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Ants (Hymenoptera: Fonnicidae) of Samoa!

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Ants (Hymenoptera: Fonnicidae) of Samoa! Ants (Hymenoptera: Fonnicidae) of Samoa! James K Wetterer 2 and Donald L. Vargo 3 Abstract: The ants of Samoa have been well studied compared with those of other Pacific island groups. Using Wilson and Taylor's (1967) specimen records and taxonomic analyses and Wilson and Hunt's (1967) list of 61 ant species with reliable records from Samoa as a starting point, we added published, unpublished, and new records ofants collected in Samoa and updated taxonomy. We increased the list of ants from Samoa to 68 species. Of these 68 ant species, 12 species are known only from Samoa or from Samoa and one neighboring island group, 30 species appear to be broader-ranged Pacific natives, and 26 appear to be exotic to the Pacific region. The seven-species increase in the Samoan ant list resulted from the split of Pacific Tetramorium guineense into the exotic T. bicarinatum and the native T. insolens, new records of four exotic species (Cardiocondyla obscurior, Hypoponera opaciceps, Solenopsis geminata, and Tetramorium lanuginosum), and new records of two species of uncertain status (Tetramorium cf. grassii, tentatively considered a native Pacific species, and Monomorium sp., tentatively considered an endemic Samoan form). SAMOA IS AN ISLAND CHAIN in western island groups, prompting Wilson and Taylor Polynesia with nine inhabited islands and (1967 :4) to feel "confident that a nearly numerous smaller, uninhabited islands. The complete faunal list could be made for the western four inhabited islands, Savai'i, Apo­ Samoan Islands." Samoa is of particular in­ lima, Manono, and 'Upolu, are part of the terest because it is one of the easternmost independent country of Samoa (formerly Pacific island groups with a substantial en­ Western Samoa). The eastern five inhabited demic ant fauna. Wilson and Taylor (1967:1) islands, Tutuila, Aunu'u, Ofu, Olosega, and concluded that "few if any ant species are Ta'u, are part of American Samoa, an unin­ native to the islands east of Rotuma, Samoa, corporated territory of the United States. Tonga, and New Zealand. This part of Poly­ The ants of Samoa have been well nesia has been populated by tramp species" studied compared with those of other Pacific (i.e., species that associate with humans and are spread by human commerce). In this study, we combine published, un­ published, and new records from Samoa, in­ I Financial support was provided by American Samoa creasing the list of ants known from Samoa to Community College; the Cooperative Research, Educa­ 68 species. tion, and Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CRIS Accession no. 164128, administered by the American Samoa Community College); Wheaton Published Records College; and Florida Atlantic University. Manuscript ac­ cepted 17 March 2003. Wilson and Taylor (1967) summarized pub­ 2 Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, lished records for ants from Samoa. In ad­ 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, Florida 33458 (phone: 561­ 799-8648; fax: 561-799-8602; E-mail: [email protected]). dition, they reported new ant specimens 3 Community and Natural Resources, American Sa­ collected in Samoa by Sweeney and Zimmer­ moa Community College, P.O. Box 5319, Pago Pago, man in 1940, by Woodward in 1956, and by American Samoa 96799. Taylor in 1962. Wilson and Taylor (1967) indicated (in their table 2) that there were 59 Pacific Science (2003), vol. 57, no. 4:409-419 ant species recorded from Samoa. Wilson and © 2003 by University of Hawai'i Press Hunt (1967), however, listed 61 ant species All rights reserved from Samoa, and we used this second list as a 409 410 PACIFIC SCIENCE· October 2003 starting point, with one exception. We used Published Records Excluded fronz Wilson and Pachycondyla insulana (Mayr) (formerly Ecto­ Hunt's (1967) List nzonzy17lzex insulanus Mayr) listed by Wilson and Taylor (1967), instead of Ecto1Jzonzyrmex Kami and Miller (1998) compiled a checklist sanzoanus (a name not found in Bolton 1995; of Samoan insects that included 78 ant taxa, apparendy a typographical error) listed by 16 more than the list of 62 in the preceding Wilson and Hunt (1967). section derived from records in Wilson and Wilson and Hunt's (1967) list increased Taylor (1967). In this extremely useful sum­ to 62 when Bolton (1977) separated Pacific mary of Samoan records, Kami and Miller specimens oftwo taxa that Wilson and Taylor (1998:i) stated that "in some cases it is clear (1967) had synonymized, Tetranzoriunz gui­ that the names were misapplied," and this neense (Bernard) and Tetranzoriunz guineense appears to be true of a number of ant nzaC'rum Emery, recognizing dle former as records. Of the 16 additional taxa on Kami an exotic from Southeast Asia, Tetranzorium and