Showing papers on "Lasius published in 2006"
TL;DR: It is suggested that home-range marking laid passively by walking ants is a relevant cue for scouts to indirectly assess distance from the nest but also local activity level or foraging risks in order to adaptively tune trail recruitment and colony foraging dynamics.
Abstract: We study the influence of food distance on the individual foraging behaviour of Lasius niger scouts and we investigate which cue they use to assess their distance from the nest and accordingly tune their recruiting behaviour.
67 citations
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: The recorded diversity of butterfly-ant associations has slightly increased due to the improved data-base, including the addition of six ant genera previously not reported as tending Palaearctic lycaenids.
Abstract: Field data on ant associates of 98 species of Palaearctic Lycaenidae butterfly immatures were collated. Members of 21 ant genera from the three subfamilies Myrmicinae, Formicinae, and Dolichoderinae have been reported as ant attendants with certainty. All ants that visit lycaenid immatures also forage for other liquid carbohydrate food sources like extrafloral plant nectar or homopteran honeydew. Species of Lasius (recorded with 41 lycaenid species), Formica (24 spp.), Camponotus (24 spp; all Formicinae), Myrmica (25 spp.), and Crematogaster (26 spp.; both Myrmicinae) are the most important ant associates of Palaearctic lycaenids. Available data have almost doubled relative to the last synopsis 15 years ago, but general patterns remained robust. The recorded diversity of butterfly-ant associations has slightly increased due to the improved data-base, including the addition of six ant genera previously not reported as tending Palaearctic lycaenids. Ant associations in the Oriental, Australian, and Nearctic faunal regions are more diverse than in the Palaearctic, whereas those in Africa are less diverse. The number of lycaenid species associated with a particular ant genus correlates moderately, but significantly with species richness of that ant genus in the Palaearctic region. Exceptions to that rule can be explained by specific ecological and behavioural traits of the respective ants. Ecological dominance is the most important factor with regard to the involvement of ants in interactions with butterflies. Obligate myrmecophiles are rare among Palaearctic lycaenids and are highly host specific (but usually on the ant genus rather than species level), in contrast to opportunistic visitors in facultative associations. Obligate associations in the Palaearctic region are biased towards the genera Myrmica (hosts of the unique, socially parasitic Phengaris-Maculinea clade) and Crematogaster (hosts of Aphnaeini species).
54 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the importance of two ant species Lasius niger and Lasius flavus in a post-mining landscape near the town of Sokolov in northwest Czechia where both species are common Chemical and microbiological parameters (respiration, cellulose decomposition and direct counts of bacteria) were investigated in both ant species in two different habitats: a tertiary clay heap after brown coal mining with a weakly developed organic layer and semi natural meadows with well developed organic horizons.
47 citations
TL;DR: Evidence that sperm parasitism is responsible for widespread hybridization in North America among two species of the ant subgenus Acanthomyops (genus Lasius) is provided, and evidence for sperm Parasitism in other hybridization phenomena in ants is reviewed.
Abstract: Interspecific mating in eusocial Hymenoptera can be favored under certain conditions even if all hybrid offspring are completely infertile. This exploits two key features of the eusocial Hymenoptera: a haplodiploid genetic system and reproductive division of labor in females. Interspecifically mated queens can still produce viable sons that will mate intraspecifically. Apparent reduced fitness resulting from producing infertile daughter gynes can be also offset by advantages conferred by hybrid workers. An important advantage is likely to be superior ability at using marginal habitats. Interspecifically mated queens can nest in sites where intraspecific competition will be low. By mating interspecifically, a queen trades expected reproductive success through female offspring for a higher probability of achieving some reproductive success. Females that mate interspecifically can be considered “sperm parasites” on the males of the other species. I provide evidence that sperm parasitism is responsible for widespread hybridization in North America among two species of the ant subgenus Acanthomyops (genus Lasius), and review evidence for sperm parasitism in other hybridization phenomena in ants. Sperm parasitism in ants represents a novel form of social parasitism in ants and a dispersal polymorphism. It may also act as a precursor to the evolution of some other recently discovered phenomena, such as genetic caste determination.
44 citations
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: This work studied the direct interference abilities of the invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus, by performing one-to-one aggression tests of L. neglectus workers towards three native Lasius ant species that occur at the edge of a L. neglectedus supercolony in Seva, Spain.
