymph of the pupal and adult stages of reproductives of solenopsis invicta are presented. the physico-chemical properties of the hemolymph differ between both sexes of fire ants during development. male alates (459 mmol/kg) have a higher osmolality than pupae (388 mmol/kg). osmolality during the pupal stage was 428 mmol/kg, decreasing to 354 mmol/kg soon after de-alation and increasing again to 463 mmol/kg in activ ... | 2002 | 12128057 |
| sperm structure and ultrastructure of the fire ant solenopsis invicta (buren) (hymenoptera, formicidae). | the spermatozoa of solenopsis invicta are long and slender, measuring about 70 microm in length, of which the head region measures approximately 13 microm. the head consists of an acrosome formed by an acrosomal vesicle covering a perforatorium and a nucleus. this latter measures about 12 microm, has compact chromatin, and many translucent areas. the flagellum consists of an axoneme of 9+9+2 microtubules that begins just below the nuclear base. the two mitochondrial derivatives are of almost equ ... | 2002 | 12165248 |
| a queen pheromone induces workers to kill sexual larvae in colonies of the red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta). | we conducted five bioassays to study how queens control the execution of sexual larvae by workers in colonies of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. in each assay, subset colonies were made from many large polygyne colonies, and the 20 sexual larvae they contained were monitored over time. sexual larvae mostly survived in queenless colonies, but were mostly killed in colonies with a single dealated queen, regardless of whether or not the queen was fertilized. the larvae were also kill ... | 2002 | 12216859 |
| protein that makes sense in the argentine ant. | with a protein-based approach, we have identified and cloned the cdna encoding a chemosensory protein (lhumcsp) in the argentine ant, linepithema humile. the open reading frame of the cloned cdna encoded a signal peptide (20 residues), and a mature protein (pi 4.62) of 106 amino acid residues. the calculated molecular mass (12,453 da) was in agreement with the molecular mass measured by on-line chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (12,448 da), given the formation of two disul ... | 2002 | 12451452 |
| developmental rates and host specificity for pseudacteon parasitoids (diptera: phoridae) of fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae) in argentina. | this study extends our comparative knowledge of pseudacteon interactions with solenopsis fire ant workers. reported in this work are development times for seven argentinean parasitoid species reared on two hosts, solenopsis richteri forel and solenopsis invicta buren, under laboratory temperature regimes comparable with those of the climatic zones occupied by these host species. developmental times spanned 31-66 d across phorid species, and in general did not differ between genders or host speci ... | 2002 | 12539825 |
| semiochemicals released by electrically stimulated red imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta. | the red imported fire ant solenopsis invicta buren, has evolved sophisticated chemical communication systems that regulate the activities of the colony. among these are recruitment pheromones that effectively attract and stimulate workers to follow a trail to food or alternative nesting sites. alarm pheromones alert, activate, and attract workers to intruders or other disturbances. the attraction and accumulation of fire ant workers in electrical equipment may be explained by their release of ph ... | 2002 | 12564802 |
| preference of food particle size among several urban ant species. | appropriate particle size may be a critical characteristic for effective granular ant baits. we examined the particle size preference of six species of pest ants to an anchovy-based bait. we also examined head capsule widths of argentine ants, linepithema humile (mayr) (mean = 0.54 mm), california harvester ants, pogonomyrmex californicus (buckley) (mean = 1.63 mm), red imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta buren (mean = 0.9 mm), and southern fire ants, solenopsis xyloni mccook (mean = 0.76 mm) ... | 2002 | 12539835 |
| genetics of social behaviour in fire ants. | a recent study is the first to sequence a gene known to underlie a complex social phenotype. in the fire ant, solenopsis invicta, a single allelic difference at the gp-9 locus specifies the number of queens a colony has, and hence the social structure of the colony. gp-9 appears to encode a protein implicated in chemical recognition of nestmates, consistent with workers determining queen number by selectively executing queens as a function of workers' and queens' gp-9 genotypes. other solenopsis ... | 2002 | 12047935 |
