@article {33514, title = {Samsum Ant, Brachyponera sennaarensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae): distribution and abundance in Saudi Arabia}, journal = {Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences}, year = {2015}, month = {Jan-05-2015}, abstract = {

Invasive species are capable of causing considerable damage to natural ecosystems, agriculture and economies throughout the World. Samsum ant,\ Brachyponera (Pachycondyla) sennaarens\ is has been a reason for medical implication and social nuisance through its poisonous and severely painful sting causing anaphylactic shock in many cases. We surveyed for the presence of the samsum ant in various provinces of Saudi Arabia.\ B. sennaarensis\ was abundant ponerinae species in human settlements. In the Eastern provinces, however, few samples were collected, and none were found in the Northern and Western provinces. Infestations of\ B. sennaarensis\ were particularly severe in the spring and summer seasons, when the ants make nests in moist areas and in cracks in cemented structures, whereas the extent of infestation reduced in the winter seasons.

}, keywords = {Brachyponera (Pachycondyla) sennaarensis, distribution, Ponerinae, Samsum ant, Saudi Arabia}, issn = {1319562X}, doi = {10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.05.011}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1319562X15001126}, author = {Al-Khalifa, Mohammed Saleh and Mashaly, Ashraf Mohamed Ali and Siddiqui, Mohammed Iqbal and Al-Mekhlafi, Fahd Abdu} } @article {33407, title = {Distribution and biological notes of Strumigenys margaritae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dacetini)}, journal = {Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews}, volume = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {Jan-01-2013}, pages = {247 - 255}, abstract = {

Strumigenys margaritae Forel, 1893 (Tribe Dacetini) is a tiny predatory ant native to the New World. It is known from northern South America, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and the southeastern US from Texas to Florida. To evaluate the geographic range of S. margaritae, we compiled and mapped specimen records from \> 200 sites. We found S. margaritae records for 38 geographic areas (countries, island groups, major islands, and US states), including several locales for which we found no previously published records: Anguilla, Barbados, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dutch Caribbean, Grenada, Honduras, Nevis, Nicaragua, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Martin, Tobago, US Virgin Islands, and Venezuela.

}, keywords = {Biogeography, Dacetine ants, distribution, Exotic species, non-native species}, issn = {1874-9828}, doi = {10.1163/18749836-06001066}, url = {http://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?hl=en\&q=http://www.researchgate.net/publication/257748003_Distribution_and_biological_notes_of_Strumigenys_margaritae_(Hymenoptera_Formicidae_Dacetini)/file/9c960526fad1d4b146.pdf\&sa=X\&scisig=AAGBfm2LmlIrPzEShF6vblIen}, author = {MacGown, Joe A. and J K Wetterer} } @article {33124, title = {Exotic spread of Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) beyond North America}, journal = {Sociobiology}, volume = {60}, year = {2013}, month = {Nov-04-2014}, abstract = {

The South America fire ant\ Solenopsis invicta\ Buren arrived in Mobile, Alabama by ship sometime before 1945. Since then,\ S. invicta\ has spread in North America across the southern US and northeastern Mexico. More recently, it has invaded the West Indies and parts of the Old World. Here, I examine this more recent exotic spread of\ S. invictabeyond North America, reporting new West Indian records and questioning some Asian records. In 1981,\ S. invicta\ was first found in the West Indies, on Puerto Rico. With my new records from Vieques, Aruba, and Jamaica,\ S. invicta\ is now known from 28 West Indian islands. In 2001, the first Old World populations of\ S. invicta\ were discovered in New Zealand and Australia. Nascent populations of\ S. invicta\ in New Zealand have been exterminated and Australia populations have been kept in check through intensive control efforts. Populations of\ S. invicta\ in Taiwan and China first found in 2003-2004,\ however, have spread broadly. Published reports of\ S. invicta\ from Malaysia and Singapore were based on misidentifications, presumably of the more widespread Neotropical fire ant,\ Solenopsis geminata\ (Fabricius). Reports of\ S. invicta\ from India and the Philippines seem questionable and need confirmation.\ Where S. invicta has invaded, it has displaced S. geminata in open habitats, leaving remnant S. geminata populations, primarily in forested areas. In working to limit the spread and impacts of fire ants, it will be important to differentiate among the species, and recognize their similarities and their differences.

}, keywords = {biological invasion, distribution, Exotic species, Invasive species, red imported fire ant, RIFA, Stinging ants}, issn = {0361-6525}, doi = {10.13102/sociobiology.v60i110.13102/sociobiology.v60i1.50-55}, author = {J K Wetterer} } @article {33123, title = {An overview of the red imported fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Mainland China}, journal = {Florida Entomologist}, volume = {90}, year = {2007}, month = {Jan-12-2007}, pages = {723 - 731}, abstract = {

The red imported fire ant,\ Solenopsis invicta\ Buren is a serious invasive insect that is native to South America. Its presence was officially announced in mainland China in Jan 2005. To date, it has been identified in 4 provinces in mainland China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Fujian) in a total of 31 municipal districts. The total area reported to be infested by\ S. invictain late 2006 was about 7,120 ha, mainly in Guangdong Province (6,332 ha). Most of the reported human stings are in the heavily infested area around Wuchuan City. The most commonly reported reactions have been abnormal redness of the skin, sterile pustules, hives, pain, and/or fever. It has been predicted that most of mainland China is viable habitat for red imported fire ants, including 25 of 31 provinces. The probable northern limit of expansion reaches Shandong, Tianjing, south Henan, and Shanxi provinces. Traditional and new insecticides including the bait N-butyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide and the contact insecticide Yichaoqing have been developed and used to control\ S. invicta. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Chinese government have established an 8-year eradication program (2006 to 2013) for\ S. invicta\ in China.