Miller's (1998) list, eight were duplicate bica1'inatum (Nylander), and the latter as a records, seven were records that Wilson and Pacific native, Tetranz01'ium insolens (Smith). Taylor (1967) considered but dismissed as Bolton (2000) reclassified Samoan specimens doubtful, and one taxon Wilson and Taylor listed by Wilson and Taylor (1967) as Snzi­ (1967) did not consider (Table 1). Only two thistrunza dubia Brown [now Pyramica kara­ of these 16 species [Solenopsis genzinata (Fa­ wajewi (Brown)] as a new species, Pyramica bricius) and Tet1'amorium lanuginosunz Mayr] epipola Bolton. This species is known only are known from elsewhere in Polynesia, and from Samoa, but Bolton (2000) thought that both have been subsequendy found in Samoa it was likely to occur elsewhere in the Pacific. (see Results). The 62 ant species with specimens docu­ DUPLICATE RECORDS. Kami and Miller's mented in Wilson and Taylor (1967) are (1998) checklist included eight pairs of dupli­ listed in Tables 2 and 3 (updated taxonomy cate records, where Samoan specimens were from Bolton 1995, 2000). The following 12 identified as one species, then reidentified as species names differ from those used by another, but both names were included on Wilson and Taylor (1967) (in parentheses): the list (name considered valid for Samoan Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith) (A. longipes), Ce­ specimens in parentheses): Canzponotus con­ rapachys biroi Forel (Syscia silvestrii), Mono­ ithorax Emery (= C. fiavolimbatus Viehmeyer), morium liliuokalanii Forel (M. nzinutum), Canzponotus novaehollandiae Mayr (= C. chlo­ Mononz01'iunz sechellense Emery (M. fossulatunz), roticus Emery), Canzponotus mfifrons leucopus Pachycondyla insulana (Ectonzo1Jzyrnzex insula­ Emery (= C. flavolimbatus), Cerapachys typhlus nus), Pachycondyla stigma (Fabricius) (Trachy­ (Roger) (= C. biroi Forel), Hypoponera con­ nzesopus stigma), Pyranzica epipola (Snzithistru­ vexiuscula (Forel) [= H. confinis (Roger)], nza dubia), Pyramica nzenzbranifera (Emery) Mono1Jzoriunz 1Jzononzoriunz Bolton (= M. li­ (Trichoscapa nzembranife1'a), Rogeria stigmatica liuokalanii), Odontonzachus haematodus (L.) Emery (R. sublevinodis), Stmnzigenys enznzae (= o. sinzillimus F. Smith), and Pheidole tene­ (Emery) (Quadristmma enzmae), Tet1'amo1'ium 1'iffana Fore [= P. megacephala (Fabricius)]. bica1'inatznn (T. guineense), and Tetramorium Wilson and Taylor (1967) reclassified insolens (T. guineense). Canzponotus specimens from Samoa previously Dlussky (1994a,b,c) reported on ants col­ identified as C. novaehollandiae, C. conithorax lected during a 1980 visit to Samoa by the var. nautant11z, and C. mfifrons leucopus: the Soviet research ship Kallisto, adding a new first as C. chloroticus and the other two as C. record of one additional species, Hypopone1'a flavolinzbatus. Taylor (1967a:91) wrote that opaciceps (Mayr), raising the number of Sa­ Syscia typhla Roger (now Cerapachys typhlus) moan ants to 63 species. Although not in­ was "known under various names from cluded in his paper, G. M. Dlussky (pers. China, Nepal, Okinawa, Hawai'i, Samoa and comm.) provided us with collection informa­ Puerto Rico (Wilson and Taylor mss)." Wil­ tion for these ants (see Results). son and Taylor (1967), however, used the Ants of Samoa . Wette1'e1' and Va1'go 411 TABLE 1 Previously Published Samoan Ant Records Listed in Kami and Miller (1998), but Not Included in Wilson and Hunt (1967) Known Regional Range Status of Samoan West Pacific" Polynesiab Records Based on Wilson and Taylor Species AI MCSNVF WSTNCFH (1967) Camponotus conithorax Emery ----v- -?----- = C. flavolimbatus Camp. flavoma1'ginatlls Mayr -?----- Doubtful Ca'mp. novaehollandiae Mayr A- --SN-- -?----- = C. chloroticus Camp. rlljifrons leucopus Emery ---N-- -?----- = C. flavolimbatus Ce1'apachys typhlus (Roger) ------ -?----- = C. biroi EUp1'e1Zolepis stigmatica (Mann) --S--- -?----- Doubtful Hypoponern convexiuscula (Forel) A- ------ -?----- = H. confinis b'idomyl'mex rllfoniger (Lowne) A- ------ -?----- Probably erroneous Monomol'ium nzonomonum Bolton ------ -?----- = M. liliuokalanii Odontomachus haematodus (L.) -?----- = O. simillimus Oecophylla smamgdina (Fabricius) AI --S--- -?----- Doubtful Pheidole teneriffana Forel ------ -?----- = P. megacephala Rhytidopone1'a metallica (Smith) A- ------ -?----- Probably erroneous Solenopsis ge1Zzinata (Fabricius) AI MCSN-F -ST-CFH Not considered Tapinoma wheelen (Mann) ------ -?----- Not from Samoa Tetranzorium lanuginosum Mayr AI MCS--- WST-CF- Ephemeral n A, Australia; I, Indomalaysia; M, Mariana Islands; C, Caroline Islands; S, Solomon Islands; N, New Caledonia; V, Vanuatu; F, Fiji. b W, Wallis and Futuna; S, Samoa; T, Tonga; N, Niue; C, Cook Islands; F, French Polynesia; H, Hawai'i. name Syscia silvestrii Fore! (now Cerapachys Neotropical O. haematodus." Santschi (1919) biroi) for specimens
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