David Holway

Associate Professor
Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, UCSD

e-mail: dholway@ucsd.edu

We study social insect invasions. The introduction of species into new environments has increasingly become an economically costly and environmentally destructive phenomenon. Because social insects form populous, well-protected and long-lived colonies, these insects often become abundant and can profoundly affect the ecosystems they invade. The complex and highly integrated behavior of social insect colonies contributes importantly to the success of these introductions and provides a rich substrate for research.

By integrating an understanding of ecology, behavior and genetics and by employing a diversity of experimental approaches, we aim to develop a more quantitative understanding of these invasions. We use Argentine ants, red imported fire ants, and western yellowjacket wasps (1) to quantify the factors controlling susceptibility to invasion, (2) to uncover the mechanisms involved in the displacement of native species, and (3) to determine how mutualistic interactions between invaders and other organisms contribute to invasion success. A current research focus examines food-for-protection mutualisms between invasive ants and honeydew-producing Hemiptera (e.g., aphids, scales, and mealybugs).

Selected Publications:

Kay, A.D., T. Zumbusch, J.L. Heinen, T.C. Marsh, and D.A. Holway (2010).
Nutrition and interference competition have interactive effects on the
behavior and performance of Argentine ants. Ecology, In press.

Wolkovich, E.M., D.T. Bolger and D.A. Holway (2009). Complex responses
by ground arthropods to invasive grass litter in a Mediterranean scrub
ecosystem. Oecologia 161:697-708.

Wilson, E.E., L.M. Mullen and D.A. Holway. (2009). Life history
plasticity magnifies the ecological effects of a social wasp invasion.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106:12809-12813.

Menke, S.B., D.A. Holway, R.N. Fisher and W. Jetz (2009). Characterizing and predicting species distributions across environments and scales: Argentine ant occurrences in the eye of the beholder. Global Ecology and Biogeography 18:50-63.

Suarez, A.V., D.A. Holway and N. D. Tsutsui (2008). Genetics of a
colonizing species: the invasive Argentine ant. American Naturalist
172:S72-S84.

Tillberg, C.V., D.A. Holway, E.G. LeBrun and A.V. Suarez (2007). Trophic ecology of Argentine ants in their native and introduced ranges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104:20856-20861.

Menke, S.B., R.N. Fisher, W. Jetz and D.A. Holway (2007). Biotic and abiotic controls of Argentine ant invasion success at local and landscape scales. Ecology 88:3164-3175.

Grover, C.D., A.D. Kay, J.A. Monson, T.C. Marsh and D.A. Holway (2007). Linking nutrition and behavioral dominance: carbohydrate scarcity limits aggression and activity in Argentine ants. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B 274:2951-2957.

LeBrun, E.G., C.V. Tillberg, A.V. Suarez, P. Folgarait, C.R. Smith and D.A. Holway (2007). An experimental study of competition between fire ants and Argentine ants in their native range. Ecology 88:63-75 (Cover article).

Thomas, M.L., C.M. Payne, A.V. Suarez, N.D. Tsutsui and D.A. Holway (2006). When supercolonies collide: territorial aggression in an invasive and unicolonial social insect. Molecular Ecology 15:4303-4315.

Menke, S.B. and D.A. Holway (2006). Abiotic factors control invasion by ants at the community scale. Journal of Animal Ecology 75:368-376.

Holway, D.A. and A.V. Suarez (2006). Homogenization of ant communities in mediterranean California: the effects of urbanization and invasion. Biological Conservation 127:319-326.

Suarez, A.V., D.A. Holway and P.S. Ward (2005). The role of opportunity in the unintentional introduction of non-native ants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102:17032-17035 (Cover article).

David Holway received a B.A. in zoology from UC Berkeley in 1989 and a Ph.D in biology from the University of Utah in 1997. His postdoctoral research at UC San Diego was supported by grants from the US Department of Agriculture.