UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



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BULLETIN No. 377 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



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Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



August 18, 1916 



THE ARGENTINE ANT:^ DISTRIBUTION AND CON- 

 TROL IN THE UNITED STATES. 



By Eenest R. Babbee, Scientiflc Assistant, Southern Field Crop Insect Investi- 

 gations. 



CONTENTS. 

 Page. 



Present known distribution in the 



Southern States 



Dispersion 



Economic importance 



Habits 



Life history 



Natural control 

 Repression 



6 



7 



9 



10 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Argentine ant ^ is one of the most serious of household pests. 

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

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

 grocery stores, meat markets, confectioneries, etc, must either suffer 

 considerably or almost constantly use poison or barriers of various 

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

 lem of controlling the Argentine ant would be sufficiently difficult, 

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

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



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

 steadily spreading in all directions throughout the Southern States. 

 It is practically certain that it was introduced into this country at 

 New Orleans, in ships which brought coffee from ports in Brazil^ 

 although the exact date of this introduction will always remain 

 in doubt. 



The Argentine ant was first observed in New Orleans in 1801 by 

 Mr. Edward Foster.^ 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.. 

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

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

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

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

 infested by the Argentine ant. 



2 Irldomyrmex humilis Mayr. 



* Poster, E. The introduction of Iridomyrmex humilis (Mayr) into New Orleans. Jour,. 

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



41860°— Bull. 377—16 1 



