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Nonindigenous ants associated with geothermal and human
disturbance in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Wetterer, JK
Pacific Science [PAC. SCI.]. Vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 40-50. Jan 1998.
Although the Hawaiian Islands lack indigenous ants, more than 40
exotic species have become established there, primarily in lowland
areas, where they have been implicated in the extermination of
much of the endemic Hawaiian fauna. In June to August 1994, I
surveyed ants in the Kilauea Caldera region (elevation 1090-1240
m) of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to evaluate the current
range and potential impact of ants in this protected montane
ecosystem. Ants were common in areas disturbed by geothermal or
human activity, but rare in undisturbed forest. A total of 15 ant
species was collected, including 10 "lowland" ant species that are
generally restricted to elevations below 900 m in Hawai'i.
Pheidole megacephala and Anoplolepis longipes, major pest species
in lowland Hawai'i, occurred in very high densities in and around
the geothermal area near the park headquarters. Paratrechina
bourbonica and Cardiocondyla venustula, two cold-tolerant species,
were the most common ants in a second geothermal area, the Puhimau
hot spot, and in areas disturbed by human activity, including
roadsides. Linepithema humile, a major pest species in drier
highland areas, occurred only in and around park buildings. The
geothermal areas and park buildings appear to serve as warm
"habitat islands" that allow Ph. megacephala, A. longipes, and
other lowland ants to extend their ranges to higher elevations.
Colonization of geothermal areas by lowland ant species, such as
Ph. megacephala and A. longipes, poses a threat to endemic
Hawaiian species in those areas. Colonization of roadsides and
other disturbed areas by more cold-tolerant ants, such as P.
bourbonica, C. venustula, and L. humile, poses a more general
threat to endemic Hawaiian species found at higher elevations.
 Descriptors: Article Subject Terms Introduced species | Human settlements | Endemic
species | Montane environments | Ecosystem disturbance | Roads | Article Taxonomic Terms Formicidae | Pheidole megacephala | Linepithema humile | Article Geographic Terms USA, Hawaii
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