红火蚁工蚁对颜色信号的选择与利用

为探明红火蚁Solenopsis invicta工蚁对颜色信号的选择与利用,本研究测定了不同颜色色卡对工蚁的趋向行为以及不同颜色饵料对工蚁觅食行为的影响,以期为红火蚁的高效监测与防控提供重要基础。结果表明颜色显著影响了红火蚁工蚁的趋向行为,黑色对工蚁的引诱率最高,可达32%;黄色对工蚁的引诱率最低,仅为7%。研究也发现不同颜色的饵料显著影响了红火蚁工蚁的觅食。在5 min时间内,工蚁在黄色、绿色以及蓝色饵料上觅食的数量最多,显著高于在紫色和黑色上饵料的觅食工蚁数;工蚁对红色、橙色、黄色、绿色、蓝色饵料的搬运量最大,显著高于紫色与黑色的饵料。综上,红火蚁工蚁可以识别与利用颜色信号,在制备红火蚁监测与防控饵剂时,可以考虑将饵剂染色红、橙、黄、绿、蓝等反射波长较长的颜色,以便工蚁能快速定位到饵剂并搬运更多的饵剂到蚁巢中。     

华南地区桑园和荒地两种生境中红火蚁觅食工蚁的食物组成

【目的】红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren是世界最危险的有害入侵生物之一,2004年入侵我国华南地区,并给农林业安全、生态安全带来极大危害。调查并明确田间红火蚁觅食工蚁的食物种类及数量,不仅为评估红火蚁猎食对生态环境中节肢动物群落的影响,而且为红火蚁防治饵剂的改进提供科学依据。【方法】本研究采用蚁道剖析法,对华南地区桑园和荒地两种生境中红火蚁觅食工蚁搬运的固体残片取样和鉴定;依搬运工蚁及其固体残片尺寸进行测量分级并称重,以分析工蚁多态性与固体食物大小的关系;采用薄层色谱法和氨基酸分析法测定嗉囊液体样品的营养成分及含量。【结果】在华南地区桑园和荒地中,红火蚁觅食工蚁搬运回巢的固体食物包括固体的动物残片和植物种子,其中动物残片属于3门7纲21个类群(包括14个昆虫目),昆虫纲动物所占比例为总固体食物的45.53%~46.10%。工蚁偏好搬运长1.400±0.043 mm~2.306±0.063 mm和宽0.723±0.028 mm~1.261±0.051 mm的固体残片,其重量在0.203~0.413 mg之间。红火蚁觅食工蚁嗉囊液体由多种氨基酸、果糖和葡萄糖组成,在桑园和荒地采集到的红火蚁嗉囊液体样本中的氨基酸总含量分别为1 544.31 mg/L和861.48 mg/L,氨基酸种类分别为33种和32种,其中31种氨基酸为共有的。【结论】华南地区桑园和荒地中,红火蚁固体食物组成均以昆虫纲动物为主;参与固体残片搬运觅食蚁的80%属于中型工蚁,搬运较大型固体残片的大型工蚁仅占5%;红火蚁工蚁嗉囊液体含有丰富的氨基酸和单糖。     

非人灵长类觅食行为生态学研究进展

觅食行为生态学是动物生态学研究的主要内容之一.从食物选择研究方法、食物选择策略机制、觅食行为的影响因素等方面综述非人灵长类动物觅食行为生态学研究进展.食物选择策略和活动时间分配是觅食行为生态学研究的主要内容.非人灵长类动物觅食行为生态学的研究对动物保护、人工驯养和繁殖具有重要意义.     

植食性哺乳动物食物选择的生态学意义及行为机制

综述了植食性哺乳动物食物选择行为机制的研究进展。植食性动物的食物选择是觅食生态学研究最为活跃的领域,动物食物选择对策主要有营养选择、植物次生化合物假设、营养平衡假设、最优觅食理论和条件性气味回避假设。动物学习食物选择的行为过程中,觅食个体能通过其认知过程和感知过程来处理食物信息、学习选择食物项目是一种可塑性行为方式,有利于动物获得适应栖息地的行为模式。幼体通过社会学习自母体学习的觅食经验,在幼体一生的食物选择中均具有重要的作用。在环境条件相对稳定条件下,幼体可模仿成体的食物选择模式;在环境剧烈变化的条件下,动物通过试错学习选择的食物项目可能较模仿成体所摄取的食物项目营养含量更丰富。     

