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FW: Biocontrols May Help Stomp Fire Ants

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This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information
distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the
latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm.
* For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606
or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov.
* Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov.
* ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD
20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648.


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From: "ARS News Service" <isjd@ars-grin.gov>
To: "ARS News List" <ars-news@ars-grin.gov>
Subject: Biocontrols May Help Stomp Fire Ants
Date: Tue, Sep 21, 1999, 6:13 AM


STORY LEAD:
Red Imported Fire Ants...Still Going

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ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov
September 21, 1999
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Biological control agents could be crucial in preventing the spread of red
imported fire ants, which have recently become established in California and
New Mexico. Until this recent spread, red imported fire ants occupied more
than 300 million acres in 12 southern states and Puerto Rico, Agricultural
Research Service scientists report. ARS is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's chief research agency.

Researchers at ARS' Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary
Entomology in Gainesville, Fla., released two biological control agents that
appear promising.

Brazilian phorid flies (Pseudacteon tricuspis), first released in 1997, are
fire ants' mortal enemies. The flies hover over the mound, zoom in on the
fire ants, pierce the ant's outer cuticle, and deposit an egg inside the
ant. The egg quickly hatches into a fly, according to entomologist Sanford
D. Porter.

Thelohania solenopsae, a microorganism from South America that infects fire
ant colonies, was released in 1998. The workers probably transfer the
pathogen to the queen through food exchange. She slowly loses weight and
lays fewer and fewer eggs, all infected with the pathogen. Colonies
generally die within 9 to 18 months, according to entomologist David F.
Williams.

Two new biocontrol agents currently under study are a pathogen and phorid
fly. Vairimorpha is a pathogen similar to Thelohania, but it kills colonies
in two to six weeks. Pseudacteon curvatus is a smaller phorid fly species
that attacks smaller-sized fire ants.

An in-depth article on fire ant research appears in the September issue of
Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/ant0999.htm

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Scientific contacts: David Williams and Sanford Porter, ARS Imported Fire
Ants & Household Insects Unit, Gainesville, Fla., phone (352) 374-5903, fax
(352) 374-5818, dwilliams@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu, sdp@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu.
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Note: Video News Releases are available from Tara Weaver-Missick, ARS
Information Staff, phone (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov.
----------
This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information
distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the
latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm.
* For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606
or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov.
* Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov.
* ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD
20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648.


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