Identification of red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, to invade mainland China and infestation in Wuchuan, Guangdong

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.