The Big-headed Ant Pheidole megacephala: a new threat to monsoonal northwestern Australia

Abstract

The Big-headed Ant Pheidole megacephala is a major threat to native invertebrate assemblages and to agricultural production world-wide. This paper reviews its known biology including its foraging ecology, colony founding and dispersal behaviour. A case study is presented to illustrate its potential conservation significance for northern Australia. At Howard Springs Nature Park in the Darwin region of the Northern Territory, an infestation of P. megacephala was found to cover 25 ha and is continuing to spread, with its distribution centred on a rainforest patch. The abundance of P. megacephala within the rainforest was 37?110 times that of total native ant abundance at uninfested sites. Only two individuals of a single native ant species were found in the highest abundance of P. megacephala and abundance of other invertebrates was only 15% of natural levels. Pheidole megacephala is a serious potential threat to native biodiversity in monsoonal Australia. Successful eradication on a large scale is a realistic option and control methods are discussed, including chemicals and fire.