Assessing the establishment and spread of natural enemies of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in North Florida

Red Imported Fire Ants, (RIFA) [Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)] is native to South America and an invasive species in Europe, Australia, China, and North America. RIFA was accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1930s through ports in Mobile, Alabama. Currently RIFA is found across the southeastern states. RIFA poses a problem for agriculture as well as to public health. RIFA also tends to suppress native arthropod populations. Currently chemical control remains the main solution to this problem. Nevertheless, USA has been exploring biological control of RIFA. Natural enemies for the RIFA include parasitoids, pathogens and entomopathogenic fungus in its native range. In the USA first decapitating phorid) was released in 1997 to manage RIFA. Six species (Pseudacteon cultellatus, Pseudacteon curvatus, Pseudacteon littoralis, Pseudacteon nocens, Pseudacteon obtusus, and Pseudacteon tricuspis) of phorid flies have been released in the North America since then. Along with phorids, microsporidia Kneallhazia (=Thelohania) solenopsae and Vairimorpha invictae and entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) Beauveria bassiana strain 447 are also considered as potential biological control agents in the USA. In the current study we are surveying north Florida (I-10 corridor) to analyze the establishment and efficacy of six species of phorid flies, two microsporidium and one EPF. Four phorid species are found after surveying 10 sites along I-10 highway in the Northwest part of Florida from Jacksonville to Pensacola in urban and peri-urban locations. Detection of presence of microsporidium and EPF is under process through microscopy and Polymerase chain reaction.