Areawide Project and Phorid

Decapitating Flies

Areawide Project and Phorid

Decapitating Flies

Sanford PorterSanford Porter

USDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FLUSDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FL

Sanford PorterSanford Porter

USDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FLUSDA-ARS, CMAVE, Gainesville, FL

Areawide 2 October 2006

Released

• Pseudacteon tricuspis

• Pseudacteon curvatus

• Pseudacteon litoralis

Released

• Pseudacteon tricuspis

• Pseudacteon curvatus

• Pseudacteon litoralis

Jaguariuna BiotypeJaguariuna Biotype

• Currently occupies >40,000 square miles

• Expanding outward from multiple sites at ~25 miles/year

• Currently occupies >40,000 square miles

• Expanding outward from multiple sites at ~25 miles/year

Results of a four

year study in North

Florida did not show

impacts above the 10-

30% sensitivity of

the study.

Results of a four

year study in North

Florida did not show

impacts above the 10-

30% sensitivity of

the study.

Consequently,

additional species of

flies and other

natural enemies will

be needed to help

tilt the ecological

balance against

imported fire ants.

Consequently,

additional species of

flies and other

natural enemies will

be needed to help

tilt the ecological

balance against

imported fire ants.

Pseudacteon curvatusPseudacteon curvatus

• A very small species that attacks small fire ants

• Two Biotypes:

Las Flores (Black Fire Ants)

Formosa (Red Fire Ants)

• A very small species that attacks small fire ants

• Two Biotypes:

Las Flores (Black Fire Ants)

Formosa (Red Fire Ants)

Las Flores BiotypeFormosa Biotype

Pseudacteon curvatusPseudacteon curvatus

Formosa Biotype:

1. Over wintered in FL, OK, SC, and TX

2. Out >50 miles in FL

Formosa Biotype:

1. Over wintered in FL, OK, SC, and TX

2. Out >50 miles in FL

P. curvatus occurs at much

higher densities at polygyne

sites than P. tricuspis

P. curvatus occurs at much

higher densities at polygyne

sites than P. tricuspis

Pseudacteon litoralisPseudacteon 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)

• 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)

Preparing to Release

• Pseudacteon obtusus

Preparing to Release

• Pseudacteon obtusus

Pseudacteon obtususPseudacteon obtusus

• Attacks medium and large fire ants

• Safety tests completed

• Approved for field release!!!

• Field releases Fall 2006?

• Attacks medium and large fire ants

• Safety tests completed

• Approved for field release!!!

• Field releases Fall 2006?

Future Targets• Pseudacteon cultellatus

• Pseudacteon solenopsidis

• Pseudacteon nocens

• Pseudacteon obtusus (sm. form)

• Pseudacteon tricuspis (S. richteri)

• Pseudacteon litoralis

(new biotype)

Future Targets• Pseudacteon cultellatus

• Pseudacteon solenopsidis

• Pseudacteon nocens

• Pseudacteon obtusus (sm. form)

• Pseudacteon tricuspis (S. richteri)

• Pseudacteon litoralis

(new biotype)

Pseudacteon cultellatusPseudacteon cultellatus• From Corrientes, Argentina, Dec 2005

• Very small, attacks minor workers

• Reared through 4th generation in quarantine

• From Corrientes, Argentina, Dec 2005

• Very small, attacks minor workers

• Reared through 4th generation in quarantine

Pseudacteon solenopsidisPseudacteon 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

• 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

Pseudacteon nocens

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?)

• 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?)

Pseudacteon obtusus

(small form)

Pseudacteon obtusus

(small form)• small, like P. curvatus

• undescribed species

• rarely common

• attracted to nests and trails

• small, like P. curvatus

• undescribed species

• rarely common

• attracted to nests and trails

Pseudacteon tricuspis

(black fire ants)

Pseudacteon tricuspis

(black fire ants)• the true tricuspis

• only collected from areas with black fire ants

• strongly prefers black fire ants in the lab

• the true tricuspis

• only collected from areas with black fire ants

• strongly prefers black fire ants in the lab

Pseudacteon litoralis

(new biotype)

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

• Common on large fire ants

• Most active at dawn and dusk

• biotypes from Corrientes and Formosa do very poorly in the lab

Discovery

Importation

Lab Culture

Safety Tests

Release Permits

Mass Rearing

Field Release

Establishment

Expansion

Post-Release Tests

Target Impacts

P. tricuspis (Jaguariuna, BR)

(Formosa, AR)

P. curvatus (Las Flores, AR)

(Formosa, AR) P. litoralis (San Justo, AR)

(Herradura, AR)

P. obtusus (lg, Herradura, AR)

P. obtusus (sm)

P. nocens

P. borg meieri

P. cultella tus

P. solenopsidis

Completed Post-Release Tests

Completed Post-Release Tests

In Progress

In Progress

Trip Planned

December

Trip Planned

December

Decapitating Flies

Mermithid Nematodes

Eucharitid Wasps

Parasitic Ant

Decapitating Flies

Mermithid Nematodes

Eucharitid Wasps

Parasitic Ant