亚致死浓度赤藓糖醇对红火蚁工蚁觅食和弃尸行为的影响

红火蚁是国际上最具危险性外来害虫之一,已入侵华南地区并造成严重危害。为弄清潜在杀虫剂赤藓糖醇在亚致死浓度下对红火蚁的影响,本研究使用0.05 g/mL赤藓糖醇水溶液喂食室内蚁群24 h,观察了工蚁的觅食行为和弃尸行为的变化。结果显示,取食赤藓糖醇后工蚁发现食物时间约为5 min,而取食10%蔗糖水后发现食物时间缩短到2 min以内;取食赤藓糖醇后工蚁招募速度和食物搬运效率也显著低于对照。取食赤藓糖醇后工蚁发现尸体时间和弃尸速度变化显著,发现尸体时间由对照的3.45 min延长至8.13 min,开始丢弃尸体时间由20 min延长至37.5 min,丢弃完所有尸体耗时由3.08 h增大至5.37 h。亚致死浓度赤藓糖醇显著降低了红火蚁工蚁觅食和弃尸能力。     

红火蚁觅食活动的气象因子相关性及其等级划分

[背景]气象因子是制约害虫种群动态的重要因素,也是昆虫觅食活动的影响因子。【方法】通过系统的田间调查分析了红火蚁在华南地区的觅食活动年变动规律及其与气象因子的关系。[结果]红火蚁在12和1月份时觅食活动最弱,3—6月出现一个觅食高峰,在下半年的9—11月出现另一个高峰,7、8月份受高温的影响觅食活动有一定程度的回落现象。红火蚁工蚁觅食活动的年变化规律又因不同生境类型呈现一定的差异。相关分析结果表明,红火蚁觅食工蚁数与降水量、月平均气温、月最低气温、月最高气温、月最小相对湿度呈正相关,而与月平均气压呈负相关,且各相关性均达显著水平。逐步回归分析表明,月平均气温、日照时数、月最低气温综合影响红火蚁觅食活动的变化。其中,月平均气温可以作为一个非常重要的直接影响红火蚁觅食活动的参数。对荔枝园内全年红火蚁觅食活动进行分级,对方程进行求导得到红火蚁在荔枝园中觅食活动的5个活动级别所对应的月平均温度、日照时数和月平均最低气温实际临界值。[结论与意义]气象因子与红火蚁的觅食活动存在密切的相关性,研究结果可为红火蚁的监测与控制提供依据。     

华南地区典型生境中红火蚁觅食行为及工蚁召集规律

观察研究了华南地区几种典型生境中红火蚁对不同类型食物的觅食行为和工蚁召集动态规律。研究结果表明红火蚁觅食行为存在搜寻、召集及搬运等主要过程。不同生境中红火蚁对食物的搜寻时间存在一定差异,荔枝园中搜寻时间明显长于其它生境;荔枝园、荒地、路边生境中红火蚁对蜂蜜的搜寻时间明显长于其它几种食物;同一生境中红火蚁对不同重量的同种食物搜寻时间无明显变化。发现食物后召集的工蚁数量随着时间延长呈现不断增加的趋势,对于较大的食物一般30min左右召集的工蚁数量达到最大,之后趋于稳定并逐渐减少,而对于可以直接搬动的食物发现后15min左右群体召集数量达到最大并很快将其搬走。召集工蚁数量与发现后时间的关系符合二次非线性方程,建立了火腿肠、花生油和蜂蜜等食物上红火蚁工蚁召集数量与发现时间的关系模型,分别为Na=4183.91e^-0.0327T-4231.48e^-0.0346T,Na=3253.78e^-0.0233T-3314.59e^-0.0271T,Na=117.97e^-0.0131T-163.93e^-0.0808T。对于不同食物红火蚁发现后召集的最大工蚁数量间有明显差异,其中花生油上最大,平均为176．3头,火腿肠上次之,为90．4头,蜂蜜上最少,为68．0头。对于不同重量的同种食物,工蚁的召集动态规律较为一致,发现食物后25-30min左右工蚁的召集数量均达到最大值,之后缓慢减少,发现食物后时间长度和食物上工蚁数量也符合房室模型函数Na=c1×exp（-c2T）-c3×exp（-c4T）。同种食物不同重量之间同一时间召集的工蚁数量存在较大差异,呈随食物重量增大而增大趋势。不同生境中对相同质量同种食物工蚁召集数量动态总体变化规律相近,但在发现食物后工蚁数量增长的速度和最大召集工蚁的数量存在明显差异,以路边工蚁数量增长最快、工蚁总数最多,苗圃次之,荔枝园、荒地中工蚁增长速度均较低。红火蚁对不同食物种类切割、搬运耗时存在很大差异,搬运完0．5g的火腿肠需要26．23h,而黄粉虫幼虫（重量约为0．1g）仅为15．6min。不同生境中红火蚁对相同重量同一种食物的搬运耗时也不同,荔枝园要长于其它生境。     