| anaphylaxis due to red imported fire ant sting. | the invasive red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta buren) is well established at two locations in the brisbane area, and we report a patient with anaphylaxis after a sting. the potential for anaphylactic events in australia due to s. invicta will be greater than for native ants because of its unusual venom, its habit of forming supercolonies in grassy areas, and its aggressive group territorial defence, which can result in multiple stings. | 2002 | 12064982 |
| impact of thelohania solenopsae (microsporidia: thelohaniidae) on polygyne colonies of red imported fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae). | three studies were conducted to assess the effects of the entomopathogen thelohania solenopsae on polygynous, red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, colonies. a total of 57 of 122 queens (46.7%) from nine, field-collected, polygyne, s. invicta colonies, was infected with t. solenopsae. infection rate of queens for each colony ranged from 25 to 75%. laboratory colonies of polygyne s. invicta, with three to 12 queens, were inoculated and infected with t. solenopsae. brood levels in all i ... | 2002 | 12076000 |
| simple, filter-based pcr detection of thelohania solenopsae (microspora) in fire ants (solenopsis invicta). | thelohania solenopsae is a microsporidian parasite that may serve as a biological control agent for the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. a rapid, filter-based pcr amplification method detecting a portion of the small-subunit ribosomal rna gene was developed to facilitate field studies detecting the parasite in fire ants. processing ant homogenates with a commercially available membrane-based system, fta classic card technology, compared favorably with traditional dna extraction and pcr ... | 2002 | 12503678 |
| detection of thelohania solenopsae (microsporidia: thelohaniidae) in solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae) by multiplex pcr. | oligonucleotide primer pairs were designed to unique areas of the small subunit (16s) rrna gene of thelohania solenopsae and a region of the gp-9 gene of solenopsis invicta. multiplex pcr resulted in sensitive and specific detection of t. solenopsae infection of s. invicta. the t. solenopsae-specific primer pair only amplified dna from t. solenopsae and t. solenopsae-infected s. invicta. this primer pair did not produce any amplification products from dna preparations from uninfected s. invicta, ... | 2002 | 12507489 |
| yellow-head disease caused by a newly discovered mattesia sp. in populations of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. | 2002 | 12417212 | |
| determination of 'irritant' threshold concentrations for intradermal testing with allergenic insect extracts in normal horses. | sixteen healthy horses with no history of skin or respiratory disease were used for an intradermal testing (idt) threshold study, in order to determine the concentrations of 13 commercial allergenic insect extracts most appropriate for idt. five dilutions of each extract were used, which included the manufacturer's recommended concentrations for equine idt, plus one dilution higher and three lower than these standard concentrations. allergens tested included caddisfly (trichoptera spp.), mayfly ... | 2003 | 12603683 |
| ultrastructural characterization and further transmission studies of thelohania solenopsae from solenopsis invicta pupae. | 2003 | 12788287 | |
| ant community change across a ground vegetation gradient in north florida's longleaf pine flatwoods. | ant communities in longleaf pine habitats are poorly known and hence the naturally occurring ant assemblages of a large portion of southeastern north america are not well understood. this study examined the diverse ant community found in the longleaf pine flatwoods of north florida and tested how ant diversity changes along a herbaceous ground cover gradient. restoring the ground cover to its original floral composition is an important focus of longleaf pine conservation and hence it is importan ... | 2003 | 15841237 |
| effects of wolbachia on mtdna variation in two fire ant species. | wolbachia are endosymbiotic bacteria that infect arthropods. as they are maternally transmitted, the spread of wolbachia variants within host populations may affect host mtdna evolution. we sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase i gene from numerous individuals of two wolbachia-infected fire ant species, solenopsis invicta and s. richteri, to determine how these bacteria influence patterns of mtdna variation. as predicted, there was a strong association between wolbachia str ... | 2003 | 12803629 |
