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Rasberry crazy ant

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Nylanderia fulva
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Genus:
Nylanderia
Species:
N. fulva
Binomial name
Nylanderia fulva
Mayr 1862[1]
Synonyms

Prenolepis fulva

The Rasberry crazy ant (also called tawny crazy ant or Nylanderia fulva) is an invasive species of ant originally from South America. The earliest record of N. fulva in the US was from Brownsville, Texas in 1938.[2] Recently, there have been large population explosions of this species in the Southeastern US and on St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, though in many cases, the ants were misidentified as its close relative, the hairy crazy ant, Nylanderia pubens.[3][4][5][6][7]

Like the longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis), this species is called "crazy ant" because of the ants' quick, erratic movements. The media and others in Texas are further calling it the "Rasberry crazy ant" after the exterminator Tom Rasberry, who first noticed the ants were a local problem in 2002.[6][8] Scientists have had trouble identifying this ant as a species due to confusion regarding the taxonomy of the genus, but it has now been identified as Nylanderia fulva.[9]

A large infestation is currently present in at least 20 counties in Texas. The ants appear to prefer the warmth and moisture of the coast.[10]

Description

The ants are about 0.125 in (3.2 mm) and are covered with reddish-brown hairs. The colonies have multiple queens.[5] They tend aphids for honeydew, feed on small insects and vertebrates, and forage on plants, especially for sweet materials.

Nylanderia fulva appears to displace other ant species, including red imported fire ants,[8] most likely due to exploitative and interference competition.[11] The ants are not attracted to ordinary ant baits, are not controlled by over-the-counter pesticides,[8][12] and are harder to fully exterminate than many other species because their colonies have multiple queens.[13]

Scientists have described the ants as having overrun a portion of Texas since the early 2000s.[9] As of 2012, the ants were still a major problem and seemed to also have established colonies in all states of the Gulf Coast of the United States.[8][9] The colonies can be up to 100 times larger than those of native ant species.[citation needed]

Attraction to electrical equipment

It is unclear why colonies of Nylanderia fulva, like many species of ants, are attracted to electrical equipment.[8][14] It has been suggested that they sense the magnetic fields that surround wires conducting electric current, or that they prefer the warmth produced by resistance to the currents in the wires. Some argue that they simply are searching for food or an attractive place to nest. [15] Infestations of electrical equipment cause short circuits, sometimes because the ants chew through insulation. Overheating, corrosion, and mechanical failures also result from accumulations of dead ants and nest detritus in electrical devices.[16]

Occasionally, an ant is electrocuted and, in dying, releases an alarm pheromone, which causes the other ants to rush over and search for attackers. If a large enough ball of ants collects, it may short out some systems.[17]

Range

Reported distribution of the tawny crazy ant in the United States

The range of the ant is expanding by about 800 metres (0.50 mi) per year.[8] However, being carried by people, animals, and vehicles, the tawny crazy ant's range has increased from five Texas counties in 2002 to 20 in 2007. This yields a rate of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) per year. At this accelerated rate, it would take about 70 years for them to reach New Orleans. In August 2012, tawny crazy ants were reported in Port Allen, Louisiana.[18]Tawny crazy ants have been reported from Georgia and Mississippi[19] [20]

Control

In June 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency granted temporary approval for the use of fipronil to control this ant. The pesticide is already used for termite control. Its use is restricted to seven counties in the Houston area.[21] As of May 2009, the ants continue to spread and have reportedly caused millions of dollars in damage in 11 Texas counties.[citation needed]

Significance in impeding the spread of the red imported fire ant

Nylanderia fulva is able to neutralize the venom of the Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, apparently by smearing themselves with formic acid secreted from a gland. [22]. That is apparently why crazy ants are able to displace fire ants from areas where fire ants have established a presence. This is the first known example of an insect detoxifying another insect's venom.

See also

References

  1. ^ Mayr, G. 1862. Myrmecologische Studien. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 12:649-776.
  2. ^ http://gap.entclub.org/taxonomists/Trager/1984b.pdf
  3. ^ http://journals.fcla.edu/flaent/article/view/75828/73486
  4. ^ http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/breaking-news/crazy-ants-the-ants-that-eat-electronics-march-int/nZ3zy/
  5. ^ a b "Tawny (Rasberry) Crazy Ant. Nylanderia fulva". Texas A&M, Department of Entomology, Center for Urban & StructuralEntomology. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  6. ^ a b Ayres, Chris (2008-05-16). "Billions of electronic-eating 'crazy Rasberry ants' invade Texas". Times UK.
  7. ^ "crazy Rasberry ant". Ant-maps.com. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Main, Douglas (17 May 2013). "'Crazy' Ants Driving Out Fire Ants in Southeast". LiveScience.com. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  9. ^ a b c Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045314, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0045314 instead.
  10. ^ A Pest Without a Name, Becoming Known to Ever More, The New York Times, May 16, 2008
  11. ^ [1] McDonald, 2012, Investigation of an invasive ant species: Nylanderia fulva colony extraction, management, diet preference, fecundity, and mechanical vector potential
  12. ^ Ants swarm over Houston area, fouling electronics, Yahoo News, 15 May 2008.
  13. ^ Can Ants Eat Your Computer: Why the "crazy rasberry" ant infests electronic devices., Slate, 20 May 2008.
  14. ^ Opam, Kwane (26 September 2011). "These Ants Terrorize Everything—Even Gadgets". gizmodo.com. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  15. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/magazine/crazy-ants.html
  16. ^ Computers at risk from Crazy Raspberry [sic] ants, Techworld, 16 May 2008.
  17. ^ McConnaughey, Janet. "'Hairy crazy ants' invade from Florida to Texas - Technology & science - Science - NBCNews.com". MSNBC. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  18. ^ Kiran Chawla. Army of hard to kill ants marches into south Louisiana. WAFB, Port Allen, LA. Posted 2012-08-14.
  19. ^ Sharon Dowdy. Invasive tawny crazy ant found in Georgia. University of Georgia. Posted 2013-09-17.
  20. ^ Joe A. MacGown. Tawny crazy Ants invade Mississippi. You Tube video. Posted 2011-09-29.
  21. ^ Pesticide for SE Texas 'crazy' ants approved by EPA, Houston Chronicle, 2008-07-01, retrieved 2008-07-01
  22. ^ University of Texas at Austin. (2014, February 13). Crazy ants dominate fire ants by neutralizing their venom. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 16, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140213142233.htm

Further reading

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