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Phorid fly parasitoids of invasive fire ants indirectly improve the competitive ability of a native ant
Author(s) -
Mehdiabadi Natasha J.,
Kawazoe Elizabeth A.,
Gilbert Lawrence E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.0307-6946.2004.00636.x
Subject(s) - phoridae , biology , hymenoptera , fire ant , parasitoid , interspecific competition , biological pest control , competition (biology) , ecology , invasive species , aculeata , red imported fire ant , biodiversity , introduced species , pest analysis , ant , botany
. 1. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive species of south‐eastern U.S.A. Since its introduction from South America approximately 70 years ago, this pest has devastated natural biodiversity. 2. Due to such ecological costs, Pseudacteon phorid fly parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae) from South America are being introduced into the U.S.A. as a potential biological control agent. Here, the indirect effects of these specialised parasitoids on an interspecific native ant competitor, Forelius mccooki (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are evaluated. 3. Over the course of a 50‐day laboratory experiment, the results show that the native ant improved aspects of exploitative, but not interference, competition when S. invicta ‐attacking flies were present compared with when they were absent. 4. Forelius mccooki colonies from the phorid treatment had approximately twice as many foragers at food baits relative to controls; however, there was no significant difference in interference aspects of competition or native ant colony growth between the two treatments. 5. These results suggest that the S. invicta ‐specialised parasitoids help shift the competitive balance more in favour of F. mccooki than if these flies were not present; however, this competitive advantage does not translate into increased colony growth after 50 days. These laboratory findings are interpreted with regard to the more complex interactions in the field.