Variation in Foraging Activity Areas of Worker Ants in Newly Established Red Imported Fire Ant Colonies Across Different Habitats

Abstract

Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) is a severe and highly destructive invasive species. It has invaded mainland China since 2004. Understanding the foraging behavior patterns of workers in different habitats and conditions can help to develop scientific prevention and control measures. In this study, we used bait traps to measure the foraging activity of workers in newly established fire ant nests in various habitats and time periods. The results showed that the presence or absence of vegetation cover was an important factor affecting the foraging activity of fire ant workers. In bare land habitats, the foraging range and number of fire ant workers were significantly different from those in habitats with vegetation cover. The analysis of the daily average activity patterns of fire ants showed that the number of workers in sweet potato fields showed a bimodal pattern. In contrast, those in bare land and sugarcane fields showed an unimodal pattern, and those in pineapple fields showed a fluctuating pattern. It is worth noting that the bimodal and unimodal peaks in sweet potato, bare land, and sugarcane fields all occurred at 10:00 and 16:00. Therefore, in natural environments, vegetation cover, and temperature are important factors affecting the foraging activity of fire ants.