@article {3755,
	title = {Determinants for the successful establishment of exotic ants in New Zealand},
	journal = {Diversity and Distributions},
	volume = {11},
	year = {2005},
	note = {Part of FORMIS 07; from Fire Ant Literature Database; from-DPW, verified-DPW.},
	month = {July 2005},
	pages = {279-288},
	abstract = {*[Quarantine records show interceptions of 66 ant species: 17 of which have established, 43 have failed to establish, whereas nests of another 6 are periodically observed but have failed to establish permanently, called ephemeral establishment.  Mean temperature at the highest latitude and interception variables were the only factors significantly different between established, failed or ephemeral groups.  Amblyopone australis, Cardiocondyla minutior, Hypoponera eduardi, Hypoponera punctatissima, Iridomyrmex anceps, Linepithema humile, Monomorium floricola, Monomorium pharaonis, Ochetellus glaber, Paratrechina vaga, Pheidole magacephala, Pheidole rugosula, Rhytidoponera chalybaea, Rhytidoponera metallica, Strumigenys perplexa, Technomyrmex albipes, Tetramorium bicarinatum, \& Tetramorium grassii are established exotic species.   Lasius niger, Monomorium destructor, Pheidole fervens, Solenopsis papuana, Tetramorium simillimum, \& Wasmannia auropunctata are non-established species.  Anoplolepis gracilipes, Monomorium floricola, Paratrechina longicornis, Solenopsis geminata, Solenopsis invicta, \& Tapinoma melanocephalum are species that have been observed to nest, but not established.  Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Myrmecia brevinoda, Oecophylla smaragdina, \& Paratrechina bourbonica are ephemeral establishments.  Paratrechina longicornis is one of the most common ants found in international cargo by quarantine officials.]},
	author = {Lester, P.J.}
}
@article {3756,
	title = {Long-legged ants (<i>Anoplolepis gracilipes)</i> have invaded Tokelau, changing the composition and dynamics of ant and invertebrate communities},
	journal = {Pacific Science},
	volume = {58},
	year = {2004},
	note = {Part of FORMIS 06; from-DPW, verified-DPW.},
	month = {July 2004},
	pages = {391-401},
	abstract = {*[This report documents the ongoing invasion of the Tokelau atolls by the long-legged ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes (Jerdon).  These ants were collected from 2 of the 3 Tokelau atolls. On the island of Fenua Fala of Fakaofo Atoll, A. gracilipes appears to be a recent arrival and occur in only a small area around one of the 2 ports.  Most of the inhabited islands of Vao and Motuhuga on Nukunonu Atoll have been invaded, in addition to several of the uninhabited, forested islands.  Despite this ant having been previously recorded from at least one island of Fakaofo and Nukunonu, these appear to be new invasions.  Densities of up to 3,603 A. gracilipes per pitfall trap were caught per 24 hr.  A significant reduction in ant species diversity was observed with increasing A. gracilipes densities.  Densities of this ant were not uniformly high, perhaps due to variation in food availability.  Prey such as crabs, ant colonies, and other insects were directly observed being attacked, and A. gracilipes was observed to feed on honeydew produced by high densities of aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects on a variety of plants.  Interspecific competition was investigated as an additional mechanism for the successful invasion.  A. gracilipes found and removed bait faster than the dominant resident ant species, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille), in forested areas of Nukunonu Island, though needing smaller numbers of recruits to achieve this result.  This A. gracilipes invasion is of serious concern for the biodiversity of Tokelau and probably many of the other Pacific islands where these ants have invaded.  Boats are certainly a carrier of ants to these islands because while traveling on the boat for this study one of us (P.J.L) recorded the presence of the species Monomorium minutum Mayr, P. vaga, and T. bicarinatum in just 4 small potted plants being moved to Nukunonu during November 2002.]},
	author = {Lester, P.J. and Tavite, A.}
}
@article {3774,
	title = {Invasive ants compete with and modify the trophic ecology of hermit crabs on tropical islands},
	journal = {Oecologia (Berlin)},
	volume = {160},
	year = {2009},
	note = {Part of FORMIS 09; from-DPW, },
	month = {May 2009, Publis},
	pages = {187-194},
	abstract = {*[Here, we demonstrate how the trophic ecology of the remote atoll nation of Tokelau is changing due to competition between the invasive ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, \& native terrestrial hermit crabs, Coenobita spp., for carrion.  A significant negative correlation was observed between A. gracilipes \& hermit crab abundance.  On islands with A. gracilipes, crabs were generally restricted to the periphery of invaded islands.  Very few hermit crabs were found in central areas of these islands, where A. gracilipes abundances were highest.  Ant exclusion experiments demonstrated that changes in the abundance \& distribution of hermit crabs on Tokelau are a result of competition.  The ants did not kill the hermit crabs.  Rather, when highly abundant, A. gracilipes attacked crabs by spraying acid, driving crabs away from carrion resources.  Analysis of naturally occurring N and C isotopes suggests that the ants are effectively lowering the trophic level of crabs.  According to delta-15N values, hermit crabs have a relatively high trophic level on islands where A. gracilipes have not invaded. In contrast, where these ants have invaded, we observed a significant decrease in delta-15 N for all crab species. This result concurs with our experiment in suggesting long-term exclusion from carrion resources, driving co-occurring crabs towards a more herbivorous diet. Changes in hermit crab abundance or distribution may have major ramifications for the stability of plant communities. Because A. gracilipes have invaded many tropical islands where the predominant scavengers are hermit crabs, we consider that their competitive effects are likely to be more prominent in structuring communities than predation.]},
	author = {McNatty, A. and Abbott, K.L. and Lester, P.J.}
}
@article {3643,
	title = {Behaviourally and genetically distinct populations of an invasive ant provide insight into invasion history and impacts on a tropical ant community},
	journal = {Biological Invasions},
	volume = {9},
	year = {2007},
	note = {Part of FORMIS 07; from NAL{\textquoteright}s AGRICOLA; from-DPW, verified-DPW.},
	month = {June 2007},
	pages = {453-463},
	abstract = {Populations of invasive species often exhibit a high degree of spatial and temporal variability in abundance and hence their effects on resident communities. Here, we examine behavioral, genetic and environmental factors that influence variation in populations of the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, on the remote Nukunonu Atoll of Tokelau, Pacific Ocean.  Behavioral assays revealed high levels of aggression between two groups of yellow crazy ants from different islands, and genetic analysis confirmed the presence of two distinct populations with unique mitochondrial (mt)DNA haplotypes, designated A and D. The two populations likely resulted from two separate invasion events. The populations exhibited significant differences in abundance of A. gracilipes, with a mean sevenfold difference in relative abundance between the two main haplotypes. The higher density haplotype D population coexisted with 50\% fewer other ant species and altered ant community composition. Vegetation composition was also significantly different on islands harbouring the two populations. The results suggest genetic differences could play a role in the spatial and temporal variation in the effect of the yellow crazy ant on a small oceanic atoll. We could not differentiate between genetic effects and effects of vegetation. However, our results indicate that spatial variability in behavior and impacts within populations of invasive species could be in part due to genetic differences, and play a substantial role in influencing the outcome of biological invasions.},
	author = {Abbott, K.L. and Greaves, S.N.J. and Ritchie, P.A. and Lester, P.J.}
}
