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Trail pheromone disruption of red imported fire ant.

David M Suckling1, Lloyd D Stringer, Barry Bunn

  • 1The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd., PB 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand. Max.Suckling@plantandfood.co.nz

Journal of Chemical Ecology
|June 16, 2010
PubMed
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Disrupting fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) trails with Z,E-alpha-farnesene disorients workers. This pheromone disruption offers a potential new control method for invasive fire ants, avoiding harm to non-target species.

Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Chemical Ecology
  • Invasive Species Management

Background:

  • The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is a highly invasive species causing significant ecological and economic damage.
  • Current control methods like toxic baits harm non-target species and are unsuitable for sensitive environments.
  • Fire ants utilize recruitment pheromones, specifically Z,E-alpha-farnesene, for efficient foraging and colony resource retrieval.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of disrupting fire ant trail orientation using an oversupply of the recruitment pheromone Z,E-alpha-farnesene.
  • To assess the efficacy of Z,E-alpha-farnesene in disorienting Solenopsis invicta workers and hindering their trail-following behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Z,E-alpha-farnesene was synthesized and presented from point sources to fire ant trails connecting colonies and food sources.

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  • Trail-following behavior was monitored using overhead webcams and analyzed with digital ant tracking software.
  • Linear regression analysis (r²) was employed to quantify trail integrity before and after pheromone presentation.

    • Main Results:

    • Fire ant workers initially exhibited strong trail integrity (r² = 0.75).
    • Presentation of Z,E-alpha-farnesene rapidly disrupted trail-following behavior within seconds.
    • Ants showed significant disorientation and reduced trail adherence near the pheromone source.

    Conclusions:

    • An oversupply of Z,E-alpha-farnesene effectively disorients foraging fire ants, disrupting their recruitment trails.
    • This pheromone-based disruption presents a promising, non-toxic alternative for managing invasive fire ant populations.
    • Further research is warranted to explore the long-term efficacy and control potential of this method for Solenopsis invicta.