title: Sampling high-altitude and stratified mating flights of red imported fire ant.
abstract: With the exception of an airplane equipped with nets, no method has been developed that successfully samples red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, sexuals in mating/dispersal flights throughout their potential altitudinal trajectories. We developed and tested a method for sampling queens and males during mating flights at altitudinal intervals reaching as high as "140 m. Our trapping system uses an electric winch and a 1.2-m spindle bolted to a swiveling platform. The winch dispenses up to 183 m of Kevlar-core, nylon rope and the spindle stores 10 panels (0.9 by 4.6 m each) of nylon tulle impregnated with Tangle-Trap. The panels can be attached to the rope at various intervals and hoisted into the air by using a 3-m-diameter, helium-filled balloon. Raising or lowering all 10 panels takes approximately 15-20 min. This trap also should be useful for altitudinal sampling of other insects of medical importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, IL 61920, USA. cfgnf@eiu.edu
authors.forename: Gary N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: Ann H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Vander Meer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D004772:Entomology / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005426:Flight, Animal; D005431:Florida; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal