You Are Here: Management Updates 2008 Archive June 4, 2008

Date: June 4, 2008
Category: Announcements
Subject: Help Us Find Stinging Ants

Over the past 10 years or so, a stinging ant has begun to spread through coastal parts of New England. An extensive study that was headed up by Eleanor Groden at the University of Maine documented the presence of ants in more than 25 towns in Maine, with a concentration on Mount Desert Island (Bar Harbor). The ant, Myrmica rubra, is native to much of Europe and apparently has invaded the northeastern part of the United States several different times, originally early in the 20th century. In the United States, it is often called the European fire ant or the European red ant.

This ant usually is most severe along the coast and along the shores of lakes and streams. It can produce a sting that results in fairly large welts forming on the affected skin. M. rubra appears to have a significant impact on ant diversity in infested areas (resulting in a reduction of native ant populations), and sometimes has been connected with an increase in plant-feeding insects such as aphids and scales.

In Massachusetts, Dr. Groden has confirmed infestations in the Fresh Pond area of Cambridge, Arnold Arboretum, Williamstown, and Lenox. It is likely that infestations are also present in many more locations of Massachusetts. (Clearly the ant is not limited to coastal settings, although it does appear to be more prevalent there.)

Because the ant is fairly aggressive and can sting, it is considered a significant nuisance. We have been told by at least one golf course superintendent that the nesting activity can be quite impressive around electric boxes or irrigation controllers.

We would like to get an idea of the distribution of these ants in Massachusetts. Dr. Sean Werle (who earned a Master's degree with me 10 years ago, studying the biology of the turfgrass ant, and then subsequently earned a Ph. D. in Biology at UMass) is willing to identify ant specimens that seem to match the description of Myrmica rubra. He will be available in my laboratory for a few days during the month of June to identify specimens.

So ... if you have ants that you think might be Myrmica rubra, please send several specimens (5 to 10 ants) to me as soon as possible, so that Dr. Werle can identify them. Workers are usually reddish-brown, about 4 to 5 mm long (1/5 inch). The "waist" has two segments, and the body is covered with fine hairs. The first abdominal segment, which is fused to the thorax, has two spines pointing backwards. One publication describes the abdomen as "shiny".

Please do not contact Dr. Werle directly. Instead, send the samples to:

Dr. Pat Vittum
Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences
104 Agricultural Engineering Building
250 Natural Resources Road
University of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003-9295

The ants should be packaged in a small water-tight container filled with rubbing alcohol or a similar preservative. To avoid aggravating the postal service, please put the container inside a sealed plastic bag, to minimize the likelihood that the alcohol leaks! And package it so that the contents do not rattle around in the box (again to minimize the likelihood of a leak).

If at all possible, please send specimens to arrive within the next week, since we will be starting the study on Monday, 9 June. And be sure to include contact information, including name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. (We will, at the very least, be able to tell you whether the specimens are or are not Myrmica rubra, but depending on the number of specimens we receive, we may not be able to identify every ant to species other than M. rubra). If the samples come from a golf course, please indicate whether you would be willing to be part of a field trial looking at management options.

For further information, including images of Myrmica rubra, please refer to the following web site (Courtesy of the University of Maine):

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/2550.htm

Thanks for your help!

Submitted by: Dr. Pat Vittum

DISCLAIMER - As always, it is the responsibility of the applicator to verify the registration status of any pesticide BEFORE applying it. Different states have different regulations as well. The author and the University of Massachusetts are not liable for any consequences of any pesticide "recommendations". Mention of any trade name is not to be considered endorsement of a product.

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