Biodiversity dynamics of aerially collected arthropods in  <i>Solenopsis invicta</i> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) invaded and excluded orchard agro-ecosystems

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) poses a significant ecological threat, yet its effects on aerially collected arthropods diversity in orchard-based agro-ecosystems remain poorly understood. While previous studies often report declines in native arthropod populations following red imported fire ant (RIFA) invasion, systematic assessments across different orchard habitats are scarce. This study investigated short-term differences in aerial arthropod community composition and diversity between RIFA-invaded and RIFA-excluded guava (Psidium guajava) and cherimoya (Annona cherimola) orchards. Although invaded plots showed slightly higher total abundance and family richness, diversity metrics (eg. Shannon diversity and Pielou's evenness) were marginally higher in exclusion plots; however, none of these differences were statistically significant. Hedges' g effect size estimates also indicated nonsignificant trends toward increased abundance and minor changes in family richness in invaded plots, indicating a limited effect of RIFA on aerial arthropod assemblages. However, correlation analyses revealed that temperature, precipitation, and humidity positively influenced arthropod abundance and family richness-particularly in invaded areas-whereas atmospheric pressure had a suppressive effect. These results indicate that, while RIFA invasion or short-term exclusion did not substantially alter aerial arthropod composition or community structure in orchard-based agro-ecosystems, but the role of climatic variables may shape biodiversity outcomes. Future studies should incorporate longer-term monitoring, multimethod trapping, and explicit partitioning of functional groups to clarify whether the observed subtle trends foreshadow delayed community reorganization or remain ecologically minor.