鱼类摄食行为的感觉基础

鱼类摄食行为的感觉基础是研究鱼类行为和感觉的一个基本方向,自Wunder(1927)系统开展该领域研究工作以来,至今已积累大量研究资料。特别是在前苏联,鱼类行为与感觉的研究在其鱼类学学科中占有显著地位。目前,虽然已有不少综述论及某一种感觉在鱼类摄食行为中的作用,但缺乏对多种感觉在鱼类摄食行为中共同作用及其相互关系的系统总结。flHB。OB和KBCyM。H论述鱼类觅食过程中远距离感觉、近距离感觉的先后替代及食物识别、定位可靠性的保证机制。本文着重介绍不同生态习性鱼类摄食行为的感觉基础及其感觉模式的一般规律。       

野生动物觅食地选择的研究进展

觅食地选择是指个体对不同觅食地的非随机利用,是影响个体生存力和适合度的行为反应。觅食地的质量影响着动物的生存和繁殖,直接决定了动物种群的续存。一直以来,觅食地选择都是动物生态学研究的热点领域之一。本文从动物觅食地选择的理论背景、影响因素和时空尺度变异等3个角度,对现有的觅食地选择研究进行了综述,并通过对一些研究案例的剖析,从理论和实践上探寻动物觅食地选择的理论机制,进而为今后的觅食地研究提出相应建议。     

红火蚁对蚁运植物种子影响的研究概况

自然界中蚂蚁与蚁运植物的互惠关系是一种普遍的现象。蚁运植物种子的油质体是两者发生联系的纽带,它能为蚂蚁提供营养物质,且蚂蚁在消耗油质体的同时,搬运并散布了种子。红火蚁是近年来在华南地区严重发生的一种入侵性蚂蚁,能在短时间内迅速发展成为优势种,造成入侵地生物多样性降低和生态单一化,是世界范围内最具危险的社会性昆虫之一。由于该入侵蚂蚁极具侵略性、觅食能力强、种群庞大等特点,对蚁运植物具有深远的影响。为了深入、全面地了解红火蚁对蚁运植物种子的影响,本文综述了红火蚁对蚁运植物种子油质体的喜好及搬运行为,以及对蚁运植物种子的直接影响(搬运、取食、划痕或毁坏)及间接影响(排挤本地蚂蚁),最后展望了未来红火蚁对蚁运植物影响的研究方向。     

Lack of interactions between fire ant control products and white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in turfgrass

Insecticides are widely used to manage turfgrass pest such as white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta (Buren) are important predators and pests in managed turfgrass. We tested the susceptibility of white grub life stages (adults, egg, and larvae) to predation by S. invicta and determined if insecticides applied for control of S. invicta would result in locally greater white grub populations. Field trials over 2 yr evaluated bifenthrin, fipronil, and hydramethylnon applied to large and small scale turfgrass plots for impacts on fire ant foraging and white grub populations. Coincident with these trials, adults, larvae, and eggs of common scarab species were evaluated for susceptibility to predation by S. invicta under field conditions. Field trials with insecticides failed to show a significant increase in white grub populations resulting from treatment of turfgrass for fire ants. This, in part, may be because of a lack of predation of S. invicta on adult and larval scarabs. Egg predation was greatest at 70% but < 20% of adults and larvae were attacked in a 24 h test. Contrary to other studies, results presented here suggest that fire ants and fire ant control products applied to turfgrass have a minimal impact on white grub populations.     

