Scouting Notes

Phorid fly turns fire ants into zombies. In April, Texas AgriLife Extension IPM specialist Scott Ludwig released red imported fire ants infected with a new type of phorid fly (Pseudacteon obtusus), a small parasite that only preys on fire ants. The fly lays an egg in the ant’s body and the developing maggot migrates into the ant’s head eating away its brain. Previously released species of phorid flies only preyed on ants in disturbed mounds. In contrast, P. obtusus is attracted to foraging fire ants. Infected fire ants wander away from the mound to die. This enables the parasite to complete its development without being detected and attacked by the fire ant colony. Ludwig said there is some evidence of the flies spreading beyond their release sites. The flies aren’t attracted to native ant species.

For more: Scott Ludwig, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, (903) 834-6191; swludwig@tamu.edu; http://fireant.tamu.edu.

Survey finds decline in loss of honey bees. Honey bee colony losses nationwide were approximately 29 percent from all causes from Sept. 2008 to April 2009, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America and USDA. This is less than the overall losses of about 36 percent from 2007 to 2008, and about 32 percent from 2006 to 2007, that have been reported in similar surveys.

“While the drop in losses is encouraging, losses of this magnitude are economically unsustainable for commercial beekeeping,” said Jeff Pettis, research leader of the Agricultural Research Service Bee Research Laboratory.

About 26 percent of apiaries surveyed reported that some of their colonies died of colony collapse disorder, down from 36 percent of apiaries in 2007-2008. CCD is characterized by the sudden, complete absence of honey bees in a colony. The cause of CCD is still unknown.
 

For more: Jeff Pettis, Agricultural Research Service Bee Research Laboratory, (301) 504-8205; Jeffery.Pettis@ars.usda.gov. Apiary Inspectors of America, www.apiaryinspectors.org.