Discovering Native Ant Species with the Potential to Suppress Red Imported Fire Ants.

Native ants have long been considered for their potential to suppress the red imported fire ant, Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a highly invasive and destructive species. However, the knowledge in this field is limited to behavioral observations of a few related native ants. In this study, by setting up a series of ant combinations of three native ants, i.e., Santschi, the robust crazy ant Forel, and Roger, with , we observed the aggression levels and mortality rates. Using baited vials, we also investigated the abundance of native ants in four types of habitats in Eastern China that are preferred by (woodland, green belts on roadsides, grassland, and farmland), as well as their seasonal abundance when co-existing with and their spatial distribution before and after control of . We found that and show a degree of aggression towards and can kill substantial proportions of under laboratory conditions, but does not. Both and can occur in each type of habitat investigated and are more abundant in green belts (particularly lawns with turf) and grasslands relative to other habitats. In grasslands with , maintained a low density before early July; however, its abundance increased thereafter and reached a peak in September. also had a low density early in the season and increased steadily from April. Its abundance began to decrease substantially from November. In grasslands invaded by , both and were restricted to sites close to the margins before was controlled; however, they spread to a larger range within a few weeks after control of . In conclusion, and have the potential to suppress invasion in habitats that are abundant with these two native ants.