| residual susceptibility of the red imported fire ant (hymenoptera: formicidae) to four agricultural insecticides. | the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, is an abundant predator in cropping systems throughout its range. it has been documented to be an important predator of numerous crop pests, as well as being an agricultural pest itself. information on the impact of insecticides on natural enemies such as fire ants is necessary for the integration of biological and chemical control tactics in an effective pest management program. therefore, a residual vial bioassay was developed to determine t ... | 2003 | 12852600 |
| dietary influences on terpenoids sequestered by the biological control agent oxyops vitiosa: effect of plant volatiles from different melaleuca quinquenervia chemotypes and laboratory host species. | the weevil oxyops vitiosa is an australian species imported to florida, usa, for the biological control of the invasive species melaleuca quinquenervia. the larvae of this species feed on the leaves of their host and produce a shiny orange secretion that covers their integument. previous results indicated that a major component of this secretion, viridiflorol, is sequestered from the host plant and repels a generalist predator, the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. when the larvae fed o ... | 2003 | 12647862 |
| effects of contaminants on bait acceptance by solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae). | three commonly used fire ant baits, amdro (0.73% hydramethylnon [ai]), ascend (0.011% abamectins [ai]), and maxforce (1.0% hydramethylnon [ai]), were exposed to potential, volatile contaminants. the contaminants included the insecticides orthene fire ant killer (75.0% acephate [ai] ), cyren (44.6% chlorpyrifos [ai]), and tempo 2 (24.3% cyfluthrin [ai]); cigarette smoke; gasoline (unleaded, 89 octane); and fertilizer (10-10-10). fire ant baits previously exposed for 48 h to these contaminants wer ... | 2003 | 12650350 |
| efficacy of bifenthrin treatment zones against red imported fire ant. | exclusion of ants, particularly red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta (buren), from homes, nursing facilities, hospitals, and electrical housings is an important strategy in urban and rural pest control. we conducted a laboratory bioassay to determine the repellency of granular bifenthrin (talstar: rate 2.087 kg of formulated product/92.88 m2 or 4.6 lb formulated product/1000 feet2 or 4.2 g active ingredient/92.88 m2) to s. invicta foragers. in the field, we compared the efficacy of three wi ... | 2003 | 12650351 |
| molecular evolutionary analyses of mariners and other transposable elements in fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae). | screens of a library of genomic dna made during a recent study of the fire ant solenopsis invicta revealed the presence of three distinct types of transposable elements (tes). two of the recovered sequences showed a high similarity to long-terminal repeat (ltr) retrotransposons, while the third showed a high homology to mariner elements. to investigate the distribution and relationships of mariners in related ants, we pcr-amplified these elements from additional solenopsis species. phylogenetic ... | 2003 | 12653937 |
| effect of thelohania solenopsae (microsporida: thelohaniidae) on weight and reproductive status of polygynous red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae), alates. | 2003 | 12676557 | |
| fire ant venom alkaloid, isosolenopsin a, a potent and selective inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase. | massive, multiple fire ant, solenopsis invicta, stings are often treated aggressively, particularly in the elderly, despite limited evidence of systemic toxicity due to the venom. over 95% of the s. invicta venom is composed of piperidine alkaloid components, whose toxicity, if any, is unknown. to assess a possible pharmacological basis for systemic toxicity, an alkaloid-rich, protein-free methanol extract of the venom from whole ants was assayed for inhibitory activity on the following nitric o ... | 2003 | 12745988 |
| purification, biochemical characterization, and cdna cloning of a glutathione s-transferase from the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. | a glutathione s-transferase (gst) was purified 266-fold from adult workers of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae) by affinity chromatography and preparative isoelectric focusing. the purified enzyme appeared as a single band on sds-page and had a mr of 25.5 kda. steady state kinetics assays of the enzyme with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as substrate were conducted. the vmax, km cdnb, km gsh, kcat, kcat/km cdnb, and kcat/km gsh for the purified fire ant gst wer ... | 2003 | 14505691 |