Phorid flies, Pseudacteon spp. (Diptera: Phoridae), affect forager size ratios of red imported fire ants Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Texas

Multiple species of Pseudacteon phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) are currently being released throughout the southern United States to aid biological control of red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). It is anticipated that these flies will interfere with S. invicta foraging, allowing native ant assemblages to outcompete S. invicta for available resources. Numerous studies have shown a decrease in S. invicta foraging intensity when exposed to phorids. This study documents a behavioral change in phorid-exposed S. invicta colonies at a phorid release site in central Texas. Significant differences in forager size ratios were detected between phorid-exposed and phorid-absent colonies. A similar phenomenon was recently documented in the native range of these insects in South America as well. Experimental manipulation of ratios of S. invicta worker sizes has been shown to have important effects on colony success. This newly documented phorid-mediated S. invicta colony-level effect represents a significant shift in S. invicta foraging dynamics and may provide an additional mechanism by which phorids can influence S. invicta populations in their United States range.     

Biogeographic effects of red fire ant invasion

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta , was accidentally introduced to North America over 60 years ago and has spread throughout the southeastern United States. We document the biogeographic consequences of this invasion. We censused ground-foraging ant communities on a 2000 km transect from Florida through New York that passed through invaded and intact biotas. Native ant species density peaks at mid-latitudes in the eastern United States, and the location of this peak corresponds to the range limit of S. invicta . In uninvaded sites, ant species co-occur less often than expected by chance. In the presence of S. invicta , community structure converges to a random pattern. Our results suggest that the effects of S. invicta on native ant communities are pervasive: not only does the presence of S. invicta reduce species density at local scales, it alters the co-occurrence patterns of surviving species at a biogeographic scale.     

Phorid fly parasitoids of invasive fire ants indirectly improve the competitive ability of a native ant

Abstract.  1. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive species of south-eastern U.S.A. Since its introduction from South America approximately 70 years ago, this pest has devastated natural biodiversity.
2. Due to such ecological costs, Pseudacteon phorid fly parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae) from South America are being introduced into the U.S.A. as a potential biological control agent. Here, the indirect effects of these specialised parasitoids on an interspecific native ant competitor, Forelius mccooki (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are evaluated.
3. Over the course of a 50-day laboratory experiment, the results show that the native ant improved aspects of exploitative, but not interference, competition when S. invicta -attacking flies were present compared with when they were absent.
4.  Forelius mccooki colonies from the phorid treatment had approximately twice as many foragers at food baits relative to controls; however, there was no significant difference in interference aspects of competition or native ant colony growth between the two treatments.
5. These results suggest that the S. invicta -specialised parasitoids help shift the competitive balance more in favour of F. mccooki than if these flies were not present; however, this competitive advantage does not translate into increased colony growth after 50 days. These laboratory findings are interpreted with regard to the more complex interactions in the field.     

Mechanisms of interspecific competition among an invasive and two native fire ants

The mechanisms of interspecific competition among an invasive and two native Solenopsis fire ant forms were investigated in a series of laboratory experiments. In separate trials each with a different food resource, the native S. geminata × xyloni retrieved the greatest amount of a protein- and lipid-rich artificial food resource and a high protein natural food resource, and the native S. geminata retrieved the greatest amount of a high carbohydrate food resource. In trials investigating aspects of interference competition at the colony level, the invasive S. invicta proved to be initially more aggressive than S. geminata , but less aggressive than S. geminata × xyloni . Solenopsis invicta eventually controlled more of the foraging arenas against both native forms when colonies were equivalent by worker biomass, but not when colonies were equivalent by worker number. When paired with S. invicta , S. geminata suffered a significantly greater proportional reduction in both workers and entire colonies when colonies were initially standardized by worker biomass, but not when colonies were standardized by worker number. When paired with S. invicta , a significantly greater proportional reduction of workers occurred in S. geminata × xyloni , regardless of how colonies were standardized. In pairwise trials at the individual level, majors always exhibited significantly less mortality than minors, regardless of the Solenopsis form. The majors of both native forms suffered significantly less mortality than those of S. invicta . Superiority in colony-level interference ability appears to be an important mechanism allowing S. invicta to displace native Solenopsis forms. The ability of S. invicta to reach high population densities, because of intrinsic biological characteristics or an escape from natural enemies, plays an important contributory role. Similar mechanisms may underlie the success of other invasive ant species.     

