Manipulation of Red Imported Fire Ants 1 in a Trap Crop for Boll Weevil 2 Suppression

Abstract
Red imported fire ants were introduced into an early-planted East Texas cotton plot, while ants were essentially removed from a control plot with Mirex. In the ant plot, predation by ants reduced the number of emerging F 1 weevil adults, and weevil damaged squares never exceeded 16.6% through June and early July. During this time incidence of weevil damaged squares in the Mirex plot increased to 38.8%.