| patterns of venom synthesis and use in the fire ant, solenopsis invicta. | in the life of the fire ant, solenopsis invicta, venom plays several important roles, including prey capture, defense, and anti-microbial action. although this venom's chemistry, pharmacology, and effects on humans have been extensively studied, its patterns of synthesis and use have not. we determined the ability of different-aged workers to synthesize venom, and measured the amount of venom workers delivered per sting. newly eclosed workers contained little or no venom in their reservoirs. the ... | 2003 | 14602123 |
| use of ribosomal dna sequence data to characterize and detect a neogregarine pathogen of solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae). | a neogregarine parasite of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, was discovered recently in florida and tentatively placed in the mattesia genus based on morphological characterization. s. invicta infected with this mattesia species exhibited a characteristic yellowing of the cuticle which was designated mattesia "yellow-head disease" (yhd). the 18s rrna gene sequence from mattesia yhd was elucidated and compared with the neogregarine pathogens, mattesia geminata and ophriocystis elektr ... | 2003 | 14615220 |
| forest edges and fire ants alter the seed shadow of an ant-dispersed plant. | exotic species invade fragmented, edge-rich habitats readily, yet the distinct impacts of habitat edges and invaders on native biota are rarely distinguished. both appear detrimental to ant-dispersed plants such as bloodroot, sanguinaria canadensis. working in northeastern georgia (usa), an area characterized by a rich ant-dispersed flora, fragmented forests, and invasions by the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, i monitored the interactions between ants and s. canadensis seeds in uninv ... | 2004 | 14673638 |
| cyp4ab1, cyp4ab2, and gp-9 gene overexpression associated with workers of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren. | two cytochrome p450 genes, cyp4ab1 and cyp4ab2, and the gp-9 gene were identified as being specifically overexpressed in workers of the red imported fire ant using pcr-selected subtractive hybridization and cdna array techniques. full-length cyp4ab1 and cyp4ab2 were cloned and sequenced. the cdna sequences of cyp4ab1 and cyp4ab2 have open reading frames of 1389 and 1533 nucleotides encoding proteins of 463 and 511 amino acid residues, respectively. northern blot analysis was performed to compare ... | 2004 | 14960363 |
| cdna cloning and transcriptional regulation of the vitellogenin receptor from the imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren (hymenoptera: formicidae). | we describe the cloning of the first hymenopteran vitellogenin receptor (vgr) cdna from the imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, an invasive pest. using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cdna ends, fragments encompassing the entire coding region of a putative vgr were cloned and sequenced. the complete 5764 bp cdna encodes a 1782 residue protein with a predicted molecular mass of 201.3 kda (=sivgr). northern blot analysis demonstrated that the 7.4 kb si ... | 2004 | 15056367 |
| sources of spores for the possible horizontal transmission of thelohania solenopsae (microspora: thelohaniidae) in the red imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta. | we screened adult and larval secretions and midden piles for the presence of thelohania solenopsae spores to decipher potential sources for the horizontal transmission of the pathogen in fire ants. hemolymph samples from both adult and larvae were also screened to rule out hemolymph contamination of samples. in adults, thelohania spores were found in the crop and the fecal fluids, although only free spores were found in the fecal fluids of adults. in fourth instar larvae, both free and octospore ... | 2004 | 15109896 |
| spore morphotypes of thelohania solenopsae (microsporidia) described microscopically and confirmed by pcr of individual spores microdissected from smears by position ablative laser microbeam microscopy. | development of thelohania solenopsae, a parasite of the red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta), until recently was thought to include formation of two types of spores: unicellular meiospores, maturing inside sporophorous vesicles in sets of eight (octospores); and nosema-like binuclear free spores. megaspores, discovered in 2001, develop primarily in alates and are morphologically distinct from the two previously known types of spores. the role of megaspores in the t. solenopsae life cycle, ... | 2004 | 15133089 |
