Infection characteristics of Solenopsis invicta virus 2 in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Solenopsis invicta virus 2 (SINV-2) is the second virus identified from the fire ant, S. invicta Buren. SINV-2 is unique among positive-strand RNA viruses from insects by possessing four cistrons in a monopartite genome. Fire ant colonies testing positive for SINV-2 by RT-PCR did not exhibit any discernable symptoms. RT-PCR-based surveys for SINV-2 among 688 fire ant mounds in Alachua County, Florida, sampled during the period January, 2006 through December, 2007 showed that the prevalence of SINV-2 among nests ranged from 1.6% to 16.4%. Unlike S. invicta virus 1, no seasonal-associated prevalence was observed with regard to SINV-2 infection among fire ant colonies. No social form specificity was evident; SINV-2 was found in both monogyne and polygyne S. invicta ants. Real-time quantitative PCR experiments showed that SINV-2 genome equivalents per individual ant ranged from 1.9 × 10⁷ in. pupae to 4.3 × 10¹¹ in. inseminated queens. The SINV-2 infection was detected in all ant stages examined (eggs, larvae, pupae, workers, and queens). Tissue tropism studies indicated that the alimentary canal (specifically the midgut) is most likely the susceptible tissue. SINV-2 was successfully transmitted to uninfected S. invicta ants by feeding a partially purified homogenate of SINV-2-infected ants. The SINV-2 transmission rate ranged from 30% to 80%, and both positive (genomic) and negative (replicative) SINV-2 RNA strands accumulated in recipient ants over the course of the experiment. These results indicated that SINV-2 replicates within S. invicta.     

Selective male mortality in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Males in polygyne populations of Solenopsis invicta are primarily sterile diploids and thought to not express the Gp-9 gene coding for a pheromone-binding protein affecting complex social behavior. We examined an aspect of the breeding system hitherto not considered--male Gp-9 genotypes in relation to sperm stored in queens. Four sites with varying frequencies of sympatric monogyne and polygyne colonies were sampled, including sexuals, workers, and broods from four colonies. Most queens were heterozygotes storing B sperm. Although predicted to be common, only 14 of 504 males were B or BB genotypes, suggesting strong selection. Increased frequency of polygyne colonies at each site paralleled increases in queens with b sperm (1.9-32.8%) and of noninseminated queens. The presence of both B and b sperm in 1.9-18.9% of queens, genotype profiles of colonies, and genotypes of offspring from individual queens suggest some frequency of multiple mating. The bb genotype, rather than an obligate, developmental lethal, was present in some queens and common in alates, workers, and brood. Selective mortality of sexuals may affect multiple aspects of the breeding system, including female-mediated dispersal, mating success, and gene flow.     

广东吴川红火蚁消长规律

采用系统调查的方法研究广东吴川红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren蚁巢数量、蚁丘体积和工蚁的年度变化规律,结果表明1年之中红火蚁活动蚁巢密度出现2个高峰期,分别在6~8月和10~12月;4~7月和10~11月新增活动蚁巢数量较大;蚁巢自然消亡出现在多个时间,其中以9月最多。4~11月红火蚁工蚁活动旺盛,用诱饵诱集法监测,5、6月和10、11月红火蚁工蚁出现2个明显盛期,而陷阱法中工蚁数量为单峰型,高峰出现在7月。2种监测方法获得的工蚁数量间相关系数为0.88,达到极显著相关。气温、地表温度、5cm土壤温度与2种方法获得的工蚁数量间相关系数分别为0.88,0.88,0.86和0.93,0.94,0.95,均达极显著水平。红火蚁蚁丘体积4~6月、9~12月增大幅度较大,其中6月份蚁巢增长最为明显。     

Genome complexity and organization in the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren

The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta is the most destructive invading arthropod in the southern United States, yet little is known about its genome complexity and organization. Here we report the size, organization and GC content of S. invicta genome. DNA reassociation kinetics using S1 nuclease assay and a modified second-order kinetics model indicated that the S. invicta genome is approximately 0.62 picograms or 5.91 x 10(8) base pairs, composed of 36% unique, 41% moderately repetitive and 23% highly repetitive/foldback sequences. Comparison of the reassociation kinetics of short and long DNA fragments revealed that the sequence arrangement follows a pattern of short period interspersion, as in most organisms with relatively large genomes. Melting-temperature analysis showed that the GC content of the fire ant genomic DNA is 34.8%, similar to that of most eukaryotic organisms. The results reveal that the fire ant genome is much larger and more complex than those of a number of hymenopteran insects studied to date. Our study provides a foundation for further analysis and genetic manipulation of the S. invicta genome.     

