A Survey for Pathogens of Fire Ants, Solenopsis spp., in the Southeastern United States

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Abstract
In a survey conducted in the southeastern USA, one colony in a sample of 1007 colonies of the red imported fire ant, S. invicta Buren, was infected with a microsporidium (Protozoa: Microsporida). The normal host of this parasite appears to be the tropical fire ant, S. geminata (F.). A benign or very mildly pathogenic yeast was associated with 93 (9.24%) of the S. invicta colonies, and was most common in areas which were infested with this ant for the longest periods. No pathogens were associated with 83 colonies of the black imported fire ant, S. richteri Forel. The apparent rarity of bona fide pathogens in imported fire ants in the United States is in marked contrast to the abundance of pathogens in these and other Solenopsis spp. in South America. Four species of microsporidia (possibly new genera) were detected in 22 (7.2%), 12 (3.9%), 6 (2.0%), and 4 (1.3%) of 307 colonies of the tropical fire ant, S. geminata. One colony of this species was infected by a neogregarine (Sporozoa: Neogregarinida). No pathogens were found in a small sample (53 colonies) of the southern fire ant, S. xyloni McCook.

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