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Areawide Project and Phorid Decapitating Flies

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

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Areawide Project and Phorid Decapitating Flies

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  1. Areawide Project and Phorid Decapitating Flies Sanford Porter USDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FL Areawide 2 October 2006

  2. Released • Pseudacteon tricuspis • Pseudacteon curvatus • Pseudacteon litoralis

  3. Jaguariuna Biotype • Currently occupies >40,000 square miles • Expanding outward from multiple sites at ~25 miles/year

  4. Results of a four year study in North Florida did not show impacts above the 10-30% sensitivity of the study.

  5. Consequently, additional species of flies and other natural enemies will be needed to help tilt the ecological balance against imported fire ants.

  6. Pseudacteon curvatus • A very small species that attacks small fire ants • Two Biotypes: Las Flores (Black Fire Ants) Formosa (Red Fire Ants)

  7. Pseudacteon curvatus Las Flores Biotype Formosa Biotype Formosa Biotype: 1. Over wintered in FL, OK, SC, and TX 2. Out >50 miles in FL

  8. P. curvatus occurs at much higher densities at polygyne sites than P. tricuspis

  9. Pseudacteon 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)

  10. Preparing to Release • Pseudacteon obtusus

  11. Pseudacteon obtusus • Attacks medium and large fire ants • Safety tests completed • Approved for field release!!! • Field releases Fall 2006?

  12. Future Targets • Pseudacteon cultellatus • Pseudacteon solenopsidis • Pseudacteon nocens • Pseudacteon obtusus (sm. form) • Pseudacteon tricuspis (S. richteri) • Pseudacteon litoralis (new biotype)

  13. Pseudacteon cultellatus • From Corrientes, Argentina, Dec 2005 • Very small, attacks minor workers • Reared through 4th generation in quarantine

  14. Pseudacteon 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

  15. 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?)

  16. Pseudacteon obtusus (small form) • small, like P. curvatus • undescribed species • rarely common • attracted to nests and trails

  17. Pseudacteon tricuspis (black fire ants) • the true tricuspis • only collected from areas with black fire ants • strongly prefers black fire ants in the lab

  18. 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

  19. Completed Post-Release Tests In Progress Trip Planned December

  20. Decapitating Flies Mermithid Nematodes Eucharitid Wasps Parasitic Ant

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