| comparative effectiveness of light-microscopic techniques and pcr in detecting thelohania solenopsae (microsporidia) infections in red imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta). | the main goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three staining techniques (calcofluor white m2r, giemsa and modified trichrome), and the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) in detecting the microsporidium thelohania solenopsae in red imported fire ants (solenopsis invicta). the effect of the number of ants in a sample on the sensitivity of the staining techniques and the pcr, and the effect of three dna extraction protocols on the sensitivity of pcr were also examined. in the first p ... | 2004 | 15134254 |
| occurrence of myrmicinosporidium durum in red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, and other new host ants in eastern united states. | myrmicinosporidium durum, a parasitic fungus in several ant species, is reported from seven new hosts collected in the eastern united states, including solenopsis invicta, solenopsis carolinensis, paratrechina vividula, pheidole tysoni, pheidole bicarinata, pyramica membranifera, and pogonomyrmex badius. spores can be found in most ant body parts, are dark brown when mature, and clear to light brown while immature. ants infected with mature spores appear darker than normal. spores from different ... | 2004 | 15145249 |
| effect of the red imported fire ant on cotton aphid population density and predation of bollworm and beet armyworm eggs. | the effects of the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren (hymenoptera: formicidae), on cotton aphid, aphis gossypii glover, populations and its predation of bollworm, helicoverpa zea (boddie), and beet armyworm, spodoptera exigua (hübner), (both lepidoptera: noctuidae) eggs were evaluated in cotton under field conditions during 2001 and 2002 in central and northern texas. in central texas, cotton aphid populations were approximately 5.5 times greater and predation of sentinel bollworm ... | 2004 | 15154439 |
| repellency and toxicity of mint oil granules to red imported fire ants (hymenoptera: formicidae). | repellency and toxicity of 2% mint oil granules were evaluated against worker red imported fire ants. solenopsis invicta buren, in a series of laboratory and field experiments. in continuous exposure experiments, lt50 values ranged from 1.2 h with 164.8 mg/cm2 of 2% mint oil granules to 15.3 h with 1.65 mg/cm2 of granules. lt50 values declined exponentially with increasing rate of mint oil granules. limited exposure to 164.8 mg/cm2 mint oil granules resulted in > 50% knock down (kd) after 30 min ... | 2004 | 15154484 |
| rodents balancing a variety of risks: invasive fire ants and indirect and direct indicators of predation risk. | we used foraging trays to compare how oldfield mice, peromyscus polionotus, altered foraging in response to the presence of fire ants, solenopsis invicta, and in the presence of direct (predator urine) and indirect (sheltered or exposed microhabitat, moonlight, and precipitation) indicators of predation risk. foraging reductions elicited by s. invicta were greater than reductions in response to well-documented indicators of risk (i.e., moonlit nights) and the presence of predator urine. the pres ... | 2004 | 15185138 |
| differential gene expression between alate and dealate queens in the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren (hymenoptera: formicidae). | the transition of fire ant queens from alates to dealates, following a mating flight, is associated with numerous important physiological changes. a molecular analysis of gene expression differences that occur between alates and dealates was performed using the suppression subtractive hybridization (ssh) method. 983 ssh clones were arrayed and screened by dot blot hybridization, followed by northern blot analysis for selected clones. gene expression profiles throughout fire ant development were ... | 2004 | 15350613 |
| a picorna-like virus from the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta: initial discovery, genome sequence, and characterization. | we report the first discovery and genome sequence of a virus infecting the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta. the 8026 nucleotide, polyadenylated, rna genome encoded two large open reading frames (orf1 and orf2), flanked and separated by 27, 223, and 171 nucleotide untranslated regions, respectively. the predicted amino acid sequence of the 5' proximal orf1 (nucleotides 28 to 4218) exhibited significant identity and possessed consensus sequences characteristic of the helicase, cysteine p ... | 2004 | 15380366 |