Title: | North American Invasion of the Tawny Crazy Ant (Nylanderia fulva) Is Enabled by Pheromonal Synergism from Two Separate Glands |
Author(s): | Zhang QH; McDonald DL; Hoover DR; Aldrich JR; Schneidmiller RG; |
Address: | "Sterling International, Inc., 3808 N. Sullivan Rd., Bldg. 16, Spokane, WA, 99216, USA. qing-he@rescue.com. Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies, Sam Houston State University, 2424 Sam Houston Avenue, Suite B-8, Box 2506, Huntsville, TX, 77341, USA. Sterling International, Inc., 3808 N. Sullivan Rd., Bldg. 16, Spokane, WA, 99216, USA. Jeffrey R. Aldrich consulting LLC, P. O. Box 7887, Santa Cruz, CA, 95061, USA. Associate, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-015-0622-6 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "A new invader, the 'tawny crazy ant', Nylanderia fulva (Hymenoptera: Formicidae; Formicinae), is displacing the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), in the southern U.S., likely through its superior chemical arsenal and communication. Alone, formic acid is unattractive, but this venom (= poison) acid powerfully synergizes attraction of tawny crazy ants to volatiles from the Dufour's gland secretion of N. fulva workers, including the two major components, undecane and 2-tridecanone. The unexpected pheromonal synergism between the Dufour's gland and the venom gland appears to be another key factor, in addition to previously known defensive and detoxification semiochemical features, for the successful invasion and domination of N. fulva in the southern U.S. This synergism is an efficient mechanism enabling N. fulva workers to outcompete Solenopsis and other ant species for food and territory. From a practical standpoint, judicious point-source release formulation of tawny crazy ant volatiles may be pivotal for enhanced attract-and-kill management of this pest" |
Keywords: | "Alkanes/*metabolism Animals Ants/*physiology Behavior, Animal Formates/*metabolism Introduced Species Ketones/*metabolism North America Pheromones/*metabolism 2-tridecanone Dufour's gland Fire ant Formic acid Formicinae Hymenoptera Invasive ant Nylanderia;" |
Notes: | "MedlineZhang, Qing-He McDonald, Danny L Hoover, Doreen R Aldrich, Jeffrey R Schneidmiller, Rodney G eng 2015/09/01 J Chem Ecol. 2015 Sep; 41(9):853-8. doi: 10.1007/s10886-015-0622-6. Epub 2015 Aug 28" |