Pacific-invasive

Guides

• Protaetia fusca

  Mango Flower Beetle, Mottled Flower Scarab

  Protaetia fusca is a flower chafer beetle in the subfamily Cetoniinae, commonly known as the Mango Flower Beetle or Mottled Flower Scarab. The species has a broad distribution spanning tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, the Pacific, and has been introduced to the Americas including Hawaii, California, Florida, and the Galápagos Islands. Larvae develop in decaying wood of broad-leaved trees, particularly Ficus species, while adults feed on tree sap and ripe fruits. The complete life cycle takes approximately one year, with adult activity peaking during summer months.

  Cetoniinaeflower-chaferwood-decayingsap-feedingintroduced-speciesPacific-invasivelarval-morphology-describedFicus-associated

• Solenopsis geminata

  tropical fire ant, Geminata-group fire ant

  Solenopsis geminata, the tropical fire ant, is a native New World species with a broad distribution spanning the southern United States through Central and South America, and introduced populations across Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Africa. The species exhibits a foraging strategy tradeoff between discovery efficiency and competitive territorial dominance compared to its congener S. xyloni, with S. geminata being less efficient at resource discovery but superior in competitive encounters. Invasive populations demonstrate adaptive strategies to overcome inbreeding costs, including pleometrosis (cooperative colony founding by multiple queens) and execution of diploid male larvae. The species serves as host to Pseudacteon phorid fly parasitoids.

  fire-antinvasive-speciesagricultural-pestbiological-control-hosthybridizationpleometrosisdiploid-male-productionphorid-fly-hostmesic-habitat-specialistNew-World-nativePacific-invasiveAsian-invasivecompetitive-dominanceforaging-strategy-tradeoff