}, keywords = {China, distribution, red imported fire ant, RIFA}, issn = {0015-4040}, doi = {10.1653/0015-4040(2007)90[723:AOOTRI]2.0.CO;2}, author = {Zhang, Runzhi and Li, Yingchao and Liu, Ning and Porter, Sanford D.} } @article {33122, title = {Potential establishment areas of Solenopsis invicta in China: A prediction based on GIS}, journal = {Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao}, volume = {17}, year = {2006}, month = {2006 Nov}, pages = {2093-7}, abstract = {

Based on geographic information system (GIS), the potential establishment areas of Solenopsis invicta Buren in China were predicted. The days above threshold temperature and the number of degree-days were used as main determining factors, while annual precipitation and altitude were used as limiting factors. By using the Kriging spatial interpolation function in GIS software, the potential establishment area was divided into four categories, i.e., most suitable, suitable, mildly suitable, and unsuitable. The most suitable area was in the greater part of Guangdong, central and southern Guangxi, small part of southern Yunnan, Hainan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, suitable area was in southern Yunnan, northern Guangxi and Guangdong, southern Henan, western Anhui, greater part of Zhejiang, central and eastern Hubei, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian, mildly suitable area was in the greater parts of Anhui and Henan, central and eastern Hebei and Shandong, Beijing, Tianjian, central and northern Jiangsu, northwestern Zhejiang and Hubei, southern Shanxi, eastern Sichuan, central and western Guizhou, and small part of central Yunnan, and unsuitable area was in the greater parts of northwest, northeast, and north China.

}, keywords = {China, distribution, Geographic Information Systems, red imported fire ant, RIFA}, issn = {1001-9332}, author = {Chen, Chen and Gong, Weirong and Hu, Baishi and Zhou, Guoliang and Bao, Yunxuan} } @article {33121, title = {Identification of red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, to invade mainland China and infestation in Wuchuan, Guangdong}, journal = {Chinese Bulletin of Entomology}, volume = {42}, year = {2005}, pages = {144{\textendash}148}, abstract = {

Red imported fire ant,\ S. invicta, from Latin America countries, including Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, is one of most dangerous and devastating pests. Specimen identification showed that this insect has infested Wuchaun, Guangdong, China. The population density of\ S. invicta, and its effects on agriculture are presented. Cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene (453 bp) from 2 populations (Florida, USA, and Wuchuan, Guangdong) of\ S. invicta\ and 4 populations of\ S. geminata\ from Guangdong was sequenced. The results of RFLP [restriction fragment length polymorphism] analysis showed the presence of one restrictive site detected by restriction endonucleases MspI in the amplified segments of\ S. geminata, but none was detected in\ S. invicta. BamHI digested the amplified segments of\ S. invicta\ but not those of\ S. geminata. The digestion of the 453-bp fragment by enzymes BamHI and MspI generated a 200-bp and a 250-bp fragment which could be used as a powerful tool for identification of these 2 species.

}, keywords = {China, distribution, red imported fire ant, RIFA}, issn = {0452-8255}, url = {http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20053103341.html;jsessionid=AC77CABF73E31967BD787F2C106686B3$\#$}, author = {Ling, Zeng and YongYue, Lu and XiaoFang, He and WeiQiu, Zhang and GuangWen, Liang} } @article {33119, title = {Global Invasion History of the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta}, journal = {Science}, volume = {331}, year = {2011}, month = {Jan-02-2013}, pages = {1066 - 1068}, abstract = {

The fire ant Solenopsis invicta is a significant pest that was inadvertently introduced into the southern United States almost a century ago and more recently into California and other regions of the world. An assessment of genetic variation at a diverse set of molecular markers in 2144 fire ant colonies from 75 geographic sites worldwide revealed that at least nine separate introductions of S. invicta have occurred into newly invaded areas and that the main southern U.S. population is probably the source of all but one of these introductions. The sole exception involves a putative serial invasion from the southern United States to California to Taiwan. These results illustrate in stark fashion a severe negative consequence of an increasingly massive and interconnected global trade and travel system.

}, keywords = {distribution, pest ants, red imported fire ant, RIFA, Solenopsis invicta}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.1198734}, author = {Ascunce, M. S. and Yang, C.-C. and Oakey, J. and Calcaterra, L. and Wu, W.-J. and Shih, C.-J. and Goudet, J. and Ross, K. G. and Shoemaker, D.} }