fire ants came to the us in 54 bc.
fire ants came to the us in 54 bc.
when did fire ants come to the us?
54 bc
phorid flies also represent a new and hopeful means by which to control fire ant populations in the southern united states, where some species of fire ants were accidentally introduced in the 1930s. the genus "pseudacteon", or ant-decapitating flies, of which 110 species have been documented, is a parasitoid of ants. "pseudacteon" species reproduce by laying eggs in the thorax of the ant. the first instar larvae migrate to the head, where they feed on the ant's hemolymph, muscle and nerve tissue. eventually, the larvae completely devour the ant's brain, causing it to wander aimlessly for about two weeks. after about two to four weeks, they cause the ant's head to fall off by releasing an enzyme that dissolves the membrane attaching the ant's head to its body. the fly pupates in the detached head capsule, requiring a further two weeks before emerging. various species of phoridae have been introduced throughout the southeast united states, starting with travis, brazos, and dallas counties in texas, as well as mobile, alabama, where the non-native fire ants first entered north america. the native species of fire ants are also parasitized by some species of "pseudacteon"; these native fire ants don't cause ecological damage the way introduced species do.
phoridae
mortality rates have been well observed in birds; there have been instances where no young have survived to adulthood in areas with high fire ant density. many birds including cliff nesting swallows, ducks, egrets, quail, and terns have been affected by red imported fire ants. ground nesting birds, particularly the least tern ("sterna antillarum"), are vulnerable to fire ant attacks. the impact of red imported fire ants on colonial breeding birds is especially severe; waterbirds can experience a mortality rate of 100%, although this factor was lower for early-nesting birds. brood survival decreases in american cliff swallows ("petrochelidon pyrrhonota") if they are exposed to foraging workers. songbird nest survival decreases in areas with red imported fire ants present, but survival rates in white-eyed vireo ("vireo griseus") and black-capped vireo ("vireo atricapilla") nests increase from 10% to 31% and 7% to 13% whenever fire ants are not present or when they are unable to attack them. red imported fire ants may indirectly contribute to low brood survival in the attwater's prairie chicken. it was first thought that the ants were linked to the decline of overwintering birds such as the loggerhead shrike ("lanius ludovicianus"), but a later study showed that ant eradication efforts using the pesticide mirex, which was known to have toxic side effects, was largely to blame.
red imported fire ant