Wasmannia auropunctata
(a type of insect)
little red fire ant
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Wasmannia auropunctata
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The little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) is a small orange-red to light brown ant about 1/16th inch long. They are slow-moving ants, easily dislodged from plant leaves. The little fire ant can deliver a painful sting when disturbed; welts can last for weeks.
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Wasmannia auropunctata (little fire ant) links from the Hawaii Ant Group
This is "the homepage of the University of California Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources (UC DANR) workgroup for the Integrated Pest Management of Glassy-winged Sharpshooters and the Diseases They Vector. On this web site you will find a wealth of information detailing resources available to help identify, manage and control Pierce's disease and glassy-winged sharpshooters." There are links to many resources from this site.
Kauai Invasive Species Committee 2002/2003 Strategic Action Plan (with addendum for 2004) 
Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) (http://www.hear.org/); webmaster: Philip A. Thomas
issg Database: Ecology of Wasmannia auropunctata
online
Wasmannia auropunctata (insect)
Lots of information, including description, range, habitat, diet, life cycle, control, images, and more is provided here.
Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger)
PT's bookmarks
Little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata
This University of Florida site presents general information and a photograph of Wasmannia auropunctata.
Those pesky tramp ants (Pest Control Technology Online)
Polygyny, monomorphism, and colony dispersal by budding and fission allow tramp ant species to succesfully invade new territories. These and other characteristics that benefit tramp ants are discussed in this article.
Wasmannia auropunctata ecology from ISSG
The ecology, distribution, habitat, and management of Wasmannia auropunctata are presented in this Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) site.
Intercontinental chemical variation in the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera Formicidae): a key to the invasive success of a tramp species. (abstract)
Wasmannia auropunctata benefits from unicoloniality, a feature that characterizes successful invasive species. Its underlying mechanism is reduced intraspecific aggression while keeping interspecific competitiveness.
Wasmannia behavior key
Use this interactive key to determine if your ants might be Wasmannia auropunctata.
Little red fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) pest identification flyer
Photos of the little red fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) and comparisons to other ant species are in this Maui County report-a-pest page.
Key to ant species in Hawaii
13 physical characteristics are the basis of this computer-assisted key for identifying the 48 species of ants in Hawaii.
Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) taxonomy from ITIS
ITIS, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, lists taxonomic data for Wasmannia auropunctata and allows searches of other databases.
Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review
and draft regional strategy (2000)
The status of invasive plants, vertebrates, arthropods, molluscs, and crustaceans, and options for a regional invasive species strategy for the South Pacific are presented in this series of articles from the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 2000.
Wasmannia auropunctata: Autecology and effects on ant diversity and distribution on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos (abstract)
The Wasmannia auropunctata invasion is causing major disruptions to the invertebrate ecology of Galapagos (Biotropica, 1982).
Quarantine updates: little fire ant and mixed fruit boxes
Irradiation of mixed fruit boxes from Hawaii could meet the quarantine requirements for controlling Wasmannia auropunctata (USDA ARS).
Wasmannia auropunctata impacts
General and site specific impacts of Wasmannia auropunctata are presented by the Global Invasive Species Database.
Review of the efficacy of baits used for ant control and
eradication
Ant species have varying responses to toxins and baits used for their control. This extensive review of published reports is a preamble to the development of recommendations for New Zealand.
Galapagos invasive species: Spotlight archives
Articles include the inconclusive results of programs to combat invasive species in Galapagos, the negative impacts of humans on protected areas, and comparisons between Galapagos and Hawaii.
Galapagos invasive species: ants...
Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR); webmaster: Philip A. Thomas
Wasmania auropunctata SEM image
This SEM (scanning electron microscope) image of Wasmannia auropunctata is a frontal head view.
Wasmannia auropunctata
Philip Thomas
Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review
and draft regional strategy (2000)
The status of invasive plants, vertebrates, arthropods, molluscs, and crustaceans, and options for a regional invasive species strategy for the South Pacific are presented in this series of articles from the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 2000.
Wasmannia auropunctata distribution
Distribution records for Wasmannia auropunctata in the Global Invasive Species Database are organized by country.
Fire ants leave their mark
Fire ants have invaded nurseries in Hawaii, where they are being managed with poison baits and hot water treatments.
Fire ants leave their mark
Fire ants have invaded nurseries in Hawaii, where they are being managed with poison baits and hot water treatments.
