Crazy
ants dominate fire ants by neutralizing their venom
by: Madison Lang
“Crazy”
ants have been rapidly displacing fire ants across the southern U.S.
By neutralizing their venom. This is known to be the first known
example of an insect with the ability to detoxify another insects
venom, according to a University of Texas study.
The
fire ant is known for their painful stings and bright color. The fire
ant attacks by dabbing the venom onto the prey, this is most likely
fatal. A topical insecticide, the venom is three times as toxic as
DDT. When a crazy ant is attacked it begins to break down the toxins
using a gland in its abdomen to send the solution to the mouth then
smearing it on the body. These little ants have a 98% survival rate
with this process. Here is a video explaining that process .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaAq25JQM4k&feature=youtu.be
To
test effectiveness of the formic acid, researchers sealed the glands
of crazy ants and put them in a test tube with fire ants. Without the
ability to get ride of the venom only half died from the toxins.
Among the conrol group the crazy ants with unsealed grands had a
survival rate of 98%.
It
still isn't clear how formic acid renders imported fire ant venom
nontoxic, but one possibility is that it prevents the venom from
penetrating the exoskeleton.
NOS:
Science is based on evidence
Science is a subject to debate
Role of credibility
I think that this article is really thought-provoking. I am interested to see if these crazy ants displace the fire ants and take over their niche or if they are able to coexist. According to this LA Times article, it seems that it would be better to have the crazy ants dominating the system because they do not sting, but having them replace the fire ant could be bad considering they cause a lot of ecological harm and environmental damage. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Research, they irritate nesting songbirds and other small creatures by covering the ground and trees. This causes those creatures to move out of the area. I'd be interested to see how the battle between the fire ants and crazy ants pan out and if we need to worry about a new invasive species.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the LA Times article: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fire-ants-tawny-crazy-ants-venom-20140212,0,2329142.story#axzz2toGvpEz9
Here is a link to the Texas A&M Research Page: http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/ants/rasberry.html