Problem Statement
Biological invasion, or the establishment and spread of non-native (alien or exotic) species, is the most important, pervasive and insidious threat to the conservation of biological diversity in the Hawaiian Islands. Destruction of habitat remains a major problem, but merely halting the advance of human settlement will not stop the permeation of exotics into native ecosystems. Invasive species do not respect the boundaries of nature reserves. Invasions are usually irreversible with the potential to foil all further conservation efforts (Howarth 1990).

Social insects in particular have huge potential for destruction in Hawaii because there are no representatives in the native fauna (Wilson 1996). Introduced ants, the Argentine ant for example (Linepithema humile), devastate native arthropod assemblages wherever they are established (Zimmerman 1970, Cole et al. 1992), a problem not unique to, but magnified, in island systems (Human and Gordon 1997). Endemic arthropods lack many behavioral attributes necessary to resist attack by social predators (Gillespie and Reimer 1993). Many insects are flightless or otherwise "sluggish" (Perkins 1913) relative to their continental relatives. Social insects achieve large population sizes in colonies and, because their voracious foraging activities are coordinated, their impacts may be greater than can be predicted by their densities alone. As conservationists in Hawaii, we must stop future introduction of exotics, understand the impacts of current problem species, and devise effective management strategies to curtail their impacts on native species and ecosystems.

Recently, a new threat to the native Hawaiian has been collected from the vicinity of Hilo, island of Hawaii. The little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) is a slow-moving, small (<2mm) golden or reddish brown ant with a painful sting that can produce large red welts. Native to South America, Wasmannia is established all over the world, including parts of Africa, Florida, New Caledonia, and the Galapagos Islands. Wasmannia is a voracious social predator with devastating impacts on native ants and other arthropods in the Galapagos (Clark et al. 1982, Lubin 1984) and New Caledonia (D. Olson, personal communication). In addition, this ant is known to protect and tend aphids and mealybugs, which can be agricultural pests, for their carbohydrate-rich honeydew secretions. This behavior boosts pest densities and interferes with otherwise effective biological control (Cudjoe et al. 1993, Jahn and Beardsley 1994). This ant could pose significant problems to our economy, health and environment if it is allowed to spread unabated.

Early indications are that this species is not yet widely established in the islands. Populations exist in several locations in the lower Puna district, with a small satellite in Panaewa, and one large population in Papaikou. Immediate action must be taken to identify the total current range of this species, increase public awareness of its potential economic and biological importance, and take steps towards control or eradication. However, the small size and cryptic habits of the ant allow it to elude detection by untrained eyes. Indeed, the ant may have been in the Hawaiian Islands for as much as six years before it was first collected and identified (P. Conant, personal communication). If abatement efforts are to succeed, we must emphasize public outreach and recruit help from the general public in order to map the distribution of the ant on a very fine scale.

Proposed Action

I propose to initiate a public awareness program in schools in the Hilo vicinity as a first step to approaching this problem. I will organize workshops with K-12 teachers and make presentations in classrooms. These workshops would educate students and faculty on two levels: 1) the wonders of the basic natural history, ecology and evolution of Hawaiian plants and animals, and 2) the conservation problems, alien species in particular, faced by this unique biota. Presentations would involve a mixture of slide presentations, visual aids of live and properly preserved insects, and active learning exercises. Students would be brought out of the classroom for field trips to learn where and how to find, collect and preserve ants. HDOA will assist in the development of a simple pictorial key based on ants in the Hilo area so that students can identify the common ants in their neighborhoods.

Anticipated Results

Student collections and identifications (verified by myself and experts) will be used to develop an extensive GIS map of the distribution of Wasmannia auropunctata. With an increased understanding of the distribution and abundance of this ant, state personnel can design and implement a control or eradication program to curtail its spread. K-12 teachers and students will come away with a greater ecological and evolutionary understanding of the Hawaiian biota. Greater sensitivity to the problem of alien species in general may prevent future introductions and create an early warning network of informed citizens. Community support and involvement with conservation issues is important to their ultimate success (e.g. eradication project for Miconia calvescens)

Literature Cited

Clark, D. B., C. Guayasamin, O. Pazmino, C. Donoso, and Y. Paez de Villacis. 1982. The tramp ant    Wasmannia auropunctata: autecology and effects on ant diversity and distribution on Santa    Cruz  Island, Galapagos. Biotropica 14(3): 196-207.
Cole, F. R., A. C. Medeiros, L. L. Loope, and W. W. Zuehlke. 1992. Effects of the Argentine ant    on arthropod fauna of Hawaiian high-elevation shrubland. Ecology 73(4): 1313-1322.
Cudjoe, A. R., P. Neuenschwander, and M. J. W. Copland. 1993. Interference by ants in biological    control of the cassava mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Ghana.    Bulletin of Entomological Research 83: 15-22.
Gillespie, R. G., and N. Reimer. 1993. The effect of alien predatory ants (Hymenoptera:    Formicidae) on Hawaiian endemic spiders (Araneae: Tetragnathidae). Pacific Science 47(1):    21-33.
Howarth, F. G. 1990. Hawaiian terrestrial arthropods: an overview. Bishop Museum Occasional    Papers 30: 4-26.
Human, K. G., and D. M. Gordon. 1997. Effects of Argentine ants on invertebrate biodiversity in    Northern California. Conservation Biology 11(5): 1242-1248.
Jahn, G. C., and J. W. Beardsley. 1994. Big-headed ants, Pheidole megacephala: interference with    biological control of gray pineapple mealybugs. Pages 199-205 in D. F. Williams, ed. Exotic    Ants: Biology, Impact, and Control of Introduced Species. Westview, Boulder, CO.
Lubin, Y. D. 1984. Changes in the native fauna of the Galapagos Islands following invasion by the    little red fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. Biological journal of the Linnaean Society 21:    229-242.
Perkins, R. C. L. 1913. Introduction. Pages xv-ccxxviii in D. Sharp, ed. Fauna Hawaiiensis.    Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Wilson, E. O. 1996. Hawaii: a world without social insects. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers    45: 3-7.
Zimmerman, E. C. 1970. Adaptive radiation in Hawaii with special reference to insects. Biotropica    2(1): 32-38.