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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364205
Research Project: Products for Invasive Ant Control

Location: Biological Control of Pests Research

Title: Targets for genetic control of invasive ants

Author
item Allen, Margaret - Meg

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The "ideal pesticide" removes the target pest without harming other living things or leaving a toxic residue. Genetic pesticides based on specific genes present only in a target pest could approach the description of "ideal" if they work. To identify potential genes for controlling invasive fire ants, transcriptomes of larva and pupa (juvenile) forms of the red imported fire ant were compared. Dramatic differences in gene expression were indicated. Hundreds of candidate target genes may now be tested.