Population Explosion of the hairy crazy ant, Paratrechina Pubens (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

The hairy crazy ant, Paratrechina pubens (Forel), is undergoing a population explosion on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Here, we evaluate the status of P. pubens on St. Croix. In 2002, residents of Calquohoun and surrounding areas in central St. Croix began reporting large infestations of P. pubens. In 2005 and 2006, we surveyed ants at >100 sites across St. Croix. We found 3 geographically discrete populations of P. pubens occupying ∼5% of the island: a main population centered on Calquohoun spread over ∼9 km2 and 2 smaller populations occupying