364 



as tliev find them. Furthermore, they were observed attacking 

 and dismembering adnlt flies. 



1913. Swezey, O. H. — Sugar cane mealy bugs in the 

 Hawaiian Islands. Haw. Planters' Record. VIII, 208. 



The author states that P. megacephala is always present 

 and although feeding largely on the sweetish excretions, yet 

 does eat some of the mealy bugs. 



1913. Perkins, R. C. L. — Introduction, Fauna Hawaiien- 

 sis, I, xli and ci. 



From the standpoint of the systematist, the author gives 

 this most interesting survey of P. megacephala in Hawaii: 



"As with the birds, destruction of forest has, doubtless, 

 caused the disappearance of many local insects, but even of 

 greater importance has been the introduction of foreign carniv- 

 orous species, especially of the dominant ant, Pheidole megaec- 

 phala. There is no record of the time when this destructive 

 creature was imported, but even during the last twenty years 

 it has occupied some considerable areas previously free from it. 

 It may be said that no native Hawaiian Coleopterous insect 

 can resist this predator, and it is practically useless to attempt 

 to collect where it is well established. Just on the limits of 

 its range one may occasionally meet with a few active beetles, 

 e. g, species of Plagithmysus, often with these ants attached to 

 their legs or bodies, but sooner or later they are quite extermi- 

 nated from such localities. It is quite certain that native 

 beetles and many other insects are absent from the localities 

 occupied by Pheidoley solely on account of its presence. In 

 several instances, as the ant has been observed to occupy a new 

 area, this area having been collected over before it was present 

 and yielding many native beetles, the latter have entirely dis- 

 appeared. In a few low-lying localities, even close to the coast, 

 there are some places, which from excessive dryness and 

 other causes, the Pheidole is unable to occupy, at any rate per- 

 manently, and 3'et unfavorable, as these are, for insects of any 

 kind, here only will native Coleoptera be found. On one 

 occasion I came across an instructive instance of the effect of 

 these ants on the native fauna. A more or less open piece of 

 forest at an elevation of 1,500 feet above sea level, with a 



