Natural Occurrence and Laboratory Studies of the Fire Ant Pathogen<i>Vairimorpha invictae</i>(Microsporida: Burenellidae) in Argentina

Briano, Juan A.; Williams, David F.

doi:10.1603/0046-225x-31.5.887

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Reductions in life-span are a common feature of microsporidian infection in insects (Becnel & Andreadis, 2014). In fire ants, under conditions of high stress (starvation and isolation), workers infected with the microsporidian V. invictae exhibited shorter life-spans than uninfected workers (Briano & Williams, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The three fire ant pathogens that have been examined in detail (Kneallhazia solenopsae, Vairimorpha invictae, and Burenella dimorpha) are all host specific, successfully infecting and maintaining infection in only a single or a few closely related species within a genus (Jouvenaz & Lofgren, 1984;Oi & Valles, 2009). All have measurable impacts upon health of their host (Briano & Williams, 2002;Jouvenaz, 1984;Williams, Oi, & Knue, 1999). As most efforts at finding ant pathogens have been directed at natural enemies of fire ants, it is likely there are a large number of unknown microsporidian pathogens of ants (Plowes et al, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

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The microsporidian pathogen Myrmecomorba nylanderiae: Intracolony transmission and impact upon tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) colonies

LeBrun

Ottens

Gilbert

2017

J Applied Entomology

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The microsporidian pathogen Myrmecomorba nylanderiae Plowes et al. infects introduced tawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva (Mayr)), and constitutes one of the first natural enemies known to attack this invasive ant. We assess how infection is transmitted within colonies and how infection impacts N. fulva colony fragment growth under carbohydrate-deficient and carbohydrate-sufficient dietary conditions. Carbohydrate scarcity is a common source of stress for ant colonies. Infected workers efficiently pass infection to developing larvae but all other potential pathways for within colony transmission are rare or non-viable. For unknown reasons, queens within infected colony fragments are generally uninfected, limiting the role of transovarial transmission in intracolony transmission. In the laboratory, infection by M. nylanderiae primarily impacts the growth of N. fulva colonies by reducing pupal production. Colony growth showed a substantially greater impact under carbohydrate-deficient conditions implying that the effect of the pathogen may depend on seasonally variable carbohydrate availability. In the colony growth assay, worker mortality did not differ with infection status under either nutrient regime. However, in a longer, direct test of survivorship, infected worker survivorship was significantly lower. Recently, some established N. fulva populations with high prevalence of M. nylanderiae infection have declined precipitously, though it is unknown if M. nylanderiae is a causative agent in these declines. The combination of chronic impacts, presence in North America, and potential association with population declines makes M. nylanderiae a promising prospect for the biological control of N. fulva. K E Y W O R D Sbiological control, biological invasion, formicidae, invasive ant, microsporidia, Paratrechina fulva | INTRODUCTIONTawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva (Mayr)) are invading the Gulf Coast region of the United States (Kumar et al., 2015). Nylanderia fulva Nylanderia fulva evolved in central South America where it can be a common member of the ant fauna (Calcaterra, Cuezzo, Cabrera, & Briano, 2010;Kumar et al., 2015;LeBrun et al., 2007). N. fulva colonies contain multiple queens and nest opportunistically in cavities in soil or in objects on the soil surface predisposing them to human transport (Zenner-Polania, 1990). This ant is omnivorous, preying on and scavenging insects and also relying heavily on sugary exudates of plants and homopteran insects (MacGown & Layton, 2010;Sharma, Oi, & Buss, 2013). Although males fly and are caught at lights, no flights of female reproductives have been reported for this species.Thus, new colonies are likely founded exclusively by intranidal mating and colony fission. As a result, isolated populations of N. fulva spread slowly averaging about 200 m of outward spread per year (LeBrun, Abbott, & Gilbert, 2013;Meyers, 2008). In the Gulf Coast region of the United States, these ants successfully invade both urban and natural environments. Invaded natural environments...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The microsporidian pathogen Myrmecomorba nylanderiae: Intracolony transmission and impact upon tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) colonies

LeBrun

Ottens

Gilbert

2017

J Applied Entomology

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“…Vairimorpha is found primarily in lepidopteran hosts, with the exception of Vairimorpha invictae, a parasite of the American fire ant Solenopsis invicta (Briano and Williams, 2002). Nosema is commonly found in Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera, although other taxa are parasitised, including Crustacea.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrastructural characteristics and small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence of Vairimorpha cheracis sp. nov., (Microspora: Burenellidae), a parasite of the Australian yabby, Cherax destructor (Decapoda: Parastacidae)

Moodie¹,

Jambre²,

Katz³

2003

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

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“…V. invictae was formally described by Jouvenaz & Ellis in 1986, however, it was most likely observed much earlier, being the undescribed, dimorphic microsporidium reported from pathogen surveys conducted in Brazil in 1976and 1979(Jouvenaz et al, 1980Briano & Williams 2002). Surveys for V. invictae in Argentina reported prevalence rates of 1, 2.3, and 10% after sampling 1836, 2528, and 2064 nests, respectively (Briano et al 1995;Briano & Williams 2002).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Because Solenopsis invicta Buren fire ants infected with V. invictae were associated with higher mortality, significantly slower colony growth, and reductions in field populations in Argentina, there is considerable interest in utilizing this pathogen as a classical biological control agent against S. invicta in the U.S. (Briano & Williams 2002;Oi et al 2005;Briano 2005). V. invictae was formally described by Jouvenaz & Ellis in 1986, however, it was most likely observed much earlier, being the undescribed, dimorphic microsporidium reported from pathogen surveys conducted in Brazil in 1976and 1979(Jouvenaz et al, 1980Briano & Williams 2002). Surveys for V. invictae in Argentina reported prevalence rates of 1, 2.3, and 10% after sampling 1836, 2528, and 2064 nests, respectively (Briano et al 1995;Briano & Williams 2002).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Pathogen,Vairimorpha invictae(Microsporidia: Burenellidae), Not Detected in Florida

Valles

Porter

2012

Florida Entomologist

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Natural Occurrence and Laboratory Studies of the Fire Ant PathogenVairimorpha invictae(Microsporida: Burenellidae) in Argentina

Cited by 23 publications

References 15 publications

The microsporidian pathogen Myrmecomorba nylanderiae: Intracolony transmission and impact upon tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) colonies

The microsporidian pathogen Myrmecomorba nylanderiae: Intracolony transmission and impact upon tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) colonies

Ultrastructural characteristics and small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence of Vairimorpha cheracis sp. nov., (Microspora: Burenellidae), a parasite of the Australian yabby, Cherax destructor (Decapoda: Parastacidae)

The Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Pathogen,Vairimorpha invictae(Microsporidia: Burenellidae), Not Detected in Florida

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