Wednesday, 20 November 2002 - 1:48 PM
1088

This presentation is part of : Ten-Minute Papers, Subsection Ce. Insect Pathology and Microbial Control

Development of a survey protocol for Thelohania solenopsae in populations of red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Forrest Mitchell, Texas A & M University, Entomology, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1229 North Highway 281, Stephenville, TX, Yuliya Y. Sokolova, All-Russian Institute for Plant Protection, Laboratory for Microbiological Control, St. Petersburg, Russia, James R. Fuxa, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Department of Entomology, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, 404 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA, Karen Snowden, Texas A & M University, Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, TX, Tami Cook, Sam Houston State University, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Huntsville, TX, and S. Bradleigh Vinson, Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology, Entomology Research Lab, College Station, TX.

Thelohania solenopsae, a microsporidium infecting red imported fire ants, has been found throughout the southern United States. Reliable detection techniques are important in surveys to determine the geographic location and spread of this pathogen. Archiving of both microsporidian and ant DNA will allow reassessment of results in light of future discoveries, such as ant hybridizations or strain differentiation of the pathogen. An approach has been developed that determines infection both by microscopic and PCR techniques and preserves DNA collected from specimens in each ant mound, the sample unit. Application of this approach to surveys in Texas is presented.

Species 1: Hymenoptera Formicidae Solenopsis invicta (Red Imported Fire Ant)
Species 2: Microsporida Thelohaniidae Thelohania solenopsae
Keywords: protozoa, PCR

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