Rotting fruit exposed to the red imported fire ant,Solenopsis invictaBuren, was consumed by the ants, which successfully prevented colonization by other decomposer arthropods. When fire ants were excluded, the fruit was colonized by large numbers of several species of Diptera (Drosophilidae and Tephritidae) and Coleoptera (Nitidulidae and Staphylinidae), as well as small numbers of parasitic Hymenoptera and other arthropods. When rotting fruit was colonized by these decomposer arthropods and then exposed toSolenopsis invicta, the remaining fruit and the fruit colonizers were consumed by the ants. The data demonstrate that fire ants rapidly locate and recruit to rotting fruit where they consume other decomposer arthropods, exclude invasion by other decomposer arthropods, and use the decomposing resource themselves.