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NATIVE VERSUS EXOTIC ANTS AS A FOOD SOURCE FOR THE ANT LION, (Myrmeleon crudelis)
- Date Issued:
- 2015
- Abstract/Description:
- Solenopsis invicta, a fire ant originally from South America, has become an important exotic pest in the southeastern US. Solenopsis invicta is well known for its powerful sting and are known to attack native wildlife, such as hatchling sea turtles. I examined the suitability of S. invicta as prey for a native antlion, Myrmeleon crudelis, in South Florida. I compared the growth and survival over 12 week period of 16 ant lions fed S. invicta and 16 fed a native pyramid ant, Dorymyrmex bureni. I found antlions fed S. invicta had significantly lower growth and survival than antlions fed D. bureni. Thus, S. invicta does not appear to be suitable prey for M. crudelis, and may have a negative impact on M. crudelis in areas where it invades.
Title: | NATIVE VERSUS EXOTIC ANTS AS A FOOD SOURCE FOR THE ANT LION, (Myrmeleon crudelis). |
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Name(s): |
Brothers, David G. , author Wetterer, James K. , Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College |
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Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Thesis | |
Date Created: | 2015 | |
Date Issued: | 2015 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University Digital Library | |
Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
Physical Form: | online resource | |
Extent: | 12 p. | |
Language(s): | English | |
Abstract/Description: | Solenopsis invicta, a fire ant originally from South America, has become an important exotic pest in the southeastern US. Solenopsis invicta is well known for its powerful sting and are known to attack native wildlife, such as hatchling sea turtles. I examined the suitability of S. invicta as prey for a native antlion, Myrmeleon crudelis, in South Florida. I compared the growth and survival over 12 week period of 16 ant lions fed S. invicta and 16 fed a native pyramid ant, Dorymyrmex bureni. I found antlions fed S. invicta had significantly lower growth and survival than antlions fed D. bureni. Thus, S. invicta does not appear to be suitable prey for M. crudelis, and may have a negative impact on M. crudelis in areas where it invades. | |
Identifier: | FA00013648 (IID) | |
Degree granted: | Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2015. | |
Collection: | Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections | |
Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013648 | |
Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
Host Institution: | FAU |