Robert John Brightwell

Works (7)

Updated: July 5th, 2023 15:54

2011 journal article

The Argentine Ant Persists Through Unfavorable Winters Via a Mutualism Facilitated By a Native Tree

ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY, 40(5), 1019–1026.

By: R. Brightwell n & J. Silverman n

author keywords: ants; habitat modification; invasive species; microclimate; niche expansion
MeSH headings : Animals; Ants; Feeding Behavior; Hot Temperature; North Carolina; Pinus taeda; Seasons; Sucrose; Symbiosis
TL;DR: The loblolly pine provided both a foraging opportunity and a reliable winter food source to survive through unfavorable winter conditions in the southeastern United States, extending the realized niche of Argentine ants beyond its fundamental niche. (via Semantic Scholar)
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UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

2010 journal article

Combined Effect of Hemipteran Control and Liquid Bait on Argentine Ant Populations

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY, 103(5), 1790–1796.

By: R. Brightwell n, S. Bambara n & J. Silverman n

author keywords: Coccidae; Linepithema humile; Mesolecanium nigrofasciatum; pest management; red maple
MeSH headings : Acer / parasitology; Animals; Ants / physiology; Argentina; Hemiptera / drug effects; Hemiptera / physiology; Insect Control / methods; Mineral Oil / toxicity; Oils / pharmacology; Phloem / parasitology
TL;DR: It is suggested that a strategy of combined hemipteran control plus application of liquid ant bait can reduce local Argentine ant densities, when both components of this system are highly efficacious. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

2010 journal article

Invasive Argentine ants reduce fitness of red maple via a mutualism with an endemic coccid

BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS, 12(7), 2051–2057.

By: R. Brightwell n & J. Silverman n

author keywords: Coccidae; Host fitness; Invasion; Linepithema humile; Mesolecanium nigrofasciatum; Mutualism
TL;DR: Investigating the effects of a mutualism between the invasive Argentine ant and the endemic terrapin scale on coccid density and the fitness of the host of this mutualism, the endemic red maple, found that red maples with Argentine ants excluded from their canopy had higher seed mass and larger early leaves indicating that this invasive ant-endemic scale mutualism imposed a net fitness cost to the host tree. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science; OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

2010 journal article

Northward Expansion of the Invasive Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Eastern United States is Constrained by Winter Soil Temperatures

ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY, 39(5), 1659–1665.

By: R. Brightwell n, P. Labadie n & J. Silverman n

author keywords: abiotic interactions; environmental limitation; invasive species; range limitation; low temperature
MeSH headings : Acclimatization; Animals; Ants / physiology; Female; Maryland; North Carolina; Seasons; Soil; Temperature; Virginia
TL;DR: The invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) has been evident in the North Carolina Piedmont, United States for 90 yr but has failed to spread further north, and it is found that Argentine ant colonies will collapse after 8.5 d at 5°C. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

2009 journal article

Effects of Honeydew-Producing Hemipteran Denial on Local Argentine Ant Distribution and Boric Acid Bait Performance

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY, 102(3), 1170–1174.

By: R. Brightwell n & J. Silverman n

author keywords: Linepithema humile; Mesolecanium fasciatum; foraging activity; pest management
MeSH headings : Analysis of Variance; Animals; Ants / drug effects; Ants / physiology; Appetitive Behavior / physiology; Bodily Secretions; Boric Acids / toxicity; Hemiptera / chemistry; Insect Control / methods; Insecticides / toxicity; Population Dynamics
TL;DR: An alternative management strategy concentrating direct insecticidal control of Argentine ants around a few host plants infested with honeydew-producing Hemiptera by controlling Hemipteran in nearby host plants is suggested. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

2008 article

The Argentine ant: Challenges in managing an invasive unicolonial pest

ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY, Vol. 53, pp. 231–252.

By: J. Silverman n & R. Brightwell n

author keywords: Linepithema humile; eradication; invasive species; pest management
MeSH headings : Agriculture / economics; Agriculture / methods; Animals; Ants / physiology; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Insect Control / methods; Insecticides
TL;DR: It is suggested that prevailing control methodologies are incomplete and not compatible with the behavior, nesting habits, and population structure of this ant, and therefore, more aggressive management strategies are required. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

2007 journal article

Argentine ant foraging activity and interspecific competition in complete vs. queenless and broodless colonies

INSECTES SOCIAUX, 54(4), 329–333.

By: R. Brightwell n & J. Silverman n

author keywords: Linepithema humile; argentine ants; interspecific competition; introduction experiments; invasive species
TL;DR: It is suggested that for those invasive ant species with sterile workers, worker-only colonies may be substituted for complete colonies in short-term field experiments in new areas. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

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