Abstract
Some ant species cause severe ecological and health impact in urban areas. Many attempts have been tested to control such species, although they do not always succeed. Biological control is an alternative to chemical control and has gained great prominence in research, and fungi and nematodes are among the successful organisms controlling insects. This study aimed to clarify some questions regarding the biological control of ants. Invasive ant species in Brazil had their nests evaluated for the presence of entomopathogens. Isolated entomopathogens were later applied in colonies ofMonomorium floricolaunder laboratory conditions to evaluate their effectiveness and the behavior of the ant colonies after treatment. The entomopathogenic nematodesHeterorhabditissp. andSteinernemasp. and the fungiBeauveria bassiana,Metarhizium anisopliae, andPaecilomycessp. were isolated from the invasive ant nests.M. floricolacolonies treated withSteinernemasp. andHeterorhabditissp. showed a higher mortality of workers than control. The fungusBeauveria bassianacaused higher mortality ofM. floricolaworkers. However, no colony reduction or elimination was observed in any treatment. The defensive behaviors of ants, such as grooming behavior and colony budding, must be considered when using fungi and nematodes for biological control of ants.
Highlights
Some ant species have adapted to disturbed environments in urban areas
In order to contribute to the searches of natural enemies of ants and Psyche their effects on these insects, this study evaluated the presence of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes inside ant invasive species nests and their pathogenicity compared to entomopathogenic fungi deposited in a scientific collection
B. bassiana has been isolated from Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Solenopsis workers [21]
Summary
Some ant species have adapted to disturbed environments in urban areas. In Brazil, it is estimated that from 2000 identified species of ants, 50 species are pests causing losses in rural and urban areas and damage to public health [1]. Biological invasion occurs when a species has competitive advantage, natural obstacles to deter their proliferation are not present, disperses quickly, and invades new areas, becoming a dominant population [2]. In such cases, control measures must be defined in order to minimize problems associated to the invading species. Integrated pest management (IPM) has been used as rational pest control practices and biological control is among the several used tools [3]
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