几种饵料对红火蚁觅食的引诱作用

在荒地类型生境中测定花生酱、猫饲料、狗饲料、花生油、面包及蜂蜜等几种常见饵料对红火蚁的引诱作用。结果表明:面包、狗饲料、猫饲料和花生酱对红火蚁引诱力较强,花生油次之,蜂蜜最低;选择性试验结果表明红火蚁对供试的几种饵料无明显选择性。     

Revisiting the trail pheromone components of the red imported fire ant,Solenopsis invicta Buren

Ants use species-specific trail pheromones to coordinate their sophisticated foraging behavior. During the past decades, many trail pheromone components with various structures have been identified in ants, including the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, a notorious invasive species worldwide. Four compounds, Z,E- (ZEF) and E,E-α-farnesene (EEF), Z,E- (ZEHF) and E,E-α-homofarnesene (EEHF), have been reported as components of S. invicta trail pheromone. However, another study reported an analog of α-farnesene, Z,Z,Z-allofarnesene, as a key trail pheromone component. These contrasting results caused some uncertainty about the trail pheromone composition in S. invicta. In this study, we synthesized ZEF and EEF, ZEHF and EEHF, and reanalyzed the chemicals in the Dufour gland extract and in the trail pheromone fraction of S. invicta worker body extract. The reported isomers of farnesene and homofarnesene were detected and showed trail-following activity, with ZEF as the major compound, while no allofarnesene was found, neither in the Dufour gland extract nor in the whole-body extract. Our results confirm ZEF and EEF, ZEHF and EEHF as trail pheromone components of S. invicta.     

带土园艺植物传播红火蚁的风险调查

调查了广东广州、深圳40余个苗木花卉场74种带土园艺植物上红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren发生情况。调查结果表明,桉树苗、海枣、垂叶榕、黄金香柳、小叶榕、狗尾草、罗汉松等17种植物上红火蚁发生比率超过1%,是高风险带土植物。不同生产环境、不同栽培方式中盆/钵/袋栽红火蚁发生高于地面栽培方式,露天置于砂土、泥土、碎石上红火蚁发生风险较高,置于水泥地上的风险较低。提出了降低带土园艺植物传播红火蚁的管理措施。     

蚁丘被破坏程度对红火蚁蚁群迁移的影响

本文调查研究了蚁丘被破坏的程度对红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren蚁群迁移的影响。结果表明,蚁巢地表部分被破坏可导致红火蚁蚁群发生分巢、搬巢等现象,蚁群的移巢比率随着蚁丘被破坏程度的增大而增大。当蚁丘体积被破坏75%时分巢比率最高,为14.44%;被破坏100%时搬巢比率、移巢比率均最高,分别为16.27%、27.00%。红火蚁蚁丘被破坏程度(D)与蚁群迁移比率(M)之间关系模型为M=4.3443+25.474D-3.4857D2。蚁丘受到破坏后,蚁群迁移距离平均为4.3m,迁移方向是随机的。     

红火蚁雌蚁生殖发育的研究

通过解剖多后型红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren雌蛹、有翅雌蚁和脱翅雌蚁,观察了雌蚁内生殖系统的结构和发育进度。结果表明,多后型雌蚁内生殖系统形成于蛹期,其结构与单后型雌蚁存在一定差异。从发育进度来看,虽然雌蚁羽化后其卵巢大小和卵巢管数量仍有一定增长,但蛹期是卵巢大小、卵巢管数量快速增长的阶段;卵子发生始见于羽化后第4d,且卵量随个体发育而快速增加,直至脱翅后第10d达到高峰,随后开始下降;生殖系统的其它结构的变化较小。雌蛹、有翅雌蚁和脱翅雌蚁发育后期的卵巢平均大小分别为1149．23×712．42、1594．88×834．26和1975．60×1303．57μm;而卵巢管数量则分别为62．67、81．33和86．33条。至雌蚁脱翅后10d,卵巢中成熟卵和总卵量分别为20．00±4．62粒和34．00±2．31粒。     

