Food Preference Analysis of the Little Fire Ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Hawaiʻi

Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger), the little fire ant, one of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species, poses significant ecological and economic threats. This study assessed its dietary preferences across protein‐lipid‐, carbohydrate‐, and lipid‐rich foods using two complementary approaches: a visitation frequency assay, where ant visitation to each food over time was recorded; and a foraging duration assay, where ant activity was video‐recorded and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision software to quantify the cumulative duration spent foraging. Visitation frequency assay data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model with likelihood ratio tests, whereas foraging duration assay data were analyzed using a linear mixed model with Type III Wald chi‐square tests. Tukey‐adjusted pairwise comparisons were used for both assays. Results showed that within protein‐lipid‐rich foods, cooked beef and sunflower seeds were most preferred. In contrast, the least preferred foods were tuna, defatted peanut butter, and cockroach. Within carbohydrate‐rich foods, honey was the most preferred, whereas orange juice and strawberry jam were least preferred. Among lipid‐rich foods, peanut butter oil was most preferred, whereas olive, soybean, and coconut oil attracted similar numbers of ants. The final comparison across categories revealed that cooked beef ranked highest in preference, followed by sunflower seeds, honey, and peanut butter oil. Overall, more ants actively foraged on protein‐lipid‐rich foods compared to lipid‐ and carbohydrate‐based options. These findings may inform the design of more effective baiting and surveillance strategies for managing little fire ant populations.