Fire ant nests: Abundance and size in crops under different agricultural management systems and landscape compositions.

The genus Solenopsis is widely distributed in the Neotropical region, mainly in South America. In Brazil, the species S. invicta and S. saevissima, known as fire ants, cause significant impacts, especially in agricultural areas in open environments with little vegetation.Soil cover and environmental variables can influence the dimensions and occurrence of nests of these species. Thus, this study assessed the effect of management (conventional or organic) and the dominant landscape (agricultural areas or native vegetation) on the occurrence and dimensions of S. invicta and S. saevissima nests on rural properties in the "Cinturão Verde Paulista" region, in southeastern Brazil.Our results indicate a higher abundance of S. invicta nests in agricultural areas with conventional management, while S. saevissima nests are more abundant in areas with organic management. The morphological study revealed that the tallest nests of S. saevissima are predominantly found in agricultural landscapes, whereas management practices and landscape type appear to have no significant influence on S. invicta nesting dimensions. These findings contribute to our understanding of the ecological dynamics of S. saevissima. They also provide insights into potential strategies for population control and highlight the importance of considering both management systems and landscape factors when studying invasive species, such as S. invicta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]