Paratrechina species near pubens
Encyclopedia
The crazy Rasberry ant or Rasberry crazy ant is an invasive species
of ant
found near Houston, Texas
.
While this species is part of the crazy ant complex (group named because of the ants' random, nonlinear movements) the media and others in Texas are also calling it "Rasberry" after the exterminator
Tom Rasberry
who first noticed the ants were a problem in 2002. This ant has yet to be identified as a species due to confusion regarding the taxonomy of the genus, and has for now been scientifically named
Nylanderia species near pubens, more commonly shown abbreviated as Nylanderia sp. nr. pubens. The abbreviation "sp. nr." means that this ant may or may not be the same ant as Nylanderia pubens, the Caribbean crazy ant.
There is currently a large infestation in at least 20 counties in Texas
. The ants appear to prefer the warmth and moistness of the coast.
s, fire ants
and Attwater's prairie chicken
hatchlings, as well as plants.
They are able to out-compete fire ants because they reproduce faster. The ants are not attracted to ordinary ant baits, are not controlled by over-the-counter pesticides, and are harder to fully exterminate because their colonies have multiple queens.
that surrounds wires with electric current
flowing through them. Or, they might prefer the heat byproduct
of resistance
in the wires. However, it could simply be that they are searching for food or a nesting location that is easy to defend.
Their infestation of electrical equipment can cause short circuit
s when they chew through insulation. Overheating and mechanical failures can also be caused by high numbers of dead worker ants in electrical devices.
When an ant gets electrocuted and dies, it releases a chemical which causes the other ants to rush over and search for attackers. A large enough ball of ants will short out some systems.
granted temporary approval for the use of fipronil
to control this ant. The pesticide is already used for termite control. Its use is restricted to seven counties in the Houston, Texas
area. As of May 2009, the ants continue to spread and have reportedly caused millions of dollars in damage in 11 Texas counties.
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
found near Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
While this species is part of the crazy ant complex (group named because of the ants' random, nonlinear movements) the media and others in Texas are also calling it "Rasberry" after the exterminator
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
Tom Rasberry
Tom Rasberry
Tom Rasberry is an exterminator from Pearland, Texas who first identified the crazy rasberry ant in 2002. Rasberry has been key to the fight against the ants, which have been known to short out many different types of electrical apparatuses and estimates that he has spent over 2000 hours...
who first noticed the ants were a problem in 2002. This ant has yet to be identified as a species due to confusion regarding the taxonomy of the genus, and has for now been scientifically named
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
Nylanderia species near pubens, more commonly shown abbreviated as Nylanderia sp. nr. pubens. The abbreviation "sp. nr." means that this ant may or may not be the same ant as Nylanderia pubens, the Caribbean crazy ant.
There is currently a large infestation in at least 20 counties in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The ants appear to prefer the warmth and moistness of the coast.
Description
The ants are about 3 millimeters long (equivalent of one-eighth inch) and are covered with reddish-brown hairs. The colonies have multiple queens. They feed on ladybugCoccinellidae
Coccinellidae is a family of beetles, known variously as ladybirds , or ladybugs . Scientists increasingly prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not true bugs...
s, fire ants
Red imported fire ant
See main article Fire ant.The red imported fire ant , or simply RIFA, is one of over 280 species in the widespread genus Solenopsis...
and Attwater's prairie chicken
Attwater's Prairie Chicken
Attwater's Prairie Chicken is a highly endangered subspecies of the Greater Prairie Chicken that is native to coastal Texas and Louisiana in the United States.-Description:...
hatchlings, as well as plants.
They are able to out-compete fire ants because they reproduce faster. The ants are not attracted to ordinary ant baits, are not controlled by over-the-counter pesticides, and are harder to fully exterminate because their colonies have multiple queens.
Attraction to electrical equipment
It is unclear why this species, like many varieties of ants, is attracted to electrical equipment. It may be that they sense the magnetic fieldMagnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
that surrounds wires with electric current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
flowing through them. Or, they might prefer the heat byproduct
Conservation of energy
The nineteenth century law of conservation of energy is a law of physics. It states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The total energy is said to be conserved over time...
of resistance
Electrical resistance
The electrical resistance of an electrical element is the opposition to the passage of an electric current through that element; the inverse quantity is electrical conductance, the ease at which an electric current passes. Electrical resistance shares some conceptual parallels with the mechanical...
in the wires. However, it could simply be that they are searching for food or a nesting location that is easy to defend.
Their infestation of electrical equipment can cause short circuit
Short circuit
A short circuit in an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path, often where essentially no electrical impedance is encountered....
s when they chew through insulation. Overheating and mechanical failures can also be caused by high numbers of dead worker ants in electrical devices.
When an ant gets electrocuted and dies, it releases a chemical which causes the other ants to rush over and search for attackers. A large enough ball of ants will short out some systems.
Range
The coverage rate of the ant itself is about 800 meters (about ½ US mile) per year. However, being carried by people, animals, and vehicles, the crazy Rasberry ant has covered five counties in Texas from 2002 to 2007. This yields a rate of 8 kilometers (about 5 US miles) per year. At this accelerated rate, it would take about 70 years for them to reach New Orleans, 563 kilometers (or 350 US miles) away.Control
In June 2008, the Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
granted temporary approval for the use of fipronil
Fipronil
Fipronil is a broad spectrum insecticide that disrupts the insect central nervous system by blocking the passage of chloride ions through the GABA receptor and glutamate-gated chloride channels, components of the central nervous system. This causes hyperexcitation of contaminated insects' nerves...
to control this ant. The pesticide is already used for termite control. Its use is restricted to seven counties in the Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
area. As of May 2009, the ants continue to spread and have reportedly caused millions of dollars in damage in 11 Texas counties.