title: A type of unicoloniality within the native range of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima.
abstract: To determine if a type of unicoloniality exists in the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima in its native range, we conducted intraspecific aggressiveness tests in French Guiana between workers originating from 15 human-disturbed sites. We identified two "colonial groups" spread over 54 km and 12.5 km, respectively. Workers from the same group never attacked each other, but inter-group confrontations resulted in a high level of aggressiveness. These large "colonial groups" enhances the threat occasioned by S. saevissima for both agriculture and the environment.
authors.affiliation: Écologie des Forêts-de-Guyane, UMR-CNRS, Campus agronomique, Kourou, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Groc
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dejean
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005616:French Guiana; D009425:Nesting Behavior