03043nas a2200253 4500008004100000245013900041210006900180260001600249300001400265490000600279520227700285653002402562653001802586653001402604653002002618653001302638653001502651653001202666100001602678700001602694700001702710700001602727856004602743 2014 eng d00aFirst record of a species from the New World Pheidole flavens-complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) introduced to the southwestern Pacific0 aFirst record of a species from the New World Pheidole flavenscom cJan-11-2014 a301 - 3070 v33 a
Ants are among the world’s most destructive invaders, and Pacific Islands are particularly susceptible to invasion by non-native ant species.
A species from the taxonomically problematic Pheidole flavens-complex is reported here for the first time from the southwestern Pacific.
Specimens of the species reported here were collected November 2011 from an established colony on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, during a
survey of the island’s ant fauna. Morphological and genetic analyses revealed these Vanuatu specimens belong to the Neotropical P. flavens
group. The DNA sequence data most closely matched those of two specimens previously determined as P. moerens Wheeler and P. flavens
Roger. A closely related taxon currently being treated as P. moerens Wheeler was reported from Hawaii in 2005. Preliminary morphological
analysis suggests that the Vanuatu population reported here represents a different species than the Hawaii P. moerens. However, a valid
species name cannot be confidently applied to either the Hawaii population or the Vanuatu population until a comprehensive taxonomic
revision of the flavens-complex is completed. Species of the Pheidole flavens-complex are occasionally considered pest ants, but have not
been documented as causing significant harm to native species, food security or public health. However, the recent spread of species in this
complex across the southeastern United States, recent introductions to California and Hawaii, and the recent discovery in Vanuatu suggests
their potential for human-mediated dispersal and establishment. We hope that raising awareness of this new incursion will improve the
chances of early detection and eradication before the species spreads further into the Pacific Island region. We provide specimen photographs
of the major and minor caste and a brief diagnosis that can be used to separate this species from other Pheidole species introduced in the
Pacific island region, including Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) and the morphologically similar Pheidole parva.
10abiological invasion10aInvasive ants10aMelanesia10aPacific islands10aPheidole10aTramp ants10aVanuatu1 aSarnat, E M1 aRabeling, C1 aEconomo, E P1 aWilson, E O uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.3391/bir.2014.3.4.1302553nas a2200253 4500008004500000020001400045245011600059210006900175260003700244300000900281520171000290653002602000653002002026653001802046653003002064653002302094653002302117653002002140653001502160100002002175700001702195700002302212856006402235 2013 Engldsh  a1387-354700aImported crazy ant displaces imported fire ant, reduces and homogenizes grassland ant and arthropod assemblages0 aImported crazy ant displaces imported fire ant reduces and homog bSpringer Netherlandsc2013/04/21 a1-143 a

A recently introduced, ecologically dominant, exotic ant species, Nylanderia fulva, is invading the Southeastern United States and Texas. We evaluate how this invader impacts diversity and abundance of co-occurring ants and other arthropods in two grasslands. N. fulva rapidly attains densities up to 2 orders of magnitude greater than the combined abundance of all other ants. Overall ant biomass increases in invaded habitat, indicating that N. fulva exploits resources not fully utilized by the local ant assemblage. At high density, as N. fulva spreads, it eliminates the current ecologically dominant invasive ant, red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). Compared to imported fire ant dominated habitat, N. fulva invasion zones have lower non-ant arthropod species richness and abundance with impacts differing by trophic category. Further, N. fulva reduces abundance and species richness of the remainder of the ant assemblage and does so in a non-random manner: impacting species with small sized workers much less than species with larger workers. In these and other ant assemblages with a large exotic component, the exotics tend to be small bodied species. As a result, N. fulva almost completely eliminates regionally distributed species, but leaves globally distributed species largely unaffected, thereby systematically favoring introduced over native diversity. S. invicta impacts wildlife and arthropod assemblage structure and is nearly ubiquitous in non-forested habitats of the Southeastern United States and Texas. Its displacement by N. fulva has critical implications for the natural systems of this region.

10aBiotic homogenization10aHairy crazy ant10aInvasive ants10aNylanderia sp. nr. pubens10aParatrechina fulva10aRasberry crazy ant10aTawny crazy ant10aTramp ants1 aLeBrun, EdwardG1 aAbbott, John1 aGilbert, LawrenceE uhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10530-013-0463-6#