Growth and patterning are evolutionarily dissociated in the vestigial wing discs of workers of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Over the last decade, it has become clear that organismal form is largely determined by developmental and evolutionary changes in the growth and pattern formation of tissues. Yet, there is little known about how these two integrated processes respond to environmental cues or how they evolve relative to one another. Here, we present the discovery of vestigial wing imaginal discs in worker larvae of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. These vestigial wing discs are present in all worker larvae, which is uncommon for a species with a large worker size distribution. Furthermore, the growth trajectory of these vestigial discs is distinct from all of the ant species examined to date because they grow at a rate slower than the leg discs. We predicted that the growth trajectory of the vestigial wing discs would be mirrored by evolutionary changes in their patterning. We tested this prediction by examining the expression of three patterning genes, extradenticle, ultrabithorax, and engrailed, known to underlie the wing polyphenism in ants. Surprisingly, the expression patterns of these three genes in the vestigial wing discs was the same as those found in ant species with different worker size distributions and wing disc growth than fire ants. We conclude that growth and patterning are evolutionarily dissociated in the vestigial wing discs of S. invicta because patterning in these discs is conserved, whereas their growth trajectories are not. The evolutionary dissociation of growth and patterning may be an important feature of gene networks that underlie polyphenic traits.     

红火蚁病原真菌分离鉴定及致病性研究

红火蚁Solenopsis invicta是世界上最具破坏力和威胁性的入侵检疫害虫之一,对农林业生产安全、公共设施以及人体健康都造成了巨大影响。为筛选对红火蚁有致病性的病原真菌,本研究通过组织分离法对自然罹病的红火蚁进行致病菌分离,结合病原形态学及分子生物学的方法对病原真菌进行鉴定并采用喷雾法测定了病原真菌对红火蚁的致病力。结果表明：从罹病红火蚁上分离出3株病原真菌HHYSFJ01、HHYSFJ02和HHYSFJ05,分别为红绶曲霉Aspergillus nomius、淡紫拟青霉Purpureocillium lilacinum和球孢白僵菌Beauveria bassiana。致病性测定,这3株病原菌对红火蚁均具有较强的致病性,且3株病原菌致病性间差异显著。经1.0×10^8孢子/mL孢子悬浮液喷雾处理红火蚁10 d后,球孢白僵菌菌株HHYSFJ05的致病性最强,红火蚁工蚁的校正死亡率为84.71%,LT50为4.67 d;红绶曲霉菌株HHYSFJ01和淡紫拟青霉菌株HHYSFJ02次之,红火蚁工蚁的校正死亡率分别为78.82%和73.29%,LT50分别为4.99 d和5.20 d。     

Characteristics of 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren

We have characterized 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the invasive ant Solenopsis invicta. Primer pairs were evaluated on fire ants collected from monogyne mounds in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. The observed and effective number of alleles ranged from two to six and from 1.31 to 2.64, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.1613 to 0.7826 and from 0.1491 to 0.6242, respectively. The polymorphism information content of the microsatellites ranged from 0.1482 to 0.6208. Probability tests indicated significant deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at three loci. Pairwise tests did not detect linkage disequilibrium between any pair of loci.     