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 the concentration-mortality responses of S. invicta workers to four commonly used insecticides: acephate, chlorpyrifos, methomyl and lambda-cyhalothrin. Fire ant workers showed a mortality response to serial dilutions to all four chemicals. Methomyl (LC50 0.04 microg/vial, fiducial limits 0.03-0.06) was the most toxic, followed by chlorpyrifos (LC50 0.11 microg/vial, fiducial limits 0.07-0.17) and acephate (LC50 0.76 microg/vial, fiducial limits 0.50-1.04). Of the chemicals assayed, it took a much higher concentration of lambda-cyhalothrin (LC50 2.30 microg/vial, fiducial limits 1.57-3.59) to kill 50% of the workers compared with the other three chemicals. The results of this study demonstrate the wide range in responses of fire ants to four insecticides that are labeled and commonly used on numerous agricultural crops throughout the United States. These results further suggest the possibility of using a discriminating dose of lambda-cyhalothrin to control the target pest species while conserving fire ants in the agricultural systems in which their predatory behavior is beneficial to the integrated pest management program.     

A formal assessment of gene flow and selection in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta

Abstract.— Recent studies of the introduced fire ant Solenopsis invicta suggest that introduced polygyne (with multiple queens per nest) populations are strongly influenced by male-mediated gene flow from neighboring monogyne (single queen per nest) populations and selection acting on a single locus, general protein-9 (Gp-9) . This investigation formally tests this hypothesis and determines if these processes can account for the genotypic structure of polygyne S. invicta . To increase the statistical power of this test, we considered the genotypes of polygyne queens and workers at both Gp-9 and the closely linked, selectively neutral locus Pgm-3 . We then constructed and analyzed a novel mathematical model to delimit the effects of monogyne male gene flow and selection on the joint genotypes at the Pgm-3/Gp-9 superlocus. Using this framework, a hierarchical maximum-likelihood method was developed to estimate the best-fitting gene flow and selection parameters based on the fit of our model to data from both the current study and an earlier one of the same population. In each case, selection on polygyne queens and workers alone, with no monogyne male gene flow, provides the most parsimonious explanation for the observed genotype frequencies. The apparent discrepancy between this result and the empirical evidence for monogyne male gene flow indicates that undocumented factors, such as other forms of selection in polygyne males or workers, are operating in introduced polygyne S. invicta .     

昆虫病原线虫对红火蚁的致病力及田间防控效果

红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren是一种国际重大外来入侵生物,严重危害农林生产、生命健康、公共安全和生态环境。本研究在室内条件下测定了小卷蛾斯氏线虫Steinernema carpocapsae All品系、长尾斯氏线虫S. longicaudum X-7品系和芫菁夜蛾斯氏线虫S. feltiae SN品系对红火蚁的致病力,并筛选出高致病力品系及其对红火蚁的田间防控效果。结果表明,不同昆虫病原线虫对红火蚁不同虫态的致病力存在显著差异。3种线虫对红火蚁幼虫具有较高的致病力,处理3 d后,幼虫的累计校正致死率均为100%。3种线虫对工蚁的致病力均较弱,处理10 d后的校正死亡率均小于30%。与芫菁夜蛾斯氏线虫SN品系相比,长尾斯氏线虫X-7品系和小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系对蛹和生殖蚁具有较强的致病能力,10 d后累计校正死亡率均达到90%以上。田间试验表明,施用小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系对红火蚁工蚁的防控效果最高可达63.7%,且不会增加红火蚁的迁巢风险。综上所述,小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系和长尾斯氏线虫X-7品系为红火蚁的高致病品系,田间施用小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系对红火蚁工蚁具有显著的控制作用,可推荐用于红火蚁的生物防治。