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EXHIBIT A 40 VANDERWOUDE ET AL. entomologists lamented the dearth of na- between 1999 and 2016 and discuss likely tive Coleoptera wherever P.megacephala introduction pathways. had become established (Perkins 1913). Their association with mealybugs and Methods and Materials other common plant pests caused crop We used published and unpublished losses,especially in pineapple(Beardsley literature as well as personal commu- et al. 1982,Jahn and Beardsley 1994). In nications and observations from others the 1939,the Argentine ant(Linepithema involved with the response to this intro- humile (Mayr)) was detected on the is- duction to document the spread of W. land of Oahu(Zimmerman 1940,Reimer auropunctata from the date of the initial 1994). Primarily considered a nuisance detection to the present(2016). species, Argentine ants spread quickly to the neighboring islands. The ensuing History of Introduction battle for territory between L. humile and Spread and P.megacephala saw the new invader The state of Hawaii is located in the restricted to higher elevation habitats central Pacific Ocean, approximately where it caused considerable impacts to between longitudes 154-160° west, and native ecosystems (Medeiros et al. 1986, latitudes 19-22° north. It is made up of Cole 1992, Krushelnycky and Gillespie eight separate islands, of which, six are 2008).In 1953,a new invader,Anoplolepis accessible by the general public: Hawaii, gracilipes (fr. Smith) (the longlegged ant, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai. also known as the yellow crazy ant) ar- Since the initial discovery in 1999, W. rived at the US Naval base, Pearl Harbor auropunctata has become established on (Clagg 1953). A shade-tolerant species, the four most populous islands (Oahu, A. gracilipes thrived in shaded lowland Hawaii,Maui,and Kauai).The spread,to environments, preying on birds and in- and within,each island,is detailed below. vertebrates (Gillespie and Reimer 1993). Hawaii island. In 1999, Conant and Capable of episodic population explosions, Hirayama (2000) reported the presence A. gracilipes forms dense super-colonies of W. auropunctata at 13 locations in the that drive out other fauna and at some South Hilo district on the island of Hawaii locations,can cause the collapse of plant (the Big Island).Initially,W.auropunctata communities (O'Dowd et al. 2003). was observed on three infested proper- In 1999, the little fire ant (Wasman- ties in Hawaiian Paradise Park south of nia auropunctata Roger) was detected Hilo. Soon thereafter,additional infested on the island of Hawaii (Conant and locations were discovered at Kapoho Hirayama 2000). This ant species has a and Paipaikou. Most infested locations native range that includes South America were commercial nurseries or agricul- and the Caribbean (Wetterer and Porter tural properties that had recently planted 2003), but has invaded many Pacific windbreaks of Caryota sp. (fish-tail islands, West Africa, Australia, Florida, palm) (P. Conant pers. corn). Subsequent and Israel (Wetterer 2013). Genetic corn- public outreach, e.g. Gruner (2000), and parisons with material from native and surveys revealed that W. auropunctata introduced locations suggest Florida is the infestations were more widespread than putative source of the Hawaii introduction first estimated, likely spread through the (Mikheyev and Mueller 2007,Foucaud et sale and movements of infested potted al.2010). Here,we describe the spread of plants. Despite this challenge and a lack this species through the Hawaiian islands of resources, the Hawaii Department of