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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317439
Research Project: Invasive Ant Biology and Control

Location: Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research

Title: Development of genetic markers distinguishing two invasive fire ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their hybrids

Author
item Shoemaker, David

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/2/2015
Publication Date: 2/15/2016
Citation: Shoemaker, D.D. 2016. Development of genetic markers distinguishing two invasive fire ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their hybrids. Florida Entomologist. 99(1):117-119.

Interpretive Summary: Fire ants are considered significant ecological, agricultural, and public health pest throughout their invasive range in the U.S.A. A research entomologist at the Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, Florida describes here the results of study aimed at developing genetic markers that can be used to clearly distinguish between two introduced fire ant species and their hybrids. Three such markers were developed. Joint use of these markers was shown to consistently distinguish hybrids from the two parental species. The development of these markers distinguishing the two introduced fire ants and their hybrids represents a significant advance over existing methods because this method is robust, easily transferable, and cost effective.

Technical Abstract: Three SNP markers were developed that are completely diagnostic in distinguishing the two fire ant species Solenopsis invicta and S. richteri. Although a fourth marker we developed is not fully diagnostic, it is still useful given one of the variants is confined to S. richteri. Joint use of these markers was shown to consistently distinguish hybrids from the two parental species. The development of these SNP markers distinguishing the two introduced fire ants and their hybrids represents a significant advance over existing methods because this method is robust, easily transferable, and cost effective.