Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic genus Acanthomyops (Hymenoptera: Farmicidea) , Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic genus Acanthomyops (Hymenoptera: Farmicidea) , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

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Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic genus Acanthomyops (Hymenoptera: Farmicidea)

Ants : standard methods for measuring and monitoring biodiversity

SUMMARY (1) The interactions of ants and diplochorous Viola seeds were studied at four forest and forest-edge sites in Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. Of the nine Viola species studied, seeds of six (V. blanda, V. papilionacea, V. pedata, V. pensylvanica, V. rostrata and V. triloba) were readily taken. (2) The most important seed transporters were Aphaenogaster spp., but Formica subsericea, Lasius alienus, Leptothorax spp., Myrmica punctiventris and Tapinoma sessile also took seeds. Unlike the situation in Europe, ants of the Formica rufa group displayed little interest in Viola seeds. There was no evidence of specialization of particular ant species on particular Viola species. (3) Cleistogamous seeds were taken much less frequently than chasmogamous seeds, even though cleistogamous seeds had larger elaiosomes. This difference is apparently due to diet shifts of the ants in summer. (4) Most seeds picked up by ants were carried to the nest. The distances seeds were moved averaged about 75 cm, which is less than the average ballistic dispersal distance. (5) The advantage of ant dispersal is relocation to a 'safe site' for germination, thus reducing predation, increasing germination stimuli, and increasing the available supply of nutrients.

background

Myrmecochory in viola: dynamics of seed-ant interactions in some west virginia species

Aunque el libro procura tomar varios temas criticos (ecologia, relaciones con plantas, mosaicos), debido a limites de espacio necesariamente excluye otros temas. En parte estos temas se pueden encontrar en libros como The Ants de Holldobler y Wilson (1990) y Ants: Standard methods editado por Agosti et al. (2000). Aun asi, se espera que el libro tenga utilidad por largo tiempo, hasta que los siempre cambiantes temas en biologia de hormigas permitan y favorezcan una segunda edicion, o hasta que otros mirmecologos colegas puedan editar y lanzar un nuevo texto que recoja los muchos cambios que ocurriran en los proximos anos. Sigue a continuacion una breve sinopsis de las partes y capitulos que comprenden el libro.

/pdf/introduccion-a-las-hormigas-de-la-region-neotropical-eyq1x8euu0.pdf

Introducción a las hormigas de la región Neotropical

Two species of harvester ants, Chelaner whitei and e. rathsteini, were studied in the far west of N .S. W. Data collected in both field and laboratory were used to study seed utilization and the effect of seed supply upon harvester ant populations. Nest density, foraging activity and colony reproduction were monitored throughout the study. Four nests of each species were excavated (one in each season) to determine nest structure, colony size and seasonal changes in colony composition. There were 156 colonies of e. whitei and 66 colonies of e. rathsteini on the study plot. Colonies ranged in size from 450 to 40,000 workers (e. whitei); and from 15,000 to 58,000 (e. rathsteini). e. whitei foraged all year round. e. rathsteini ceased foraging during winter. Peak foraging by both species occurred in summer, when both species predominantly gathered seeds of ephemeral grasses and forbs. Differences in see d selection by the two species were related to size, phenology and chemical composition of the seeds and fruit. All seeds taken into the colonies were eventually fed to the larvae. Food digested by the larvae was transmitted through the colony by trophallaxis (from larvae to the workers). The final st age larvae of e. rathsteini were found to act as a storage caste resulting in decreased foraging activity by this species when sufficient larval fat stores had accumulated. It is postulated that see d supply is the most important factor regulating populations of harvester ants. Finally, speculations are advanced concerning possible reciprocallong-term evolutionary effects of the interaction between harvester ants and plants.

Ant-plant Interactions in Australia

1. The higher formicine ants base their chemical alarm-defense systems primarily on a limited array of acyclic terpenes discharged from the mandibular glands, and alkanes and ketones discharged from Dufour's gland. All of these substances appear to be utilized in defense, and most, especially those at the lower end of the range of molecular weight (C9-C13), also function as alarm pheromones. The active space of the pheromones reaches over a distance of centimeters and is relatively short-lived. The alarm response of the various species can be classified roughly as either "panic" or "aggressive" in nature. 2. Two major adaptive alterations in the basic alarm-defense system have occurred within the higher Formicinae. In the genus Acanthomyops, the mandibular gland has been enlarged and made the site of storage of unusually large quantities of citronellal and two isomers of citral. We suggest that the changes are causally linked to the development of a strongly aggressive form of alarm communication. The res...

https://www.jstor.org/stable/info/2459556

Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic genus Acanthomyops (Hymenoptera: Farmicidea)

Citations

Ants : standard methods for measuring and monitoring biodiversity

Myrmecochory in viola: dynamics of seed-ant interactions in some west virginia species

Introducción a las hormigas de la región Neotropical

Ant-plant Interactions in Australia

The Evolution of the Alarm-Defense System in the Formicine Ants

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