介绍红火蚁的野外采集和实验室饲养的方法

介绍了红火蚁Solenopsis invictaBuren的田间采集、蚁群分离和实验室饲养和操作方法及红火蚁人工饲料的制备,结合实验室饲养经验描述了日常红火蚁饲养所需设备和器具,简述红火蚁饲养的关键技术和注意事项。为开展红火蚁的生物学、生态学和药剂筛选提供切实可行的方法。     

Sampling efficacy for the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Cost-effective detection of invasive ant colonies before establishment in new ranges is imperative for the protection of national borders and reducing their global impact. We examined the sampling efficiency of food-baits and pitfall traps (baited and nonbaited) in detecting isolated red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) nests in multiple environments in Gainesville, FL. Fire ants demonstrated a significantly higher preference for a mixed protein food type (hotdog or ground meat combined with sweet peanut butter) than for the sugar or water baits offered. Foraging distance success was a function of colony size, detection trap used, and surveillance duration. Colony gyne number did not influence detection success. Workers from small nests (0- to 15-cm mound diameter) traveled no >3 m to a food source, whereas large colonies (>30-cm mound diameter) traveled up to 17 m. Baited pitfall traps performed best at detecting incipient ant colonies followed by nonbaited pitfall traps then food baits, whereas food baits performed well when trying to detect large colonies. These results were used to create an interactive model in Microsoft Excel, whereby surveillance managers can alter trap type, density, and duration parameters to estimate the probability of detecting specified or unknown S. invicta colony sizes. This model will support decision makers who need to balance the sampling cost and risk of failure to detect fire ant colonies.     

四种毒饵对红火蚁的田间防治效果评价

采用工蚁诱测法和挖巢观察法评价了4种国产毒饵对红火蚁Solenopsis invicta的田间防治效果。结果表明,氟虫胺、胺菊酯、苯氧威、多杀霉素4种毒饵处理后,红火蚁工蚁诱集百分率均明显降低,处理5d后氟虫胺、胺菊酯的工蚁诱集率为0,而多杀霉素处理10d后诱集率为0。施药后25d4种毒饵处理活动蚁巢减退率分别为100％、100％、50％和71．4％,工蚁减退率分别为100％、100％、92．7％和100％。处理6周后蚁群级别分别降低了100％、100％、83．3％、73．0％。     

我国大陆红火蚁入侵扩张趋势长期预测

红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren是一种严重危害农林业生产、生命健康、公共安全和生态环境的国际性重大外来入侵害虫。2004年9月中国大陆首次发现红火蚁,2021年12月该蚁已入侵了12个省区近500个县区。本研究根据中国大陆红火蚁入侵发生县区数量变化,结合潜在适生区域评价信息,建立了红火蚁入侵县区数量与入侵时间长度间关系模型,并对入侵县区数量变化趋势作出长期预测。当中国大陆红火蚁潜在入侵县区数量上限分别为1 400、1 500和1 600个时,入侵县区数量与入侵时间长度关系模型分别为N=1400/(1+e^{5.4048-0.1784T})、N=1500/(1+e^{5.4335-0.1757T})和N=1600/(1+e^{5.464-0.1734T})。基于以上模型的分析结果显示,我国红火蚁快速扩散传播从2009-2010年开始,快速扩张期可能持续26～28年,年平均新增县区41～52个/年,预测2035-2037年入侵县区数量增长速率将开始减缓,2...     

Multiple functions of fire ant Solenopsis invicta mandibular gland products

Alarm pheromones of social insects are best known for their role in the defence and maintenance of colony integrity. Previous studies with the fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) demonstrate that the mandibular glands of workers (sterile females) and male and female sexuals produce an alarm pheromone, 2‐ethyl‐3,6‐dimethylpyrazine. The function of alarm pheromones in worker ants is well understood and divergent from the function of these compounds in the winged sexual forms. The present study quantifies the amount of pyrazine in the mandibular glands from male and female alate sexuals, as well as queens. Pyrazine production in female alates starts in the late pupal stage and increases until they reach mating flight‐ready maturity; however, after mating flight participation, the pyrazine level declines by >50%. Interestingly, mature male alates lose >85% of their mandibular gland pyrazine during mating flight activity. The results of the present study indicate that male and female sexuals use mandibular gland secretions for mating flight initiation and during mating flights. Furthermore, the ontogeny of mandibular gland products (pyrazine as the marker) from newly‐mated queens to mature colony queens shows a more than two‐fold increase in the amount of pyrazine by 6 months after mating. However, this is followed by a decline to trace amounts in mature colony queens (>2 years old), suggesting a function for mandibular gland products during colony development. Multifunctional use of social insect pheromones is well documented and data are reported in the present study suggesting new roles for mandibular gland products in fire ants.