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Insects
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Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants
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Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 10210

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jian Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
Interests: social insects; chemical ecology; forage; defense chemistry; bait technology; natural product chemistry
Dr. Cai Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: fire ant; repellant; foraging behavior; tool-use behavior; chemical control; monitoring method; IPM
Dr. Godfrey Preston Miles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
Interests: social insects; chemical ecology; defense chemistry; genomics and proteomics; cell signaling; secondary metabolism; spectroscopy; insect virology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Ants are one of the most abundant insects in the world with a total population of 20 × 1015. Their presence is essential to the well-being of many habitats, including those in which we humans live. On the other hand, several ant species are among the most notorious invasive species, posing a significant threat to the health of the public, wildlife, agriculture and biodiversity, such as the yellow crazy ant, Argentine ant, big-headed ant, red imported fire ant, and little fire ant. As eusocial insects, individual ants divide various tasks and cooperate with each other in a colony using chemical signals. Researchers have been studying ant social behavior and chemical cues for decades. New research combining observations of ant behavior, advanced genomic technology and chemical analysis, modern imaging techniques, and computational modeling has gained further insight into the biological processes that allow ants to build such sophisticated societies. This Special Issue seeks to become a forum for recent investigations on ants with a focus on biology, chemical ecology and management, particularly new investigations that generate new concepts and/or improve the existing approaches for monitoring and managing invasive pest ants. We welcome the submission of high-quality research articles, short communications, and comprehensive reviews.

Dr. Jian Chen
Dr. Cai Wang
Dr. Godfrey Preston Miles
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • behavioral ecology
  • chemical ecology
  • biochemistry
  • chemical control
  • biological control
  • monitoring and management

Published Papers (6 papers)

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17 pages, 3560 KiB  
Article
Ant Community Is Not Influenced by the Addition of Olive Mill Pomace Compost in Two Different Olive Crop Managements
by José E. González-Zamora, José M. Gamero-Monge and Rosa Pérez-de la Luz
Insects 2023, 14(10), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14100783 - 26 Sep 2023
Viewed by 843
Abstract
Industrial production of olive oil generates large amounts of solid waste called ‘alperujo’. Its compost can fertilize many crops, especially olives. Furthermore, superintensive orchards are increasing their surface globally due to higher production and savings in different costs. Ants are considered an important [...] Read more.
Industrial production of olive oil generates large amounts of solid waste called ‘alperujo’. Its compost can fertilize many crops, especially olives. Furthermore, superintensive orchards are increasing their surface globally due to higher production and savings in different costs. Ants are considered an important part of the arthropod community in olive orchards and could even play a significant role in pest control. The tree canopy and ground were sampled to compare the ant assemblage in plots fertilized with compost and mineral products in two groves with different types of crop management (superintensive and traditional) over two years. The numbers of ants in both types of fertilization in each grove were not statistically different (p > 0.05), indicating that the type of fertilization did not have a significant impact on its populations in the ground or in the canopy, but the number of individuals was significantly higher in the superintensive grove than in the traditional grove (both in the ground and in the canopy, p < 0.01). The most frequent species in the ground were Pheidole pallidula, Plagiolepis smitzii and Aphaenogaster senilis (superintensive grove) and Pheidole pallidula, Tetramorium gr semilaeve, Plagiolepis pygmaea, and Tapinoma nigerrimum (traditional grove). In the canopy, the most frequent species were Plagiolepis spp. in both groves. Differences in ant densities and species between the groves could be due to the different management, especially of the soil, but it must be confirmed using more replicas and longer periods of study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants)
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19 pages, 3852 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Impact of the Biopesticide Metarhizium anisopliae on the Immune System of Major Workers in Solenopsis invicta
by Hongxin Wu, Yating Xu, Junaid Zafar, Surajit De Mandal, Liangjie Lin, Yongyue Lu, Fengliang Jin, Rui Pang and Xiaoxia Xu
Insects 2023, 14(8), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14080701 - 11 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1328
Abstract
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972) is a globally significant invasive species, causing extensive agricultural, human health, and biodiversity damage amounting to billions of dollars worldwide. The pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (1883), widely distributed in natural environments, [...] Read more.
