Biological Control of Solenopsis Fire Ants by Pseudacteon Parasitoids: Theory and Practice
Figure 1
Two hypothetical scenarios of the potential effects of introduced Pseudacteon parasitoids on Solenopsis fire ant populations. (a) Strong control: parasitism pressure depresses fire ant populations consistently over time, resulting in peaks and troughs of fire ant population cycles that are lower than without the parasitoids. (b) Weak control: parasitism pressure primarily affects host ant populations seasonally, or to an otherwise relatively small extent, and ants rebound under optimum growth conditions. (Shaded areas indicate the amount of decrease due to the parasitoids.)
