Detection of imported fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) mounds with satellite imagery

Abstract

Satellite imagery (0.65-m resolution, panchromatic) was tested as a detection tool for imported fire ant mounds in northeast Mississippi pasture. Photointerpretation of satellite imagery resulted in an average detection rate of 46.9 ± 1.2% of mounds. Mound size and mound height had a significant effect on mound visibility. Predicted detection rates, based on mound height and mound area, ranged from 24% for small mounds (15 cm high, 0.05 m2) to 66% for large mounds (30 cm high, 0.30 m2). Limitations and possible uses for satellite imagery in fire ant mound detection are discussed.