Global Invasion History of the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta
- M. Ascunce, C. Yang, D. Shoemaker
- Environmental ScienceScience
- 25 February 2011
An assessment of genetic variation at a diverse set of molecular markers in 2144 fire ant colonies from 75 geographic sites worldwide revealed that at least nine separate introductions of S. invicta have occurred into newly invaded areas and that the main southern U.S. population is probably the source of all but one of these introductions.
The genome of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta
A phylogenetic analysis revealed that an ancestral vitellogenin gene first underwent a duplication that was followed by possibly independent duplications of each of the daughter viteLLogenins, possibly reflecting differential selection acting on the queen and worker castes.
Loss of microbial (pathogen) infections associated with recent invasions of the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta
- C. Yang, Yi-Chih Yu, C. Shih
- Environmental ScienceBiological Invasions
- 24 February 2010
The results support the general prediction that invasive species lose many of their natural enemies during invasion and the conspicuous absence of some of these microbes in recently established populations may result from strong selection against founders due to fitness costs associated with harboring detrimental infections.
Invader at the gate: The status of red imported fire ant in Australia and Asia
Since it first secured a foothold in the southern United States in the 1930s from its native South America, the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren has now spread to more than 20 countries…
Propagule pressure and colony social organization are associated with the successful invasion and rapid range expansion of fire ants in China
- C. Yang, M. Ascunce, L. Luo, Jing-Guo Shao, C. Shih, D. Shoemaker
- Environmental ScienceMolecular Ecology
- 1 February 2012
The results of this study highlight the invasive potential of this pest ant, suggest that the magnitude of international trade may serve as a predictor of propagule pressure and indicate that rates and patterns of subsequent range expansion are partly determined by the interplay between species traits and the trade and transportation networks.
Genetic Diversity and Wolbachia Infection Patterns in a Globally Distributed Invasive Ant
- S. Tseng, J. K. Wetterer, C. Yang
- BiologyFrontiers in Genetics
- 17 September 2019
The lack of nDNA structure among sampled geographic regions coupled with the finding that numerous mtDNA haplotypes are shared among regions implies that inadvertent long-distance movement through human commerce is common in P. longicornis and has shaped the genetic structure of this invasive ant worldwide.
The Genetic Structure of Phellinus noxius and Dissemination Pattern of Brown Root Rot Disease in Taiwan
- Chia-Lin Chung, Shun-Yuan Huang, R. Liou
- BiologyPLoS ONE
- 20 October 2015
Analyses based on Bayesian clustering, F ST statistics, analysis of molecular variance, and isolation by distance all suggest a low degree of population differentiation and little to no barrier to gene flow throughout the P. noxius population in Taiwan.
The Genetic Structure, Virulence, and Fungicide Sensitivity of Fusarium fujikuroi in Taiwan.
- Yu-Chia Chen, M. Lai, Chia-Lin Chung
- BiologyPhytopathology
- 13 April 2016
Investigation of the differences in virulence and fungicide sensitivity between 8 early isolates and 52 recent isolates indicate the evolution of increased resistance to the fungicide prochloraz in F. fujikuroi in Taiwan, and the biased mating type ratios and linkage disequilibrium in the population suggest nonrandom mating between individuals.
The complete mitochondrial genome of yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
- Chih-Chi Lee, John Wang, K. Matsuura, C. Yang
- BiologyMitochondrial DNA Part B: Resources
- 17 May 2018
Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated nucleotide sequences of the 13 protein-coding genes supports A. gracilipes belonging to the Formicinae subfamily and the mitogenome is announced as a DNA reference for further population genetic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary analyses.
Viral infections in fire ants lead to reduced foraging activity and dietary changes
- Hung-Wei Hsu, Ming-Chung Chiu, D. Shoemaker, C. Yang
- BiologyScientific Reports
- 10 September 2018
Findings provide the first evidence for virus-induced behavioral responses and dietary shifts in shaping the host-pathogen interactions in fire ants and suggest a possible mechanism for how fire ant colonies respond to viral epidemics.
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