350 



A notable case (Wheeler, 1906) is the supplanting of Pliei- 

 (Jolc iiicf/uccpliala. by the Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex liu- 

 )iiill.s), ill Madeira. This displaced species which has proved 

 itself so (loiiiinaiit in other warm countries of the world, evi- 

 dently met a superior foe in the pugnacious South American 

 ant. This superiority appears to he evidenced l)y the way that 

 the Ai'gentine ant is displacing all other ants in our Southern 

 States. (Dr. Wheeler (1910), further, gives interesting ac- 

 counts of the dominance of P. mef/acepliaJa in tropical coun- 

 ti-ies, citing particularly, Bermuda and the Virgin Islands. He 

 then ])redicted that this species would rapidly exterminate the 

 ant-fainui of tro]ucal or sul)tropical regions, wherever it was 

 able to gain a foothold, and })ropagate abundantly. This pre- 

 diction is certainly proving true in the case of Hawaii, at least 

 as far as out-of-door nesting species are concerned. 



V,()ne has but to observe in some particular region of our 

 Islands, for a few years, to note the supplanting of other ants 

 by P. )ii('</arep]iahi. At my home, in Palolo Valley, this latter 

 species is now the dominant ant, out-of-doors. As recently as 

 1913, the black ant ( Frenolepi'^ lonf/iconiis) was thei-e in 

 myriads, and the yai'd contained several nests of the fire ant 

 {Solrnopsis i/oiiiiiaia var. r(if<i)\ both these species have now 

 entirely disa])peared. ) The first was ])articularly troublesoihe 

 from tbe fact that wliole colonies fre(iuently move(l into the 

 house, locating the l)rood alxuit the water pipes, oi- iusid(^ the 

 tank of the toilet. They gave further trouble by beiug oinni\- 

 oi'ous feeders ; so we were glad to see tluMu replaced, even 

 though it might be a case of "out of the frying pan into the 

 fii-e'\ The incf/accp/iohi . however, have at least k(>pt tlieir 

 family affairs out-of-doors. 



Dr. Perkins (191.'>) has described in a most convincing 

 manner the effects of this dominant introduced ant n|)on oni- 

 endemic insect-fauna. For be considered Ihat it had |)i'acri- 

 cally exterminated the native insects, particnlai'ly tlie beeth's. 

 within its i-ange. I^ut, as he i'emai'ke(l, foi-cign oi- importecl 

 insects often floui'ish in spite of it. 



I)i'. \\ licch'i' has recently wi-itlcn me of his observations 

 on /'. ni('(/fic('iili(ilii in (^ueenshind, .Vnsti'alia, where, he says. 



