Model
Digital Document
Member of
Wetterer, James K.
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Member of: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
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Model
Digital Document
Description
The gopher tortoise,
Gopherus polyphemus
Daudin, is endemic to the southeastern US,
where its populations are declining primarily due to habitat destruction. Tortoises are
preyed upon by many species, including the red imported fire ant,
Solenopsis invicta
Buren,
a destructive exotic species now common throughout the tortoises’ entire range. We surveyed
ants using tuna bait at 154
G. polyphemus
burrows in a greenway reserve established to protect
the tortoises in a residential area of southeast Florida. We found
S. invicta
present, typically
recruiting to the bait in very high numbers, on the aprons of 33% of the tortoise
burrows.
Solenopsis invicta
occurred significantly more often at burrows within 30 m of the
greenway’s outer edge than at burrows in more interior parts of the greenway (57% versus
16%). Among the interior burrows,
S. invicta
occurred significantly more often at burrows directly
on two narrow strips of disturbed habitat, along an old fence line and an old pipeline,
than at burrows not on these two strips (46% versus 12%). The greenway interior appears to
offer tortoises and other species some refuge from
S. invicta
. However, the long thin design
typical of greenways, the inclusion of walking paths through the greenways, and the policies
of prescribed burning and reduction mowing used to maintain open habitat for the tortoises
all may increase the tortoises’ exposure to
S. invicta
.
Solenopsis invicta
is also a grave threat
to other native species in these reserves, including the many animals that obligately live inside
gopher tortoise burrows.
Gopherus polyphemus
Daudin, is endemic to the southeastern US,
where its populations are declining primarily due to habitat destruction. Tortoises are
preyed upon by many species, including the red imported fire ant,
Solenopsis invicta
Buren,
a destructive exotic species now common throughout the tortoises’ entire range. We surveyed
ants using tuna bait at 154
G. polyphemus
burrows in a greenway reserve established to protect
the tortoises in a residential area of southeast Florida. We found
S. invicta
present, typically
recruiting to the bait in very high numbers, on the aprons of 33% of the tortoise
burrows.
Solenopsis invicta
occurred significantly more often at burrows within 30 m of the
greenway’s outer edge than at burrows in more interior parts of the greenway (57% versus
16%). Among the interior burrows,
S. invicta
occurred significantly more often at burrows directly
on two narrow strips of disturbed habitat, along an old fence line and an old pipeline,
than at burrows not on these two strips (46% versus 12%). The greenway interior appears to
offer tortoises and other species some refuge from
S. invicta
. However, the long thin design
typical of greenways, the inclusion of walking paths through the greenways, and the policies
of prescribed burning and reduction mowing used to maintain open habitat for the tortoises
all may increase the tortoises’ exposure to
S. invicta
.
Solenopsis invicta
is also a grave threat
to other native species in these reserves, including the many animals that obligately live inside
gopher tortoise burrows.
Member of
Model
Digital Document
Description
The best known and most destructive exotic ant species in the US is the red imported fire
ant,
Solenopsis invicta
Buren. Recently, this species has been reported from several islands
in the West Indies, including St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (USVI) and Guana Island, British
Virgin Islands (BVI). In the present study, we report new records of
S. invicta
on St. Croix
(13 sites) and the first records of
S. invicta
from 3 other of the Virgin Islands: St. Thomas,
USVI (7 sites), St. John, USVI (2 sites), and Tortola, BVI (6 sites).
Solenopsis invicta
appears
to be well established in disturbed open environments on all 4 islands. It is important that
people in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere in the West Indies, particularly healthcare professionals,
are aware of the presence of
S. invicta
, can recognize the symptoms of
S. invicta
stings, and know proper treatments for adverse reactions to the stings, including rare but
potentially deadly anaphylactic shock.
ant,
Solenopsis invicta
Buren. Recently, this species has been reported from several islands
in the West Indies, including St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (USVI) and Guana Island, British
Virgin Islands (BVI). In the present study, we report new records of
S. invicta
on St. Croix
(13 sites) and the first records of
S. invicta
from 3 other of the Virgin Islands: St. Thomas,
USVI (7 sites), St. John, USVI (2 sites), and Tortola, BVI (6 sites).
Solenopsis invicta
appears
to be well established in disturbed open environments on all 4 islands. It is important that
people in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere in the West Indies, particularly healthcare professionals,
are aware of the presence of
S. invicta
, can recognize the symptoms of
S. invicta
stings, and know proper treatments for adverse reactions to the stings, including rare but
potentially deadly anaphylactic shock.
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