4. Argentine Ant 173 favor naturally Invasive ants in the United States formulations enzymatic degradation offering technology, The use of semiochemicals, particularly pheromones, is a well-established strategy in pest management (Smart et al., 2014). For ants, trail pheromones are species-specific chemical compounds deposited by foragers to recruit nestmates to food sources. Numerous identified and ant trail pheromones have been characterized, with a notable example involving (Z)-9-hexadecenal in L. humile (Cavill et al., 1979). Inspired by the success of sex pheromones in mating disruption, trail pheromones have been investigated to alter ant foraging behavior. When applied, these synthetic pheromones disrupt natural foraging trails in L. humile by inducing disorientation and increased turning behavior (Suckling et al., 2008). Although synthetic trail pheromones alone have limited long-term efficacy (Nishisue et al., 2010), their integration with evaluated and proven effective in managing S. invicta under wet conditions in both lab and field settings (Kafle et al., 2015; Vander Meer & Milne, 2017), Oi et al. (2022) reported that standard baits still provided significant fire ant control despite being irrigated, highlighting the flexibility of bait application timing and the potential for for in bait improvements continued challenging environmental conditions. 3.3 RNAi 3.4 Viruses as Promising Microbial Agents Since the discovery of the first fire ant virus in 2004 (Valles et al., 2004), several single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses, primarily from the order Picornavirales, have been identified in S. invicta (Baty et al., 2020). The most studied are three positive-sense single strand RNA viruses: Solenopsis invicta virus-1 (SINV-1), Solenopsis invicta virus-2 (SINV-2) and Solenopsis invicta virus-3 (SINV-3) (Valles et al., 2007; Valles & Hashimoto, 2009). While SINV-1 and SINV-2 cause sublethal effects, such as reduced queen weight, decreased fecundity and diminished colony competitiveness (Manfredini et al., 2016; Chen et al., 2011), SINV-3 shows promise as a biological control agent due to its high virulence. SINV-3 can be effectively delivered through bait formulations such as sucrose solutions or cricket paste, enabling rapid colony infection and significant brood reductions (Valles RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular gene-silencing mechanism triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which of complementary messenger RNA (mRNA), effectively silencing target genes (Cooper et al., 2019). This post-transcriptional silencing approach has emerged as a promising a species-specific and environmentally friendly alternative for managing invasive ants (Taning et al., 2020). Although RNAi applications in ant management are still in the early stages (Allen, 2021), several pilot studies highlight its potential as a novel fire ant management tool. For example, dsRNA delivery via injection has been shown to effectively silence multiple target genes in S. invicta (Lu et al., 2009; Choi & Vander Meer, 2012; Choi fed a et al., 2012). Additionally, nurse workers dsRNA-containing sucrose solution were shown to transfer dsRNA to larvae, resulting in molting failure and increased larval mortality due to the silencing of key genes (Choi et al., 2012, Castillo Bravo, 2015, Cheng et al., 2015). Recent advancements by Wang et al. (2024) demonstrated into lipofectamine, a nanomaterial that protects dsRNA from degradation, enhanced the stability and efficacy of dsRNA improving RNAi within the ant gut, significantly outcomes. These findings suggest the potential of RNAi-based strategies as innovative tools for fire ant management. the initiates pest control incorporation of dsRNA the et al., 2013). A pilot study involving a field virus release program was conducted in California in 2014, where Oi et that SINV-3 successfully al. established and persisted within local fire ant populations for at least three years after the initial release. A major challenge associated with using microbial agents to control ants is their behavioral defense mechanisms, such as grooming, avoidance and dispersal, which reduce the effectiveness of pathogens (Oi & Pereira, 1993). Notably, these defensive behaviors have not been observed in ants exposed to SINV-3, suggesting its potential as an effective biocontrol agent (Oi & Valles, 2009; Liu & Yang, 2023). (2019) demonstrated 4.1 Current Status and Distribution Native to the Paraná River drainage basin of South America (northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil), the Argentine ant has become cosmopolitan and is now established on every continent except Antarctica, as well as on many oceanic islands (Wetterer et al., 2009). In its introduced range, this invasive and anthropogenically disturbed habitats including forest edges, riparian zones, cropland, residential areas and city parks. The Argentine ant likely reached the United States via ship cargo and was first detected in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1896 (Titus, 1905). It was soon reported from numerous sites across the southeastern United States and California (Wetterer et al., 2009). At present, outdoor populations of this species have been reported throughout the southern United States, from Florida and Virginia in the east to California in the west (Fig. 1b). The Argentine ant has become a major pest in California where it dominates various riparian and urban sites. At higher latitudes, this species can survive only in heated buildings, such as conservatories and greenhouses, where it can be a persistent and troublesome pest. 4.2 Trial Pheromone for Foraging Enhancement to tends species synthetic
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