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Article: The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in the Virgin Islands (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
- Article from:
- Florida Entomologist
- Article date:
- December 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Florida Entomological Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Abstract
The best known and most destructive exotic ant species in the US is the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Recently, this species has been reported from several islands in the West Indies, including St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (USVI) and Guana Island, British Virgin Islands (BVI). In the present study, we report new records of S. invicta on St. Croix (13 sites) and the first records of S. invicta from 3 other of the Virgin Islands: St. Thomas, USVI (7 sites), St. John, USVI (2 sites), and Tortola, BVI (6 sites). Solenopsis invicta appears to be well established in disturbed open environments on all 4 islands. It is important that people in ...