Habitat bottlenecks to the establishment of fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, populations

Given that dispersing fire ant queens make choices, are they more likely to succeed in the preferred habitat than the unpreferred.  This question was addressed with the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, whose dispersing queens strongly prefer disturbed habitat.  Habitat plots were modified by tilling, shading, removal of the native ant community and combinations of these.  Three life cycle stages were then planted in these plots: newly-mated queens, incipient colonies and small colonies (mean 35 to 5000 workers).  Survival of these was monitored by visual inspection and baiting for up to 16 months.  Less than 2% of newly-mated queens and incipient colonies survived at 2 months, whereas 19% of small colonies survived at 16 months and had grown to large sizes.  Early survival was improved in plots that had been tilled and the native ants killed, but later survival retained no effect of tilling, and was favored primarily by removal of the ant community.  These results support the view that newly-mated, dispersing queens choose to settle in the habitat in which their likelihood of success is greatest.