Fire Ants and Leaf-Cutting Ants: Biology and Management

by Clifford S. Lofgren (Editor)

Overview

This book discusses the history and economics, biology and ecology, behavior, pheromones and other semiochemicals, physiology, and biochemistry of fire ants and leaf-cutting ants. It illustrates new approaches to control these ants by innovative research on anti-feedant chemicals from plants.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367158279
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	12/07/2020
Pages:	452
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 8.88(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert K. Vander Meer is a research chemist with the USDA/ARS. Michael D. Breed is professor of environmental population and organismic biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Mark L. Winston is professor of biological sciences at Simon Fraser University. Karl E. Espelie is professor of entomology at the University of Georgia at Athens.

Table of Contents

1. The Defining Traits of Fire Ants and Leaf–Cutting Ants 2. History of the Leaf–Cutting Ant Problem 3. Economics of Grass–Cutting Ants 4. History of Imported Fire Ants in the United States 5. Agricultural and Medical Impact of the Imported Fire Ants 6. Beneficial Aspects of the Imported Fire Ant: A Field Ecology Approach 7. The Ecological Nature of the Fire Ant: Some Aspects of Colony Function and Some Unanswered Questions 8. Observations on the Biology and Ecology of Fire Ants in Brazil 9. Temperature Tolerances of the Red Imported Fire Ant 10. Temporal Foraging Patterns of Solenopsis invicta and Native Ants of Central Texas 11. Population Dynamics of Leaf–Cutting Ants:A Brief Review 12. The Foraging Ecology of Atta texana in Texas 13. Territoriality in Leaf–Cutting Ants, Atta spp. 14. Ecological Studies of the Leaf–Cutting Ant, Acromyrmex octospinosus 15. Perspectives on Some Queen Pheromones of Social Insects with Special Reference to the Fire Ant 16. Chemical Communication in Leaf–Cutting Ants 17. The Trail Pheromone Complex of Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri 18. Nestmate Recognition and Territorial Marking in Solenopsis geminata and in some Attini 19. The Queen Recognition Pheromone of Solenopsis invicta 20. Leaf–Cutting Ant Symbiotic Fungi: A Synthesis of Recent Research 21. Prevention of Feeding by Acromyrmex octospinosus with Antifeedants from Yams 22. Chemical Ecology of Host Plant Selection by the Leaf–Cutting Ant, Atta cephalotes 23. Digestive Physiology of Leaf–Cutting Ants 24. The Physiology of the Imported Fire Ants: Basic Gaps in Our Understanding 25. Neurobiological Basis of Chemical Communication in the Fungus–Growing Ant 26. Chemical Taxonomy as a Tool for Separating Solenopsis spp 27. Diseases of Fire Ants: Problems and Opportunities 28. Protection of Leaf–Cutting Ants from Biohazards: Is There a Future for Microbiological Control? 29. Chemical Control and Bait Formulations for Leaf–Cutting Ants 30. The Search for Chemical Bait Toxicants 31. Chemical Baits: Specificity and Effects on Other Ant Species 32. Insect Growth Regulators for Control of the Imported Fire Ant 33. Status of Leaf–Cutting Ant Control in Forest Plantations in Brazil 34. Control of Atta and Acromyrmex spp. in Pine Tree Plantations in the Venezuelan Llanos