Pathogen-mediated natural and manipulated population collapse in an invasive social insect.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 119(14): e2114558119, 2022 04 05.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35344435
ABSTRACT
SignificanceInvasive social insects are among the most damaging of invasive organisms and have proved universally intractable to biological control. Despite this, populations of some invasive social insects collapse from unknown causes. We report long-term studies demonstrating that infection by a microsporidian pathogen causes populations of a globally significant invasive ant to collapse to local extinction, providing a mechanistic understanding of a pervasive phenomenon in biological invasions the collapse of established populations from endogenous factors. We apply this knowledge and successfully eliminate two large, introduced populations of these ants. More broadly, microsporidian pathogens should be evaluated for control of other supercolonial invasive social insects. Diagnosing the cause of unanticipated population collapse in invasive organisms can lead to applied solutions.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Formigas
/
Microsporídios
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article