UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 377 



Washington, D. C. 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



August 18, 1916 



'HE ARGENTINE ANT: DISTRIBUTION AND CON- 

 TROL IN THE UNITED STATES. 



EKNEST R. BAKBER, Scientific Assistant, Southern Field Crop Insect Investi- 

 gations. 



ent known distribution in the 



Southern States 



Mspersion 



Dnomic importance 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Page. 



Habits 



Life history 



Natural control 



Repression 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Argentine ant 2 is one of the most serious of household pests, 

 uny exposed food or food refuse in the infested sections attracts the 

 workers of this species in abundance, and residents and keepers of 

 jry stores, meat markets, confectioneries, etc., must either suffer 

 msiderably or almost constantly use poison or barriers of various 

 inds. If its activities were confined to the household only, the prob- 

 jm of controlling the Argentine ant would be sufficiently difficult, 

 in common with some other ants it has the habit of protecting 

 lealybugs and aphids and thus indirectly becomes a pest of crops. 

 The problem is more serious from the fact that the species is 

 iadily spreading in all directions throughout the Southern States, 

 is practically certain that it was introduced into this country at 

 few Orleans, in ships which brought coffee from ports in Brazil, 

 ilthough the exact date of this introduction will always remain 

 doubt. 



The Argentine ant was first observed in New Orleans in 1891 by 

 Edward Foster. 3 At that time he records it in small numbers 



1 The work of the Bureau of Entomology on the Argentine ant is divided into two parts. 

 ie part deals with the ant as a general pest, its distribution, and relation to the cultiva- 



fion of sugar cane. The other part relates to the special problem of control in citrus 

 jves. This phase will be treated in another publication. The work reported in this 

 iper does not include reference to conditions in California, parts of which State are also 

 fested by the Argentine ant. 



2 Iridomyrmex humilis Mayr. 



8 Foster, E. The introduction of Iridomyrmex humilis (Mayr) into New Orleans. Jour, 

 eon. Ent., v. 1, no. 5, p. 289-293. 1908. 

 41860 Bull. 37716 1 



