Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition White-footed ant - Technomyrmex albipes (360) Summary Worldwide distribution. In Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna. Three similar white- footed species, needing specialist identification. Common in Pacific island countries. Major pest. Damage to plants indirect: protects natural enemies from attacking aphids, mealybugs, scales, whiteflies, encouraging outbreaks. Nests of debris on ground, in trees, in houses. Does not bite humans. Males, winged and wingless; three kinds females (queens, workers, 'intercastes'). Queens mate, establish colony; later, reproductive (fertilised) intercastes later take over. Foraging Photo 1. White-footed ant, Technomyrmex by (unfertilised) workers - living/dead insects, honeydew, own eggs. species, tending an infestation of Icerya Tramp ant; spread by 'budding' - intercastes leave nest with workers, males and brood; seychellarum on avocado for their honeydew. spread with international trade. Biosecurity: requires risk assessments, regulations preventing introduction, protocols in case of breaches, and ability to make rapid response. Pacific Ant Prevention Plan available (IUCN/SSC Invasive Specialist Group). Cultural control: hot water at 47°C kills ants; over 49°C kills plants. Chemical control: use (i) stomach poisons (fibronil, Amdro®, borax), (ii) growth regulators (methoprene, pyriproxyfen), (iii) nerve poisons (bifenthrin, fipronil, imidacloprid). See (http://piat.org.nz/index.php?page=getting-rid-of-ants). Common Name Photo 2. White-footed ant, Technomyrmex species, tending an infestation of mealybugs White-footed ant; white-footed house ant. on noni (Morinda citrifolia) for their honeydew. Scientific Name Technomyrmex albipes. Identification of the ant requires expert examination as there are several other species that are similar. Many specimens previously identified as Technomyrmex albipes have subsequently been reidentified as Technomyrmex difficilis (difficult white-footed ant) or as Technomyrmex vitiensis (Fijian white-footed ant), which also occurs worldwide. Photo 3. White-footed ant, Technomyrmex albipes, side view. Photo 4. White-footed ant, Technomyrmex albipes, from above. Photo 5. White-footed ant, Technomyrmex albipes; view of head. Note, the eyes are inside the line of the edge of the head; compare Technomyrmex difficilis (see Fact Sheet 480). AUTHO R Grahame Jackson Information from Technomyrmex albipes. W ikipedia. (https://en.w ikipedia.org/w iki/Technomyrmex_albipes); and Technomyrmex difficilis (=albipes) Entomology & Nematology. UF/IFAS, University of Florida (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/w hite-footed_ant.htm); and Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit. W hite-footed ants. (http://w w w .piat.org.nz/index.php?page=w hite-footed-ants); and Technomyrmex albipes. AntW iki. (http://w w w .antw iki.org/w iki/Technomyrmex_albipes); and from Technomyrmex albipes (2018) Global Invasive Species Database. (http://w w w .iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/Technomyrmex+albipes). Photos 1&2 Randolf Thaman, University of the South Pacific, Fiji. Photos 3-5 April Nobile from Antw eb. (https://w w w .antw eb.org/bigPicture.do?name=casent0178469&number=1&shot=p). Produced w ith support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project HO RT/2016/185: Responding to emerging pest and disease threats to horticulture in the Pacific islands, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. Web edition hosted at https://apps.lucidcentral.org/pppw s.