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Foraging Habits and Effects of Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Saevissima Richteri, Forel, on Some Arthropod Populations in Southeastern Louisiana

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Foraging Habits and Effects of Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Saevissima Richteri, Forel, on Some Arthropod Populations in Southeastern Louisiana Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1969 Foraging Habits and Effects of Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Saevissima Richteri, Forel, on Some Arthropod Populations in Southeastern Louisiana. Nicky Lynn Wilson Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Wilson, Nicky Lynn, "Foraging Habits and Effects of Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Saevissima Richteri, Forel, on Some Arthropod Populations in Southeastern Louisiana." (1969). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1570. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1570 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been 69-17,134 microfilmed exactly as received WILSON, Nicky Lynn, 1941- FORAGING HABITS AND EFFECTS OF IMPORTED FIRE ANT, SOLENOPSIS SAEVISSIMA RICHTERI FOREL, ON SOME ARTHROPOD POPULATIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1969 Entom ology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. FORAGING HABITS AND EFFECTS OF IMPORTED FIRE ANT, SOLENOPSIS SAEVISSIMA RICHTERI FOREL, ON SOME ARTHROPOD POPULATIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology bY Nicky Lynn Wilson B.A., Hardin-Simmons University, 1963 M.S., Colorado State University, 1965 January, 1969 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express his appreciation to those individuals who contributed advice, time, and assistance in the completion of this dissertation. A special note of appreciation is due Dr. A. D. Oliver, Jr., Professor of Entomology, for his valuable advice and assistance in the completion of this study and disserta­ tion. Gratitude is also expressed to the following committee members: Dr. L. D. Newsom, Boyd Professor and Head of the Department of Entomology, Dr. E. C. Burns, Professor of Entomology, Dr. J. B. Graves, Associate Professor of Ento­ mology, and Dr. J. W. Avault, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Management, for their constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. The author is also grateful to Dr. C. D. Steelman, Associate Professor of Entomology for identification of spider specimens and to Dr. P. E. Shilling, Assistant Professor of Experimental Statistics for assistance in statistical analysis of the data. The author also wishes to express thanks to Crown Zellerbach Corporation and to International Paper Company for use of pine forest areas on which a part of this study was conducted. The help and encouragement given by the author's wife, Georgan, is gratefully acknowledged and deeply appreciated. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................ ii LIST OF T A B L E S ............................................ iv LIST OF FIGURES..............................................viii ABSTRACT ................................................... ix INTRODUCTION .............................................. 1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...................................... 3 Predation by Imported Fire Ants........................ 3 Food Habit Studies of Imported Fire A n t s ............. 8 Foraging Distance of Imported Fire Ants ................ 12 METHODS AND MATERIALS...................................... 13 Description of Study Area............................... 13 Sampling Techniques...................................... 14 Pine tip moth populations............................. 14 Fire ants and other predators in loblolly pine t r e e s .......................................... 15 Fire ants, spiders, and leafhoppers on understory vegetation ........................... 16 Foraging Material of Imported Fire Ants ............... 16 Foraging Range of Imported Fire A n t s ................. 17 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................... 19 Effect of Imported Fire Ant Predation on Nantucket Pine Tip Moth Populations.................. 19 Number of Ants and Other Predators in Loblolly Pine Trees................................... 46 Number of Ants, Spiders, and Leafhoppers on Understory Vegetation ............................. 51 Foraging Material of Imported Fire Ants ............... 60 Foraging Range of Imported Fire A n t s ................. 68 CONCLUSIONS................................................. 71 LITERATURE CITED .......................................... 74 APPENDIX ................................................... 78 VITA ....................................................... 88 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Number of Nantucket pine tip motb pupae collected from 300 loblolly pine tips in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots on February 15, at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1967 .................. 28 II. Average number of spiders from ten trees per plot caught in shag net in heptachlor- treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana, 1966 ............................... 37 III. Average number of spiders from ten trees per plot caught in shag net in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1966.............. 37 IV. Average number of spiders from ten trees per plot caught in shag net in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana,.. 1967.............. 38 V. Distribution of pine tip moth larvae in loblolly pine tips in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana,.1966 ............................... 40 VI. Distribution of pine tip moth larvae in loblolly pine tips in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1966 ............................... 41 VII. Distribution of pine tip moth larvae in loblolly pine tips in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, _ _ Louisiana, 1967 ............................... 42 VIII. Per cent tip infestation by the Nantucket pine tip moth larvae in heptachlor- treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana,.1966 ............................... 43 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table Page IX. Per cent tip infestation by the Nantucket pine tip moth larvae in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1966 ............... 44 X. Per cent tip infestation by the Nantucket pine tip moth larvae in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1967 ............... 45 XI. Average number of fire ants from ten trees per plot caught in shag net in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana, 1966. 47 XII. Average number of fire ants from ten trees per plot caught in shag net in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1966................................ 47 XIII. Average number of fire ants from ten trees per plot caught in shag net in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1967. 48 XIV. Spiders commonly caught in shag net collections from loblolly pine trees in southeastern Louisiana ......... 50 XV. Average number of spiders per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana, 1966 ................... 52 XVI. Average number of spiders per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1966 ..................... 52 XVII. Average number of spiders per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1967 ................... 53 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table Page XVIII. Average number of fire ants per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana, 1966 ............................ 55 XIX. Average number of fire ants per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana,.1966 ............................ 55 XX. Average number of fire ants per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1967 ............................ 56 XXI. Average number of leafhoppers per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Walker, Louisiana, 1966 ............................ 57 XXII. Average number of leafhoppers per one hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1966 ............................ 57 XXIII. Average number of leafhoppers per one __ hundred sweeps in heptachlor-treated and untreated plots at Pine Grove, Louisiana, 1967 ............................ 58 XXIV. Foraging material of imported fire ants collected in cut-over loblolly pine areas in southeastern Louisiana from May through September, 1 9 6 7 ............... 61 XXV. Foraging
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