Exotic Ants

Booknews

Local ants are rarely a problem; it's the outside agitators that are annoying and often damaging to crops, livestock, and even humans. Contributors from throughout the world describe the problems that arise when species of ants are introduced into a location where they have no natural enemies, and review some of the measures that can help mitigate those problems at least a bit. The appearance of the little fire ant in the fragile ecology of the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador was the immediate impetus for the collection, and is the topic of many of the 25 studies. Other places include Hawaii, Costa Rica and Panama, Australia, Florida, and urban environments. Each chapter includes a summary in Spanish. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)