Fiery Big-headed Ant
Pheidole fervens
Species Info General
Other common names include: n/a
Pheidole fervens is a widespread invasive ant but one that has not been well studied: in 2015 Sarnat et al. wrote “For such a ubiquitous species across its native and introduced range, very little is known about the biology of Pheidole fervens”. On Maui it is abundant (sometimes incredibly so) in forested areas throughout the north shore lowlands from Haʻikū to Hāna up to around 3000 feet elevation. This species is very similar to the African Big-headed Ant (Pheidole megacephala), Hawaiʻi’s most common ant. Fervens seems to replace megacephala in wetter habitats. P. fervens is apparently particularly fond of rotten stumps and trunks to install its nest (Ramage 2014).
The biology and impacts of Pheidole fervens are probably not all that dissimilar to those of its better-known cousin, Pheidole megacaphala, the African Big-headed Ant. P. fervens recruits to baits and food sources quickly and in large numbers, and is likely to be a nuisance inside homes at times.
Identification/Description
This is an ant of very average appearance: a very normal-sized brownish ant. The coloring is variable from light brown to very dark brown – but always a shade of brown. When large numbers are observed, around 5% of the individuals will sport the “big head” that gives the ants of the genus Pheidole their common name.
Impacts
- Potentially a serious pest for Kalo farmers due to its habit of tending Taro Root Aphids (Patchiella reaumuri Kaltenbach 1843) (Beardsley 1991)
- “Although few studies have measured the effect of P. fervens on native ecosystems, we predict that it could negatively impact native arthropods.” (Sarnat et al. 2015)
History
- Pheidole fervens was first recorded in Hawaiʻi in 1966 on Oʻahu, and the following year on Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi. It seems to have arrived on Maui in the 1990s. Records for this species on Molokaʻi are probably misidentifications, and no records are known yet from Lānaʻi or Kahoʻolawe.
Resources/References
- Pheidole fervens – AntWiki
- Beardsley, J. W. 1991. [Notes & Exhibitions]. Pheidole fervens Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 30: 11.
- Ramage, T. 2014. Les Fourmis de Polynésie française (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bulletine de la Société entomologique de France 119(2): 145–176.
- Sarnat, E. M., Fischer, G., Guénard, B. & Economo, E. P. 2015. Introduced Pheidole of the world: taxonomy, biology and distribution. ZooKeys 543: 1–109.
