Foraging and recruitment abilities of Solenopsis invicta Buren, compared with other ant species indigenous to Texas

Since its accidental introduction into Mobile, Alabama, the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invlcta Buren, has become an economic pest of much of the southern United States. Each year this ant continues to expand its range. Why S. invicta is able to successfully colonize areas previously inhabited by multifarious ant species is not understood. Possible explanations include its aggressive behavior, large colony size, and foraging efficiency. This study was conducted to compare the foraging efficiency of S. invicta to three ant species native to south central Texas. Native ants studied include Pheidole dentata Mayr, Monomorium minimum (Buckley) , and Forelius foetidus (Buckley) . Temporal recruitment and food retrieval patterns were recorded and compared for all four species held at equal colony strengths. Results indicate that interspecific differences in recruitment patterns do occur. However, these differences are subtle and do not suggest that S. invicta is a more efficient forager under laboratory conditions, than the other three species.