Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

  • A A A
  • Home
  • Careers at MISC
  • Report a Pest
    • Statewide Pest Hotline
    • Coqui Frog
    • Little Fire Ants
    • MISC Target Pests
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Partners
    • Committee Meetings and Minutes
    • Strategic Plan
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • LFA Detector Dog Program
    • Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award
    • Coqui Frog Control Program
    • Invasive Species Articles
    • Press Releases
    • Technical and Scientific Publications
  • MISC Target Pests
    • Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle
    • Red-Vented Bulbul
    • Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
    • Little Fire Ant
    • Coqui Frog
    • Miconia
    • Pampas Grass
    • Ivy Gourd
    • Blessed Milk Thistle
    • Fountain Grass
    • Mullein
    • Rubber vine
  • Get Involved!
    • Community Coqui Control Program
      • Make Your Yard Un-Friendly to Coqui Frogs
      • Community Coqui Control Code of Conduct
      • Effects of citric acid on the environment
      • Where are the coqui frogs?
    • Donate
    • Be Our Eyes and Ears
    • Survey for Little Fire Ants
    • Classroom Visits and Presentations
    • Workshops
  • MISC Target Species

Citizen scientists and concerned community find ants new to Hawaiʻi

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Lissa Strohecker

  • The trap-jaw ant had never before been found in Hawaiʻi until a taro farmer in Hanalei collected it. Photo credit: Tom Murray, iNaturalist.org
  • Collecting ant samples can help find species new to the islands as well as stop invasive ants. Photo courtesy of Masako Cordray.

In 2017, a taro farmer in Hanalei on Kaua’i found a strange ant in his lo’i – large and brownish red with mouth parts half the length of its head. Entomologists identified it as a species of trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus ruginodis, never before found in Hawai’i. Trap-jaw ants are aptly named: they can open their mandibles to a gaping 180° and, when nearby prey triggers tiny hairs on the inside, snap them shut at an astounding 140 mph, the second-fastest predatory animal movement known. According to Eric Garcia, an entomologist with the Hawai’i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), the ants find homes in composting wood. They will bite and sting but tend to flee when they see people or feel the ground moving, even using their snapping jaws to “jump” away. 

The arrival of the trap-jaw ant to our state is relatively recent, but it has plenty of company. Nearly 60 ant species have found their way to Hawai’i, which previously had no ants. All have some impacts, with little fire ants (LFA) causing some of the greatest to date. Unlike trap-jaw ants, LFA are slow-moving, relatively oblivious of their surroundings, and unable to hold onto branches in a breeze. What they lack in aggression, they make up for in sheer number: supercolonies blanket trees and the ground, outcompeting other insects. When humans inadvertently encounter them, they leave with necks and torsos covered in welts from the sting of the ants. Pets can become blind from repeated stings. LFA are targeted for removal in Maui County, O’ahu, and Kaua’i.

Little fire ants are tiny! Only about 2 mm long. Image courtesy of Zach Pezzillo.

With over 20,000 different species of ants in the world, and a high dependency on imported goods, Hawai’i remains vulnerable to other troublesome ants hitchhiking a ride. Pest species that have recently invaded mainland states are particularly worrying.

The red imported fire ant (RIFA), native to South America, has spread throughout Texas and the Southeast. RIFA is very aggressive, swarming up people’s legs, leaving stings that can cause intense itching, swelling, and even anaphylactic shock. The tawny crazy ant, a relative newcomer to the Gulf Coast and southern states, excludes all other species, even covering itself in formic acid as a defense against RIFA. Poultry can die from attacks and cattle and other grazing animals suffer bites on their nostrils, mouths, and eyes. They are attracted to electrical wiring and tend to chew through the plastic casing and cause short circuits and, sometimes, fires. 

What’s being done to prevent new invasions?

Inspectors stationed at the ports of entry check high-risk materials – ornamentals, food, and cut flowers – but the volume of incoming cargo limits their ability to inspect everything. Ants are small; many are found but sometimes they slip through. When they do, it’s often taro farmers, nursery owners, school kids, and beachgoers who find them. 

The first detection of little fire ants in Hawai’i occurred when a Big Island nursery grower reported them to HDOA. On Maui, 11 of the 17 known infestations came to the attention of the Maui Invasive Species Committee through community reports. Students surveying for little fire ants as part of a class project found a species of ant new to Hawai’i – a tiny yellow LFA look-alike. Public reports of stinging ants at a Lāhainā beach lead to the first detection of the Mexican twig ant on Maui. Even RIFA and LFA were first detected on the mainland by kids: E.O. Wilson – a famed entomologist – collected RIFA in 1942 at age 13 in Alabama and a 12-year-old girl found LFA in Florida in 1924.

