Assessment of Yellow Crazy Ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) on Nu'ulua Island, Aleipata, Samoa with recommendations for population control

Abstract

The Samoan islands of Nuutele and Nuulua from part of the Aleipata Marine Protected Area, in recognition of their contribution to biological diversity in Samoa. In a 1986 review of 226 islands in the South Pacific region, these islands together rated 30th in importance for biological diversity. The islands provide essential habitat for a reange of sea birds, bats and land birds such as the rare friendly ground dove, sea turtles, shell fish and other marine life. Human access to Nuutele and especially Nuulua is difficult and this has, in part facilitated the preservation of this habitat to date. In a recent field trip to Nuulua in 2003, the forest floor and vegetation appeared covered in fast moving ants which were later identified as Yellow Crazy Ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes), an invasive ant species with a pan-tropical distribution. These ants had previously not been observed on this island, and it was therefore presumed to have been a recent arrival. This report outlines an investigation of this biological invasive and provides options for managing Yellow Crazy Ants on Nuulua.