Background: The fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most aggressive and invasive species in the world. Trail-following behaviour was recorded by overhead webcam and ants digitised before and after presentation of the aerosol treatment at four rates 1.
Results: Ants preferred ng cm -1 over 11, 1. Within seconds of presentation of ng cm -2 , the highest dose tested, trail disruption was observed. Disruption was evident as reduced arrival success and reduction in the trail integrity statistic r 2 , as well as increased deviation from the trail deg.
The distribution of walking track angles was also flattened. Conclusions: The feasibility of using aerosol for delivery of trail pheromone was demonstrated, but the need for high purity combined with the difficulty of commercial supply makes this technique impractical.
Abstract Background: The fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most aggressive and invasive species in the world. Publication types Research Support, Non-U. Gov't Research Support, U.
Gov't, Non-P. Substances Aerosols Pheromones Sesquiterpenes alpha-farnesene.
