Report new ants in Hawaii!

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HEAR home > Ants in Hawaii > Ant species info > Report new invasive ant species

Which species to report

While the introduction of any new ant species to Hawaii could have potentially damaging effects, the two species listed below are of particular concern. If you suspect you have found one of these species, please report it to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture immediately.

red imported fire ant (RIFA)
(Solenopsis invicta)
The red imported fire ant is not currently found in Hawaii, but is an extremely aggressive stinging ant that has invaded over 300 million acres across the mainland U.S., where it has become a significant public health hazard. [more...]
Additional resources about red imported fire ants are available online.
little fire ant (LFA)
(Wasmannia auropunctata)
The little fire ant was reported on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1999. As of 2007, it is established in multiple locations on East Hawaii and a single location on Kauai. The little fire ant is a stinging ant that occurs in large numbers, but is difficult to detect because of its tiny size. It is extremely important to prevent the further spread of this ant to other islands in Hawaii, and to additional locations on Kauai. [more...]
Additional resources about little fire ants are available online.

How to report ants new to Hawaii

Call the Hawaii Department of Agriculture toll-free pest hotline:

643-PEST (643-7378)

...to report an ant you suspect is a species new to Hawaii, or is a species of concern in Hawaii (such as the red imported fire ant or the little fire ant).

Alternatively, you may call or visit your local Hawaii Department of Agriculture office.

Or, to report new ants on Maui, you may use the online Report-a-pest system.

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The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) is currently funded by grants from the Hau'oli Mau Loa Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service with support from PCSU (UH Manoa). Historically, HEAR has also received funding and/or support from the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), PIERC (USGS), the USFWS, HCSU (UH Hilo), and HALE (NPS).

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This page was created on 04 July 2007 by PT & LF, and was last updated on 07 September 2008 by PT.