Evolution of Ant Communities in Response to Invasion by the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta

Since the introduction of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, into the southern U.S.A., it has been considered a threat to the native ant fauna (Lofgren et al. 1975, Wilson et al. 1971). The rapid spread and successful establishment of S. invicta (Lofgren et al. 1975) has been attributed to its high reproductive potential (Glancey et al. 1976), its aggressive behavior (Bhatkar et al. 1972) and its efficient foraging and recruitment abilities (Jones 1985, Kidd et al. 1985, Phillips et al. 1986).