학술논문
Pathogen-mediated natural and manipulated population collapse in an invasive social insect.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
LeBrun EG; Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78703.; Jones M; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco, TX 78596.; Plowes RM; Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78703.; Gilbert LE; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701.
Source
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7505876 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1091-6490 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00278424 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Subsets: MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
SignificanceInvasive social insects are among the most damaging of invasive organisms and have proved universally intractable to biological control. Despite this, populations of some invasive social insects collapse from unknown causes. We report long-term studies demonstrating that infection by a microsporidian pathogen causes populations of a globally significant invasive ant to collapse to local extinction, providing a mechanistic understanding of a pervasive phenomenon in biological invasions: the collapse of established populations from endogenous factors. We apply this knowledge and successfully eliminate two large, introduced populations of these ants. More broadly, microsporidian pathogens should be evaluated for control of other supercolonial invasive social insects. Diagnosing the cause of unanticipated population collapse in invasive organisms can lead to applied solutions.