Detection of Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae) in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by multiplex PCR.

Long-Term Studies of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, Infected with the Microsporidia Vairimorpha invictae and Thelohania solenopsae in Argentina

A study was conducted on populations of the red imported Þre ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), infected with the microsporidia Vairimorpha invictae Jouvenaz and Ellis (Microsporidia: Burenellidae) and Thelohania solenopsae Knell, Allen, and Hazard (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae). Fire ant populations and microsporidia prevalence were monitored three to Þve times per year f...

Impact of Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae) on polygyne colonies of red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Three studies were conducted to assess the effects of the entomopathogen Thelohania solenopsae on polygynous, red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, colonies. A total of 57 of 122 queens (46.7%) from nine, field-collected, polygyne, S. invicta colonies, was infected with T. solenopsae. Infection rate of queens for each colony ranged from 25 to 75%. Laboratory colonies of polygyne S. i...

Host Specificity Testing of the Solenopsis Fire Ant (hymenoptera: Formicidae) Pathogen, Kneallhazia (=thelohania) Solenopsae (microsporidia: Thelohaniidae), in Florida

Evidence of intracolony transmission of Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae) in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and the first report of spores from pupae.

Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, colonies were infected horizontally by introducing live brood (mainly larvae and pupae) infected with Thelohania solenopsae. Live, infected brood introduced into uninfected colonies were adopted and raised to adulthood instead of being executed by the recipient colony. Introductions of infected larvae with uninfected pupae, which eclose into adult work...

BIOLOGICAL CONTROLÐMICROBIALS Prevalence of Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae) Infection in Monogyne and Polygyne Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

We determined the prevalence of natural Þeld infections of the Þre ant pathogen Thelohania solenopsaeKnell, Allen, and Hazard in the monogyne and polygyne social forms of the red imported Þre ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, in three pastures in Florida. Social form was determined by examining the genotype of ants at the Gp-9 locus. The monogyne form contains a single fertilized queen per colony,...