What can you do? Join in. This October, the Invasive Species Committees and partners throughout Hawai’i are encouraging people to collect and submit samples of ants from their yards during Stop the Ant Month. Think of it as doing a yearly physical for your home: collect and send in the ants you find to make sure there’s nothing to worry about. If something concerning pops up, early detection is on our side.

Collecting ants is easy; it just takes a smear of peanut butter and a few minutes.

  1. Smear a tiny bit of peanut butter (or mayonnaise if peanut allergies are a concern) on several sticks, coffee stirrers, or pieces of cardboard, and place them in shady places in your yard. Set a timer for 45 minutes.  
  2. After 45 minutes, collect the ants, place them in a plastic bag labeled with your name, address, and contact information, and freeze them overnight.
  3. Mail samples to MISC, P.O. Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768.

Indications of little fire ants include stings on the neck and torso that may resemble an allergic reaction. If you have experienced this, please contact us immediately: miscants@hawaii.edu or report it online through 643PEST.org. Find videos, lessons, and more information about invasive ants in Hawaiʻi at www.stoptheant.org. 

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

A version of this article was originally published in the Maui News on October 10, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Filed Under: Home Slider, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2020, collect ant samples, invasive ants maui, stop the ant, trapjaw ant

Premiere of the new documentary Invasion: Little Fire Ants in Hawaii

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

LFA Premiere invitationIn 2009, Waihee farmer Christina Chang was stung on the eye by a tiny ant at her home on Maui. She suspected, and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture confirmed, that this ant was the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, never before found on Maui. The detection spurred creation of a new documentary, Invasion: Little Fire Ants in Hawaii.

Invasive species introductions to Hawaii often end in regret and a list of should-haves. This film, produced by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, aims to change the result of the arrival of little fire ants in Hawaii. Featuring videography from award-winning film makers Masako Cordray and Chris Reickert, this half-hour film examines the biology, impacts, and potential solutions to the spread of little fire ants through interviews with scientists, farmers, and community on the Big Island reeling from the impacts of this miniscule, but devastating, ant. Viewers will learn how to identify and report new infestations, helping to protect Hawaii from this small stinging ant

The Waihee site is on target for eradication. However, little fire ants have recently been detected moving between islands, raising concern about the establishment of new infestations. On Hawaii Island, the little fire ant is now widespread in the Hilo area where efforts are focused on educating landowners about control options.  Infestations are now occurring on the Kona side as well. Research on effective control continues by the Hawaii Ant Lab, a joint project of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and University of Hawaii. The little fire ant on Kauai is contained within a 12-acre area under active control by HDOA

The film will premiere on Maui January 8th at the McCoy Theater at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Doors open at 5pm. An awards ceremony and panel discussion will follow the screening. Food and beverages are available for purchase on site beginning at 4:30pm.

Screenings on other islands will follow. Please RSVP to miscpr@hawaii.edu to reserve a seat. Below is the current screening schedule:

  • Maui: January 8, McCoy Theater and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, 5pm
  • Oahu: January 13, Cafe Julia at the YWCA, 1040 Richard St, 4:30pm
  • Kauai: January 18, Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center
  • Hilo: TBA (February 18)
  • Kona: February 19, Aloha Performing Arts Center, 5pm

The film will also air throughout the state on KITV

Sat 1/11                630-7PM

Sunday 1/12       9-9:30AM

Sat 1/19                4-4:30PM

Sunday 1/20       10:30-11P

Funding and support for the film was provided by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, County of Maui-Office of Economic Development, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hawaii Community Foundation-Pikake Fund, Maui Electric Company, Alexander and Baldwin Foundation, Tri-Isle RC&D. MISC and the Hawaii Ant Lab are collaborative projects of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit.

Filed Under: Get Involved!, Home-Featured, In the field, Invasive Animals, MISC Target Species Tagged With: ant documentary, lfa, little fire ant, spot the ant, stop the ant

Like us on Facebook

Get Involved

  • Donate
  • Classroom Visits and Presentations
  • Meetings Minutes
  • Report a Pest
PCSU logo

Contact Us

Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
Office: (808) 573-6472
Press and Media Inquiries: (808) 344-2756
Mailing Address:
PO Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768

Acting Manager / Public Relations: Lissa Strohecker
E-mail: miscpr@hawaii.edu

Special Projects: Teya Penniman
E-mail: miscmgr@hawaii.edu

Statewide Pest Hotline: 808-643-PEST
Report a Pest Online

© 2025 Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) • Sitemap • Log in