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Distribution of the Red Imported Fire Ant

Distribution of the Red Imported Fire Ant. Dustin Ford TTU Biology Department Cookeville, TN 38501. Literature Cited. Red Imported Fire Ant Impacts on Wildlife: A Decade of Research , by: C. R. Allen, D. M. Epperson, and A. S. Garmestani, American Midland Naturalist, vol. 152, pg 88-103.

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Distribution of the Red Imported Fire Ant

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  1. Distribution of the Red Imported Fire Ant Dustin Ford TTU Biology Department Cookeville, TN 38501

  2. Literature Cited • Red Imported Fire Ant Impacts on Wildlife: A Decade of Research, by: C. R. Allen, D. M. Epperson, and A. S. Garmestani, American Midland Naturalist, vol. 152, pg 88-103. • Behavioral Interactions between fire ants and vertebrate nest predators at two black-capped Vireo nests, by: J. E. Smith, S. J. Taylor, C. J. Whelan, M. L. Denight, and M. M. Stake, Wilson Bulletin, vol. 116, pg 163-166. • Repellency and toxicity of mint oil granules to red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by: A. G. Appel, M. J. Gehret, and M. J. Tanley, Journal of Economic Entomology, vol. 97, pg 575-580. • The fire ant wars: nature, science, and public policy in wentieth-century America, by: D. H. Feener Jr., Ecology, vol 86, pg 1958-1959. • Aphids alter the community-wide impact of fire ants, by: I. Kaplan, and M. D. Eubanks, Ecology, vol. 86, pg 1640-1649. • Predicted range expansion of the invasive fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in the eastern United States based on the VEMAP global warming scenario, by: L. W. Morrison, M. D. Korxukhin, and S. D. Porter, Diversity and Distributions, vol. 11, pg 199-204. • OBJECTIVE: Determine relative abundance of red imported fire ants throughout select areas of the Mid-South and predict possible migration patterns. • HYPOTHESIS: Fire ant abundance will decrease as I travel north and be non-existent in northern TN • NULL HYPOTHESIS: Fire and abundance will not vary from location to location.

  3. Methods and Materials • I did fire ant mound counts in different areas of the South. • Putnam County, TN • Maury County, TN • Hardeman County, TN • Monroe County, MS • Marshall County, AL • I only surveyed fields of 5 acres or larger and counted the mounds in 100 yard squares. Depending on the size of the field, I took as many counts as possible and averaged the numbers. • Materials: • Truck • Horse • Surveyor’s Flags

  4. Results

  5. Discussion • As I predicted, fire ant abundance was noticeably greater the further south I went. The mounds were also larger, therefore containing more ants. • Research suggests that fire ants could populate all of Tennessee by 2080. (L. W. Morrison, M. D. Korxukhin, et al) • Anywhere north of Tennessee’s northernmost border is considered uninhabitable due to cold temperatures or lack of rainfall. (L. W. Morrison, M. D. Korxukhin, et al)

  6. Conclusion • Fire ants are slowly making their way north. • They can have detrimental effects on native wildlife. • There are many options for control of fire ants, although none are perfect.

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