Article
Ecology
Antoine Felden, Jana Dobelmann, James W. W. Baty, Joseph McCormick, John Haywood, Philip J. J. Lester
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of manipulating the immune system of a biological invader using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to increase susceptibility to pathogens. While the immune pathway disruption resulted in changes in viral loads, it did not consistently increase microbial infections or alter ant abundance in the field.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Irene Castaneda, Elsa Bonnaud, Franck Courchamp, Gloria Luque
Summary: Nest establishment is a crucial stage in the ant life cycle, with the number of queens influencing both queen and worker behavior during and after this process. The study found that having six queens resulted in faster entry of queens into the nest, more workers inside the nest during establishment, and fewer workers engaged in nest tasks after establishment. Differences in response were observed between invasive Argentine ants and native Mediterranean ants.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Thomas Wagner, Henrique Galante, Roxana Josens, Tomer J. Czaczkes
Summary: The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is a highly damaging and globally widespread invasive species. A study on their learning ability revealed that they showed rapid route learning and odour learning after just one exposure. Food flavour information was efficiently transferred between ants, influencing their preferences. These abilities, along with strong pheromonal recruitment, contribute to their resource dominance and may also be targeted for control efforts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anjana Pisharody Unni, Sajad Hussain Mir, T. P. Rajesh, U. Prashanth Ballullaya, Thomas Jose, Palatty Allesh Sinu
Summary: The study found that ants have a negative impact on pollinators, with invasive ants exerting greater interference competition on pollinators than native ants. This indicates that ants pose a threat to plant-pollinator mutualism, especially in specialist pollination plants.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Thomas Wagner, Tomer J. Czaczkes
Summary: This study reveals that ants avoid food odours associated with corpses, which may have implications for pest control strategies.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Olivia E. Anastasio, Kaitlyn A. Mathis, Monique J. Rivera
Summary: The Argentine ant, an invasive species in the United States, disrupts natural ecosystems by displacing native ant species and associating with phloem-feeding insects. The presence of another invasive pest, Asian Citrus psyllid, as well as edge complexity, can impact ant activity rates and species richness within citrus groves. Understanding the spatial patterns of these pests can aid in future management practices for controlling their populations.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Matthew T. Kamiyama, Kenji Matsuura, Tsuyoshi Yoshimura, Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
Summary: The study found that Japanese acrobat ants have a certain impact on the survival rate of Halyomorpha halys nymphs, reducing their numbers in their native range. However, they may need to act in conjunction with other natural enemies to cause mortality in different growth stages of H. halys.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Stephanie J. Green, Edwin D. Grosholz
Summary: Dealing with invasive species remains a challenge globally, particularly in marine and freshwater habitats where resources for eradication often fall short. Establishing targets for suppression of invasions based on achieving functional eradication is crucial, requiring key ecological information such as density-impact functions and recolonization rates.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ivan Milosavljevic, David J. W. Morgan, Rachael E. Massie, Mark S. Hoddle
Summary: The study found that in southern California, climate and ants play important roles in population regulation of an invasive citrus pest, Diaphorina citri, and its parasitoid Tamarixia radiata. The parasitoid has a significant impact on the population density of the citrus pest, with citrus growth cycles also influencing their numbers and parasitism rates.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Matthew T. Kamiyama, Kenji Matsuura, Tsuyoshi Yoshimura, Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
Summary: Through the ZINB model and GAMM, it was found that temperature significantly affects the trap catch of H. halys, while precipitation has no effect. The study provides the first forecasting models for native H. halys population dynamics based on degree days, improving population forecasting and filling knowledge gaps for efficient management of this globally invasive species.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yang Liu, Melissa L. L. Thomas, Grey T. T. Coupland, Penghao Wang, Dan Zheng, Simon J. J. McKirdy
Summary: Invasive species eradication campaigns often fail due to uncertainty in arrival events, detectability, and resource allocation. This research uses info-gap decision theory to provide managers with a method to quantify their confidence in successful eradication of specific invasive species within their budget. The study focuses on the potential introduction of Asian house gecko to Barrow Island, Australia. Results show that the robustness of eradication policies can be improved by increasing eradication cost, investing in quarantine and border inspection, or investing in detection surveillance. This method helps managers evaluate the robustness of eradication policies for invasive species incursion.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Benning Le, Hoeun Park, Kathleen Campbell, Michael K. Rust, Chow-Yang Lee, Dong-Hwan Choe
Summary: Due to their mutualistic relationship with plant pests, the Argentine ant is considered a major pest in subtropical fruit orchards and vineyards. Liquid baiting using hydrogel materials has been demonstrated as an effective method to suppress the Argentine ant populations. In this study, boric acid incorporated in a calcium alginate hydrogel effectively killed Argentine ant workers, and the preservative potassium sorbate did not impact the efficacy of boric acid.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Maryam Shahrtash, Shawn P. Brown
Summary: This review discusses the potential of incorporating plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions into invasive plant management strategies. The authors advocate for increased research in this area to diversify sustainable control options.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qian Wang, Chen Luo, Ran Wang
Summary: Two invasive whitefly biotypes, MEAM1 (B) and MED (Q), with higher pesticide resistance levels, have been found in China. Recent studies have identified metabolic resistance mechanisms and target site mutations in these populations, which render them resistant to a range of insecticides. Novel pest control agents, such as RNA-based pesticides and nano-pesticides, show promise for future field control of these invasive whiteflies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Evelyne Baratelli, Chad Tillberg, Andy Suarez, Sean Menke, Ida Naughton, David Holway
Summary: The trophic position of Argentine ants decreases after invasion, but the extent of this decrease may vary over time or reflect transient ecological processes.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
