Virus-like particles have been detected in an undescribed 

 Solenopsis species from Brazil and in S^. geminata from 

 Florida (Avery at al. , 1977). These particles are morpho- 

 logically similar, being non-occluded, rod-shaped, and 

 bound by double membranes. They occur in hyper trophied 

 nuclei of fat body cells, but their pathogenicity is as 

 yet undetermined. Virus-like particles have also been 

 reported from apparently healthy wood ants, Formica lugubris 

 Zett. (Steiger et al . , 1969). These particles occurred 

 in the cytoplasm of nerve cells, and were morphologically 

 quite different from those found in fire ants. 



Only one species of fungus, which remains unidentified, 

 is known to be specifically associated with fire ants (Jouvenaz 

 et al. , 1977). Other fungi which have been reported as 

 causing infections in various species of ants include 

 Metarrhizium anisopliae (Metschnikof f ) Sorokin, Beauveria 

 bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, and several species of Cordyceps . 

 Allen and Buren (1974) summarized and discussed these reports. 

 Broome et al. (1976) discussed the mechanism by which B^. 

 bassiana infection is initiated in S^. richteri . 



Solenopsis geminata 

 The literature on the tropical fire ant is very sparse; 

 most studies of fire ants have been concerned with the 

 imported species, which are pests. For information on 

 the biology and behavior of S. geminata and fire ants in general, 

 the reader is referred to the excellent review by Lofgren et al. , 

 (1975). 



