Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2007 Effect of red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) on the nesting success of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus L.) Michael Andrew Seymour Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Seymour, Michael Andrew, "Effect of red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) on the nesting success of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus L.)" (2007). LSU Master's Theses. 42. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/42 This Thesis 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 Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EFFECT OF RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT (SOLENOPSIS INVICTA BUREN) ON THE NESTING SUCCESS OF NORTHERN BOBWHITE (COLINUS VIRGINIANUS L.) A Thesis 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 Master of Science in The Department of Entomology by Michael Andrew Seymour B.S., Louisiana State University, 2001 May 2007 DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my nieces and nephews: Anna, Claire, Andrew, Matthew, and Michael. My wish is that this work and others like it shed light on the importance of our natural heritage and the complexities of nature so that your generation and the ones that follow will have the same opportunities enjoying the natural world that I had. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This collaborative effort benefited greatly from the assistance of intelligent, talented, and dedicated people. I thank my committee, Dr. Linda M. Hooper-Bùi, Dr. Dorothy P. Prowell, Dr. J. V. Remsen, Jr., and Dr. Dearl E. Sanders for their invaluable support, constructive criticism, and pep talks over the course of this project. The project certainly would not have succeeded without their help; in particular, Dr. Bùi’s previous work with birds and fire ants significantly aided me in this work. Dr. James P. Geaghan assisted me in statistical analyses of the project. I arrived in the LSU AgCenter’s Red Imported Fire Ant Laboratory in 2002 after learning from Dr. Tom J. Riley that the lab would benefit from a GIS technician. I will be forever grateful to Tom for introducing me to this lab and its researchers. In fact, I stayed in the fire ant lab and became a graduate student, because I was so impressed with the ensemble that Dr. Bùi had assembled from the experienced field researchers like Keri Landry, Jessica Rosson, and Heather Story to the computer and graphics arts genius Stacy Clayton. I’m proud to have called them my friends and colleagues. Other than conceptual and logistical issues resolved with assistance from my committee and colleagues, arguably, the most difficult portion of the work was likely the procurement and construction of the materials and infrastructure, namely 27 walk-in aviaries built on site inside forests. I thank the front office staff in the LSU Department of Entomology for helping me with purchase orders and LaCarte charges for what must have appeared to be bizarre purchases at times, including the large, outdoor dog kennels used for the aviaries. I will be forever indebted to Lee Womack for his help moving and building cages; in fact, it might be more correct to say that at times I helped him! Cary Hebert was a great asset who helped me build the majority of the aviaries in the study; his positive attitude and willingness to work in adverse weather iii conditions was a major plus. I also thank Shawn Dash, E. Paul Mumma, Kimberly Seymour, and Dr. Beverly Wiltz for their assistance in cage construction. The folks at Marco Specialty Steel of Houston, Texas, were helpful in suggesting which wire might be best for such construction. I thank aviculture expert and exotic veterinarian Dr. Joseph Smith for his advice on aviary design and materials. Several people helped to procure Northern Bobwhite for this project. I am grateful for my friendship with John Wenzel of the Mid America Hunting Association, who offered quail- trapping on his property in Kansas after I posted a request on an internet website, a request I assumed would go unanswered. The kindness of the people of Kansas will not be forgotten. Mike Olinde of LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries supplied documents on quail trap designs. I also appreciate the quail growers and hunting clubs that supplied birds for the project. I thank Sherry Bond of S & D Game Bird Farm, Vernon Fusilier of Shallow Lake Hunting Preserve, Mike Guillory of Bayou Teche Hunting Preserve, Kathy and Wayne Robertson of The Quail’s Nest, and