Kauai cracking down on invasive pests
The fire ant and stinging nettle caterpillar are targets of an island-wide survey of every garden store, plant nursery and refuse station on the island of Kauai (10/2007).
Tiny invasive ant looms large as threat to the islands
"A disaster waiting to happen", is how the invasion of Wasmannia auropunctata in Hawaii is described in this well researched article (Maui Time Weekly, 2007).
Little fire ant threat to organic farms in Hawaii
Painful stings by Wasmannia auropunctata are causing some orchard workers in East Hawaii to refuse to work.
Fire ant invasion spreading across Hawaiian islands
An infestation of fire ants on the Big Island and Kauai is spreading, and researchers say it will be difficult to stop (Associated Press, 9/23/2007)
'Little fire ant' discovered in ESP (Papua New Guinea)
Wasmannia auropunctata was found in East Sepik province, PNG, apparently introduced with plant material from Bouganville.
Hunt on for invasive fire ants (Fiji)
A workshop in Fiji helped entomologists and quarantine officers recognize the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) and the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata).
Fire ant is little, but can cause big trouble
The fire ant is the topic of the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) Kiai Moku Maui News column (1/11/2007).
State trying to prevent tiny pests from spreading (little fire ant)
Hawaii State Dept. of Land & Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Wildlife
State trying to prevent tiny pests from spreading
Little fire ants were first discovered in Hawaii in 1999 in Puna on the Big Island. And since then there've been about 50 known infestations in East Hawaii. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is constantly testing areas across the state for little fire ants. The state also tests plants that are shipped from the infested areas, to prevent them from invading the entire state.
Article: Students declare war!
Maui high school students are on the front lines identifying invasive ants on the Valley Isle (Maui News, February, 2006).
He clones, she clones: Dad, mom ants as different species
Male and female Wasmannia auropunctata apparently clone themselves and are genetically distinct. Does this make each sex their own species? (Science News, July 2, 2005, by Susan Milius)
The ecology, policy, and management of ants in Hawaii (Proc. Hawaiian Entomol Soc., 2005)
The ecology and impacts of the roughly 45 ant species introduced to Hawaii, and their implications for agriculture, other sectors of the economy, and the conservation of native biodiversity, are reviewed (abstract with link to full article).
Current and potential ant impacts in the Pacific region (Proc. Hawaiian Entomological Society, 2005)
Is an "invasional meltdown" involving ants and scale insects a wave of the future for the Pacific? This article discusses the potential impacts of invasive insects on Pacific Islands.
The causes and consequences of ant invasions
Invasive ants compete with and prey upon a diversity of other organisms, including
some vertebrates, and may enter into or disrupt mutualistic interactions with numerous
plants and other insects.
The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata: distribution, impact and control
The distribution of Wasmannia auropunctata and information on the ant's biology and ecology are reviewed.
Eradication of the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata from Marchena Island, Galapagos
The procedures used to kill W. auropunctata, monitor the efficacy of the eradication methods, the program's costs, and its applicability to other island ecosystems are presented (Florida Entomologist, 2005).
Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy
South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP). Sherley, Greg (ed.) 2000. Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. Apia, Samoa: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme. ISBN: 982-04-0214-X. ISSN: (unknown or N/A).
Arthropod pests of conservation significance in the
Pacific: A preliminary assessment of selected groups
Invasive ants are individually reviewed in this section of "Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy" published in June 2000 by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
The causes and consequenses of ant invasions
This article reviews the ecological effects of invasive ants on continents and islands. Tables and extensive references are provided.
The role of opportunity in the unintentional introduction of nonnative ants (Proceedings National Academy of Science)
The authors study ant species unintentionally transported into the US and relate opportunity and species-level ecological attributes to the probability of establishment.
Hoike o Haleakala Curriculum # Fire Ants and the Future of Maui Wetlands
This unit engages students in efforts at early detection of fire ants on Maui, and challenges them to help minimize the potential threat to wetlands and endangered species here by developing a prevention and action plan.
Hoike o Haleakala Curriculum # Finding the Little Fire Ant
Students engage in searching for possible infestation of little red fire ants by setting and checking simple peanut butter baits
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| The content of this page is based on information last generated on 24 November 2008 by PT. The template for this page was created on 15 March 2004 by EMS, and was last updated on 20 February 2006 by PT. |
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