Richard S. Patterson

A survey of the urban pest ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of peninsular Florida.

A one year survey was conducted with structural pest control employees of Florida to determine the kinds of ants and types of ant problems confronted in both commercial and household pest control. Eight species of ants were identified as key pests in Florida. Of these, the most common were Solenopsis invicta Buren - 14%, Tapinoma melanocephalum (F.) - 14%, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) - 14%, Camponotus abdominalis floridanus (Buckley) - 12%, Monomorium pharaonis (L.) - 11%, Camponotus tortuganus Emery - 8%, Pheidole megacephala (F.) - 7% and Paratrechina bourbonica (Forel) - 4%. More than twenty-five other species of ants which were occasional invaders were also collected in the survey. Customer complaints, nest locations, and treatment strategies for pest ants are also described.

Protozoan and Fungal Diseases in Solenopsis richteri and S. quinquecuspis (Hymenoptera: formicidae) in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

The diversity and abundance of protozoa and fungi infecting colonies of the fire ants Solenopsis richteri Forel and S. quinquecuspis Forel were surveyed in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. A total of 185 roadside sites was selected, and 1,836 colonies were sampled and examined under phase-contrast microscopy. Pathogens were found at 32% of the sites and in 10% of the colonies. The microsporidium Thelohania solenopsae Knell, Allen & Hazard was the most common microorganism; it was present at 25% of the sites and 8% of the colonies. In some sites within the surveyed region, the percentage of infected colonies with T. solenopsae ranged from 40 to 80%. Other pathogens present were the microsporidium Vairimorpha invictae Jouvenaz & Ellis and the fungus Myrmecomyces annellisae Jouvenaz & Kimbrough. A field site was selected for future ecological studies.

Forum: Hematophagous Strategies of the Cat Flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

Hematophagy of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouche), was investigated. Blood feeding in the adult stages nearly doubled the weight of mixed-sex fleas. However, within 12 h, the gained weight was lost. Protein mass tripled after feeding, but starvation caused a reduction in protein with the percentage protein remaining constant (5%). Both in vivo and in vitro rearing of cat fleas was successful in allowing flea survival, feeding, fecal production, and reproduction. In vivo rearing, infesting cats with 50 fleas per week, resulted in a mean of 332 fleas per cat. Because 68% were female, male survival times on the host were shorter than those of females. Female fleas produced 1 egg per h, and combined sexes averaged 0.77 mg of feces per day. Average blood ingestion for defecation was 6.97 @ml of blood. In vitro rearing resulted in lower egg production (12%), feces production (50%), and ingestion of blood for defecation. Two types of flea feces were found--spherules and coils. Within 24 h of first feeding, almost all feces were spherules <0.07 mm in diameter. After 10 days of feeding, 60-70% of the feces were coils. These adult feces are the natural larval diet of cat flea larvae.

Research Reports: Annotated Checklist of the Cockroaches of Florida (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Blattidae, Polyphagidae, Blattellidae, Blaberidae)

Synonymy, distribution, and ecological data are summarized for 38 species of cockroaches in 24 genera in 4 families which occur in Florida. We include information on other species known from nearby areas which may also be collected in the state. Thirteen of these species, including most of the important pests, have been introduced from Africa (7), the Neotropics (3), and Asia (3). Most exotic species appear to be dependent on human disturbance and only two, Pycnoscelis surinamensis (L.) and Periplaneta australasiae (F.), are commonly found in natural communities away from human disturbance. Blattella germanica (L.) and Supella longipalpa (F.), both introduced, are strictly domiciliary. Most of the native species (15) have neotropical distributions and are not found north of Florida. Four species, Chorisoneura texensis Saussure & Zehntner, Euthlastoblatta gemma (Hebard), Eurycotis floridana (Walker), and Ischnoptera deropeltiformis (Brunner), are restricted to the southeastern U.S. and are the northernmost representatives of neotropical genera. Five species of Parcoblatta, distributed widely in the Southeast, reach their southern limits in Florida. There is one endemic species, Arenivaga floridensis Caudell, restricted to sandy areas of central Florida.

Mechanisms of Insecticide Resistance in a Strain of Cat Fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

Possible mechanisms of insecticide resistance were investigated in a known-resistant strain of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis Bouche. In the acetylcholinesterase study, ability of two insecticide...

Residual Efficacy of Chlorpyrifos and Diazinon Formulations for German Cockroaches (Orthoptera: Blattellidae) on Panels Placed in Commercial Food Preparation Areas

Ceramic and stainless steel panels were treated with chlorpyrifos (Dursban LO or ME) or diazinon (Knox Out 2FM) and aged in a commercial kitchen. Type of surface (ceramic tile or stainless steel) d...

Biological response of German cockroaches fed diets containing allopurinol

Abstract. The acceptability of dietary allopurinol to German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), was assessed. In diet choice tests between rat chow with or without 0.1% w/w allopurinol there were no significant differences in nymphal development, feeding duration, visits or consumption. The LT50 of cockroaches fed a choice of diets was 3 weeks greater (7.88) than those fed non‐choice a 0.1% allopurinol diet. Female cockroaches provided a choice of diets aborted a significantly greater percentage of their oothecae (98.6%) than those fed the untreated diet (1.7%). Choice arena tests of 2% allopurinol in rat chow significantly reduced cockroach populations compared with untreated controls. After 6 weeks, populations were reduced by approximately 50%, and 97% after 14 weeks. These results indicate that allopurinol is acceptable to B.germanica as a dietary supplement which could be used in baits for cockroach control.

Pioneer Lecture-- The Paramagnetic Force In Plant Growth and Insect Control

It is a mystery how someone who was born in Menlo, Iowa in 1909 and in 1941 completed all of his undergraduate and graduate education at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. decided to pursue a career in medical and veterinary entomology. At 17 years of age, Carroll Newton Smith worked as a Congressional Page. He liked to joke that he began only 6-7 steps from the U.S. Presidency and retired at least 20 steps away, having attained the rank of GS-15 in the interim. In 1935, after finishing his M.S. degree, he was employed by the USDA as a Junior Entomologist in Washington D.C. and advanced from Associate Entomologist to Entomologist during 1937-41 while earning his Ph.D. degree (Weidhaas et al. 1993). He conducted fundamental research on the biology and control of the American dog tick on Marthas Vineyard during the latter period. He worked for the USDA in Savannah, Georgia in 1941-1946 conducting research on insecticides, insect repellents and the attraction of biting insects to humans. He continued this work after transferring to Orlando in 1946 and subsequently conducted pioneering research on radiation, chemosterilization and the genetics of insect candidates for the sterile insect technique. The wide range of arthropods used in his research included ticks, mites, mosquitoes, lice, fleas, cockroaches, ants and flies, notably the tsetse fly. Later in his career, he developed a passion for editing and collaboratively produced several excellent books: Principles of Insect Chemosterilization, History ofEntomology and Insect Colonization and Mass Production (a personal, signed copy given to the senior author). He also served as an editor for the Annual Review of En-

Age-Specific Reduction in German Cockroach (Blattoidea: Blattellidae) Populations Exposed to Diflubenzuron

The chitin synthesis inhibitor, diflubenzuron, caused age-specific reductions among populations of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), in test arenas (122 by 122 by 30.5 cm). Diflubenzu...