Collaborative Research: Speciation and Evolution of Fire Ants - An Integrated Population Genetic, Phylogenetic, and Ecological Approach

红火蚁是世界上最严重的入侵物种之一，在美国，这种昆虫的控制、管理和农业损失每年造成的损失超过 10 亿美元。尽管70多年前从南美洲抵达美国东南部，但我们仍然对哪些地区容易受到这种入侵者的攻击、火蚁物种复合体中物种边界的划分以及未来哪些新火蚁物种可能成为入侵者知之甚少。我们将整合分子和生态技术来解决这些悬而未决的问题。这些信息将具有巨大的科学价值，因为我们可以调查物种的性质和物种边界的划分，并且对于了解高度破坏性火蚁害虫物种的全部入侵潜力以及为这些害虫构思新颖的管理策略具有实用价值。该项目的更广泛影响中需要解决的一个核心社会问题是美国中小学训练有素的科学教师严重短缺。将采用两种策略来鼓励学生将科学教育/科学研究作为职业选择，一种涉及佐治亚州北部和伊利诺伊州中部公立高中的学生，另一种涉及本科生。

The red-imported fire ant is one of the world's worst invasive species and costs associated with control, management, and agricultural losses due to this insect exceed a billion dollars a year in the United States. Despite arriving in the southeastern United States from South America over 70 years ago, we still know very little about the what areas are vulnerable to this invader, what delineates species boundaries in the fire ant species complex, and which new species of fire ant may become invaders in the future. We will integrate molecular and ecological techniques to address these outstanding questions. This information will be of enormous scientific value, as we investigate the nature of species and the delineation of species boundaries, as well as of practical value for understanding the full invasive potential of the highly damaging fire ant pest species and for conceiving novel management strategies for these pests. A central societal issue to be addressed in the broader impacts of the proposed project is the critical shortage of well-trained science teachers in primary and secondary schools in the U.S.A. Two strategies will be employed to encourage students to consider science education/scientific research as career options, one involving students at public high schools in northern Georgia and central Illinois, and the other involving undergraduates.