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972) is a globally significant invasive species, causing extensive agricultural, human health, and biodiversity damage amounting to billions of dollars worldwide. The pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (1883), widely distributed in natural environments, has been used to control S. invicta populations. However, the interaction between M. anisopliae and the immune system of the social insect S. invicta remains poorly understood. In this study, we employed RNA-seq to investigate the effects of M. anisopliae on the immune systems of S. invicta at different time points (0, 6, 24, and 48 h). A total of 1313 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and classified into 12 expression profiles using short time-series expression miner (STEM) for analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to partition all genes into 21 gene modules. Upon analyzing the statistically significant WGCNA model and conducting Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis on the modules, we identified key immune pathways, including the Toll and Imd signaling pathways, lysosomes, autophagy, and phagosomes, which may collectively contribute to S. invicta defense against M. anisopliae infection. Subsequently, we conducted a comprehensive scan of all differentially expressed genes and identified 33 immune-related genes, encompassing various aspects such as recognition, signal transduction, and effector gene expression. Furthermore, by integrating the significant gene modules derived from the WGCNA analysis, we constructed illustrative pathway diagrams depicting the Toll and Imd signaling pathways. Overall, our research findings demonstrated that M. anisopliae suppressed the immune response of S. invicta during the early stages while stimulating its immune response at later stages, making it a potential biopesticide for controlling S. invicta populations. These discoveries lay the foundation for further understanding the immune mechanisms of S. invicta and the molecular mechanisms underlying its response to M. anisopliae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants)
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8 pages, 1544 KiB  
Communication
First Report of Imported Fire Ants, Solenopsis invicta, S. richteri, and S. invicta X richteri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Kentucky
by Jennifer L. Seltzer, Joe MacGown, JoVonn G. Hill, David Cross, Janet Lensing and Joe Collins
Insects 2023, 14(4), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040372 - 10 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2666
Abstract
Since their introduction into the United States in the early 1900′s, imported fire ants, namely Solenopsis invicta Buren (Red Imported Fire Ant), S. richteri Forel (Black Imported Fire Ant), and their hybrid form Solenopsis invicta X richteri have spread throughout portions of the [...] Read more.
Since their introduction into the United States in the early 1900′s, imported fire ants, namely Solenopsis invicta Buren (Red Imported Fire Ant), S. richteri Forel (Black Imported Fire Ant), and their hybrid form Solenopsis invicta X richteri have spread throughout portions of the USA, especially in the southeastern region. Imported fire ants are a serious invasive and economically significant species in the USA and elsewhere, and their spread into new parts of the country is of great concern. Although early models predicted that the fire ants would not be able to survive very far north into the USA, these ants have nonetheless successfully continued their spread into higher latitudes. Based on Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) samples, the Mississippi Entomological Museum Invasive Insect Screening Center, at Mississippi State University, has verified the presence of imported fire ants collected in Kentucky at multiple locations from 2014 to 2022. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants)
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10 pages, 3387 KiB  
Communication
Differential Susceptibility of Coleomegilla maculata and Scymnus creperus Larvae to Aggression by Solenopsis invicta Workers
by Eric W. Riddick, Zhixin Wu and Jian Chen
Insects 2023, 14(4), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040318 - 26 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1137
Abstract
The biological control of aphids by aphidophagous coccinellids is often hampered by aphid-tending ants or aggressive, invasive ants foraging for food. Aggressive species such as the imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren may attack and kill coccinellid larvae. This study tested the hypothesis that [...] Read more.
The biological control of aphids by aphidophagous coccinellids is often hampered by aphid-tending ants or aggressive, invasive ants foraging for food. Aggressive species such as the imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren may attack and kill coccinellid larvae. This study tested the hypothesis that wax-secreting Scymnus creperus Mulsant larvae are less susceptible than non-wax-secreting Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer) larvae to S. invicta aggression. Laboratory experiments were set up using bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) nymphs and adults (as prey for coccinellids) on barley leaves in arenas with either coccinellid species and with or without S. invicta workers. The presence of S. invicta reduced aphid predation by C. maculata but not Sc. creperus. The frequency of S. invicta attack was greater for C. maculata than Sc. creperus; mortality was significantly greater for C. maculata than Sc. creperus. The wax covering on Sc. creperus reduced S. invicta aggression. Unexpectedly, Sc. creperus larvae with the wax cover removed did not suffer more S. invicta attacks or increased mortality. In conclusion, the wax cover and, perhaps, the volatile or non-volatile compounds in the wax and on the integument of Sc. creperus larvae reduce S. invicta aggression. Further research could identify the wax compounds and determine their functionality as semiochemicals against S. invicta. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants)
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15 pages, 4959 KiB  
Article
Paving Behavior in Ants and Its Potential Application in Monitoring Two Urban Pest Ants, Solenopsis invicta and Tapinoma melanocephalum
by Liming Shen, Chao Wen, Xuan Chen, Yan Hua, Chengju Du, Jiacheng Cai, Xiujun Wen, Lei Wang and Cai Wang
Insects 2023, 14(3), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030219 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1399
Abstract
Our previous study discovered that two urban pest ants, red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), and ghost ants, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae), can pave viscose surfaces with particles to facilitate food search and transport. We hypothesize that this paving [...] Read more.