Frank Cardwell of V & C Quail Farm. I also thank Melvin “Brother” Bell of Tailwinds Air, Inc. and Allen Walker of North Star Helicopters for aerially treating plots with Amdro®. Kathie Kalmowitz of BASF supplied Amdro® for the project. I am grateful for the field assistance and 4-wheeler expertise of Lee Womack, who managed to park his 4-wheeler atop an active Yellow Jacket nest. His ability to drive 4-wheelers through dense brush of brambles and briars while avoiding stumps, logs, holes, and, usually, tree trunks is admirable. I also thank all the folks at Idlewild Experimental Research Station; I’m glad y’all have a tractor large enough to pull a Dodge Ram 1500 out mud up to the tailpipe. Thank you, Dr. Sanders and all those at Idlewild who offered their assistance iv when I needed help. In some cases, I probably would have been spending the night in the truck if it were not for your help! I greatly appreciate the field assistance of Rebecca Baillif, Caren Carney, Stacy Clayton, Andy Fulks, Kathryn O’Brien, Jessica Rosson, and Kimberly Seymour, which occasionally included caring for birds while I was away. Emily Marcum, Courtney Prejean, Rachel Strecker, Sowmya Subramanian, and Lee Womack saved me valuable time by gathering much of the literature used in this work or in the developmental stages of this project. I used 1350 food traps in this study. Their contents were counted and cleaned by several student workers and myself. Student workers assisting in that phase of the project or providing general laboratory assistance include Douglass Alongia, Rebecca Baillif, Leon Cannizzaro, Heather DiMaggio, Jennifer Fleming, Thabit “Lola” Folami, Andy Fulks, Cary Hebert, Huei- Yang Ho, Joseph Lantz, Jesse Prejean, Kristin Prejean, Nathan Saucier, Bart Savant, Susan Scoby, Uduak Udoh, and C. Ryan Walker. Lee Womack was integral in identifying all ant species that were not red imported fire ants trapped in this study. He spent several days behind a microscope with ant specimens and paging through dichotomous keys ensuring that my specimens would be identified correctly in time for the completion of my Master’s work. He succeeded with time to spare, and, for that, I am truly grateful. My greatest accomplishment during my time as a graduate student at LSU was likely the maintenance and culmination of a relationship with a young woman I met through colleague Kathryn O’Brien. Kimberly Kennedy and I dated during what may ultimately be the most stressful times in my life. Her love, support, and understanding helped get me through the rough v spots in the project and provided companionship and funny stories in the field I’ll cherish till the day I die. Kimberly and I were married on 14 August 2005. Thank you, Kimmy. I also thank my parents, Robert and Shirley Seymour, my siblings, Mark Seymour and Melissa McConnell, my mother- and father-in-law, Steve and Terri Kennedy, and my sister- and brothers-in-law, Shannon Seymour, David Kennedy, and John McConnell. I sincerely appreciate the love, support, and funding over the many years! Thank y’all very, very much! I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank several other folks in my life whose guidance and selflessness got me where I am today. I thank Dr. Marcella Hackney, who was my biology teacher at Scotlandville Magnet High School for Engineering Professions. Her passion for teaching life sciences certainly fueled my passion for knowledge of the subject. Several birders took me under their wings early in my birding career for which I am very appreciative: Elizabeth Brown, the late Margie Griffith, Grace Lutschg, and Joe Kleiman. My home-away-from-home for many years from high school through undergrad was the LSU Museum of Natural Science, where I benefited tremendously by the mentorships of Steve Cardiff, Donna Dittmann, and Dr. J. V. Remsen, Jr., who all provided valuable input on the project or specimen preparation expertise. I also thank Dr. Jeff Boundy, Dan Lane, Dr. Gary Lester, Steve Shively, Dr. Joseph Smith, Dr. Latimore Smith, M. Mark Swan, and Bill Vermillion who influenced my interest in birding and other pursuits of nature. Projects such as mine are best pursued only with support garnered from authorities in the field. I was lucky enough to have all those required right here at LSU whether on campus or at a research station. Finally, I thank LSU and LSU AgCenter for funding for this project and for employing experts in the fields of entomology, ecology, ornithology, and animal husbandry. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................................