areawide project and phorid decapitating flies
DESCRIPTION
Areawide Project and Phorid Decapitating Flies. Sanford Porter USDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FL. Areawide 2 October 2006. Released • Pseudacteon tricuspis • Pseudacteon curvatus • Pseudacteon litoralis. Jaguariuna Biotype. • Currently occupies >40,000 square miles - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Areawide Project and Phorid
Decapitating Flies
Areawide Project and Phorid
Decapitating Flies
Sanford PorterSanford Porter
USDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FLUSDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FL
Sanford PorterSanford Porter
USDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FLUSDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FL
Areawide 2 October 2006
Released
• Pseudacteon tricuspis
• Pseudacteon curvatus
• Pseudacteon litoralis
Released
• Pseudacteon tricuspis
• Pseudacteon curvatus
• Pseudacteon litoralis
Jaguariuna BiotypeJaguariuna Biotype
• Currently occupies >40,000 square miles
• Expanding outward from multiple sites at ~25 miles/year
• Currently occupies >40,000 square miles
• Expanding outward from multiple sites at ~25 miles/year
Results of a four
year study in North
Florida did not show
impacts above the 10-
30% sensitivity of
the study.
Results of a four
year study in North
Florida did not show
impacts above the 10-
30% sensitivity of
the study.
Consequently,
additional species of
flies and other
natural enemies will
be needed to help
tilt the ecological
balance against
imported fire ants.
Consequently,
additional species of
flies and other
natural enemies will
be needed to help
tilt the ecological
balance against
imported fire ants.
Pseudacteon curvatusPseudacteon curvatus
• A very small species that attacks small fire ants
• Two Biotypes:
Las Flores (Black Fire Ants)
Formosa (Red Fire Ants)
• A very small species that attacks small fire ants
• Two Biotypes:
Las Flores (Black Fire Ants)
Formosa (Red Fire Ants)
Las Flores BiotypeFormosa Biotype
Pseudacteon curvatusPseudacteon curvatus
Formosa Biotype:
1. Over wintered in FL, OK, SC, and TX
2. Out >50 miles in FL
Formosa Biotype:
1. Over wintered in FL, OK, SC, and TX
2. Out >50 miles in FL
P. curvatus occurs at much
higher densities at polygyne
sites than P. tricuspis
P. curvatus occurs at much
higher densities at polygyne
sites than P. tricuspis
Pseudacteon litoralisPseudacteon litoralis
• Released in FL (5 sites)
AL (1 site), MS (1 site),
LA (1 site)
• 1st Generation Flies Most Sites
• Appears to have failed at most sites
• But, did overwinter in Alabama (2006)
• Released in FL (5 sites)
AL (1 site), MS (1 site),
LA (1 site)
• 1st Generation Flies Most Sites
• Appears to have failed at most sites
• But, did overwinter in Alabama (2006)
Preparing to Release
• Pseudacteon obtusus
Preparing to Release
• Pseudacteon obtusus
Pseudacteon obtususPseudacteon obtusus
• Attacks medium and large fire ants
• Safety tests completed
• Approved for field release!!!
• Field releases Fall 2006?
• Attacks medium and large fire ants
• Safety tests completed
• Approved for field release!!!
• Field releases Fall 2006?
Future Targets• Pseudacteon cultellatus
• Pseudacteon solenopsidis
• Pseudacteon nocens
• Pseudacteon obtusus (sm. form)
• Pseudacteon tricuspis (S. richteri)
• Pseudacteon litoralis
(new biotype)
Future Targets• Pseudacteon cultellatus
• Pseudacteon solenopsidis
• Pseudacteon nocens
• Pseudacteon obtusus (sm. form)
• Pseudacteon tricuspis (S. richteri)
• Pseudacteon litoralis
(new biotype)
Pseudacteon cultellatusPseudacteon cultellatus• From Corrientes, Argentina, Dec 2005
• Very small, attacks minor workers
• Reared through 4th generation in quarantine
• From Corrientes, Argentina, Dec 2005
• Very small, attacks minor workers
• Reared through 4th generation in quarantine
Pseudacteon solenopsidisPseudacteon solenopsidis• very different from other decapitating flies
• Attacks medium and large ants after herding them off trails
• Never attracted to disturbed ants
• Hard to collect in large numbers
• very different from other decapitating flies
• Attacks medium and large ants after herding them off trails
• Never attracted to disturbed ants
• Hard to collect in large numbers
Pseudacteon nocens
Pseudacteon nocens
• Attacks small to large fire ants
• Can be abundant around dawn and dusk
• four attempts to rear this fly in the lab have failed (mating problems?)
• Attacks small to large fire ants
• Can be abundant around dawn and dusk
• four attempts to rear this fly in the lab have failed (mating problems?)
Pseudacteon obtusus
(small form)
Pseudacteon obtusus
(small form)• small, like P. curvatus
• undescribed species
• rarely common
• attracted to nests and trails
• small, like P. curvatus
• undescribed species
• rarely common
• attracted to nests and trails
Pseudacteon tricuspis
(black fire ants)
Pseudacteon tricuspis
(black fire ants)• the true tricuspis
• only collected from areas with black fire ants
• strongly prefers black fire ants in the lab
• the true tricuspis
• only collected from areas with black fire ants
• strongly prefers black fire ants in the lab
Pseudacteon litoralis
(new biotype)
Pseudacteon litoralis
(new biotype)• Common on large fire ants
• Most active at dawn and dusk
• biotypes from Corrientes and Formosa do very poorly in the lab
• Common on large fire ants
• Most active at dawn and dusk
• biotypes from Corrientes and Formosa do very poorly in the lab
Discovery
Importation
Lab Culture
Safety Tests
Release Permits
Mass Rearing
Field Release
Establishment
Expansion
Post-Release Tests
Target Impacts
P. tricuspis (Jaguariuna, BR)
(Formosa, AR)
P. curvatus (Las Flores, AR)
(Formosa, AR) P. litoralis (San Justo, AR)
(Herradura, AR)
P. obtusus (lg, Herradura, AR)
P. obtusus (sm)
P. nocens
P. borg meieri
P. cultella tus
P. solenopsidis
Completed Post-Release Tests
Completed Post-Release Tests
In Progress
In Progress
Trip Planned
December
Trip Planned
December
Decapitating Flies
Mermithid Nematodes
Eucharitid Wasps
Parasitic Ant
Decapitating Flies
Mermithid Nematodes
Eucharitid Wasps
Parasitic Ant