Our previous study discovered that two urban pest ants, red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), and ghost ants, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae), can pave viscose surfaces with particles to facilitate food search and transport. We hypothesize that this paving behavior can be applied to monitor S. invicta and T. melanocephalum. In the present study, 3998 adhesive tapes, each with a food source (sausage), were placed in 20 locations around Guangzhou, China (181–224 tapes per location), and their efficiency to detect S. invicta and T. melanocephalum was compared with two traditional ant-monitoring methods, baiting and pitfall trapping. Overall, S. invicta was detected by 45.6% and 46.4% of baits and adhesive tapes, respectively. In each location, the percentage of adhesive tapes detecting S. invicta and T. melanocephalum was similar when compared to baits and pitfall traps. However, significantly more non-target ant species showed up on bait and pitfall traps. Seven non-target ant species—Pheidole parva Mayr (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole nodus Smith (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole sinica Wu & Wang (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole yeensis Forel (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Carebara affinis (Jerdon) (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Camponotus nicobarensis Mayr (Formicidae: Formicinae), and Odontoponera transversa (Smith) (Formicidae: Ponerinae)—also showed tape paving behavior, but they can be easily distinguished morphologically from S. invicta and T. melanocephalum. Our study showed that the paving behavior occurs in different subfamilies of ants (i.e., myrmicinae, dolichoderinae, formicinae, and ponerinae). In addition, paving behavior can potentially be used to develop more specific monitoring methods for S. invicta and T. melanocephalum in urban areas in southern China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants)
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9 pages, 563 KiB  
Brief Report
Repellency of Carvacrol, Thymol, and Their Acetates against Imported Fire Ants
by Pradeep Paudel, Farhan Mahmood Shah, Dileep Kumar Guddeti, Abbas Ali, Jian Chen, Ikhlas A. Khan and Xing-Cong Li
Insects 2023, 14(10), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14100790 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1965
Abstract
In the United States, imported fire ants are commonly referred to as red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren), black imported fire ants (S. richteri Forel), and hybrid imported fire ants (S. invicta × S. richteri). They are significant [...] Read more.
In the United States, imported fire ants are commonly referred to as red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren), black imported fire ants (S. richteri Forel), and hybrid imported fire ants (S. invicta × S. richteri). They are significant pests, and their control heavily relies on synthetic insecticides. The extensive use of insecticides has led to public concern about their potential negative effects on human health and the well-being of wildlife and the environment. As an alternative, plant-derived natural compounds, particularly essential oils (EOs) and their main constituents, show promise as safe and environmentally friendly products for controlling fire ants. Repellants are useful in managing fire ants, and plant-derived natural repellants may serve as a safer and more environmentally friendly option. This study investigates the repellency of EO-derived compounds carvacrol, thymol, and their acetates against imported fire ant workers. The results revealed that carvacrol, a GRAS compound (Generally Recognized As Safe), was the most potent repellent against S. invicta, S. richteri, and their hybrid, with minimum repellent effective doses (MREDs) of 0.98 µg/g, 7.80 µg/g, and 0.98 µg/g, respectively. Thymol also exhibited strong repellency, with MREDs of 31.25 µg/g, 31.25 µg/g, and 7.8 µg/g, respectively. Furthermore, thyme-red essential oil, characterized by a thymol chemotype containing 48.8% thymol and 5.1% carvacrol, was found to effectively repel the hybrid ants with an MRED of 15.6 µg/g. In contrast, thyme essential oil, characterized by a linalool chemotype lacking thymol and carvacrol, did not exhibit any repellent effect, even at the highest tested dose of 125 µg/g. This study provides the first evidence of the potent repellency of carvacrol and thymol against imported fire ant workers, indicating their potential as promising repellents for fire ant control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology, Chemical Ecology and Control of Ants)
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