Abstract: Invasive species often dramatically change native species communities by directly and indirectly out-competing native species. We studied the direct interference abilities of the invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus VAN LOON, BOOMSMA & ANDRASFALVY, 1990, by performing one-to-one aggression tests of L. neglectus workers towards three native Lasius ant species that occur at the edge of a L. neglectus supercolony in Seva, Spain. Our results show that L. neglectus is highly aggressive against all three native Lasius species tested (L. grandis FOREL, 1909, L. emarginatus (OLIVIER, 1792), and L. cinereus SEIFERT, 1992), expressed as a higher attack rate of L. neglectus and behavioural dominance throughout the aggressive encounters. Attacks of L. neglectus were performed fastest and most frequent against L. grandis, and also the highest antennation frequencies were observed in encounters between these two species. This could be due to the largest difference in body size, or due to a greater overlap in ecological niche between L. neglectus and L. grandis compared to the other two native species. There was only weak support for L. neglectus workers from the periphery of the supercolony to be more aggressive relative to workers from the centre, even though the former encounter native ant species on a daily basis at the edge of the supercolony.
29 citations
TL;DR: This paper reports aphid egg protection by ants as a novel aspect of the deeply interdependent relationship between a tree-feeding aphid and its attendant ant and suggests that grooming by the ants protected the aphid eggs, at least, against pathogenic fungi.
Abstract: Aphids often form mutualistic associations with ants, in which the aphids provide the ants with honeydew and the ants defend the aphids from predators. In this paper, we report aphid egg protection by ants as a novel aspect of the deeply interdependent relationship between a tree-feeding aphid and its attendant ant. The ant Lasius productus harbours oviparous females, males, and eggs of the hinoki cypress-feeding aphid Stomaphis hirukawai in its nests in winter. We investigated the behaviour of ants kept with aphid eggs in petri dishes to examine whether the ants recognise the aphid eggs and tend them or only provide a refuge for the aphids. Workers carried almost all of the aphid eggs into the nest within 24 h. The ants indiscriminately tended aphid eggs collected from their own colonies and those from other ant colonies. The ants cleaned the eggs and piled them up in the nest, and egg tending by ants dramatically increased aphid egg survival rates. Starving the ants showed no significant effect on aphid egg survivorship. Without ants, aphid eggs were rapidly killed by fungi. These results suggested that grooming by the ants protected the aphid eggs, at least, against pathogenic fungi. This hygienic service afforded by the ants seems indispensable for egg survival of these aphids in an environment rich in potentially pathogenic microorganisms.
27 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the spatial patterns of nests distribution and epigeic activity of ants in relation to the vegetation mosaic were described. And the results indicated that nesting and foraging may differ in their microclimatic requirements and the formation of vegetation mosaics may be important to changes in the ant population during succession.
25 citations
TL;DR: The seed bank of ant mounds differed from that of the pasture soil between the mounds, with the abundance of germinating seeds being twice as high in the mound, mainly due to the very large number of seeds originating from winter annuals and Thymus pulegioides.
23 citations
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used pitfall traps to compare the presence and distribution of ant-fauna between Permanent Grasslands and Lucerne Monocultures and found that the degree of invasiveness of agricultural practice has a meaningful impact on ant species composition.
Abstract: Environmental stress, also associated with human land-use, induces a response in ecological indicators that can be measured and used to develop an effective land management policy. There are various reasons to usually exclude terrestrial invertebrates from land monitoring and assessment programmes. Ants are an exception and they are routinely used for biological monitoring in many Australian ecosystems. However, the value of ants as ecological indicators has been comparatively poorly studied in the Palaearctic region. This research is one of the first attempts to verify whether ants are eligible to become efficient ecological indicators in typical Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. The area of investigation has been selected in the Fluvial Regional Park of Taro River (Parma, Northern Italy). Since the reserve is located in the region that produces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, park management guidelines tend to match principles of environmental protection with human demands. In this framework, the fluvial park has developed a project for the preservation of Permanent Grasslands that are considered a valid alternative to monocultures for the production of cow fodder. In this work, sampling with pitfall traps was used to compare the presence and distribution of ant-fauna between Permanent Grasslands and Lucerne Monocultures. The results showed that the degree of invasiveness of agricultural practice has a meaningful impact on ant species composition: the reduction of environmental stress and disturbance produces variations in the ant community structure promoting especially Lasius niger (LINNAEUS, 1758). On the contrary, on such sites Messor cf. structor (LATREILLE, 1798) is present to a lesser extent. This research suggests that the study of ant communities is a promising method to evaluate the influence of different land management policies also in the agro-ecosystems of the Taro River Regional Park.
13 citations
TL;DR: Ant species found as syninclusions with aphids in Rovno and Saxonian ambers are listed for the first time and strongly suggests that C. goepperti and Germaraphis formed an association during their lifetime.
Abstract: Ant species found as syninclusions with aphids in Rovno and Saxonian ambers are listed for the first time. In a collection of 143 pieces of Rovno amber with worker ants, aphids were found in only one syninclusion with Ctenobethylus goepperti (Mayr). In a collection of Saxonian amber, 53 aphids of the genus Germaraphis were found in 152 amber pieces with ant workers; five syninclusions with aphids contained 19 specimens of C. goepperti; two syninclusions contained ten specimens of Lasius schiefferdeckeri Mayr; and three syninclusions contained one specimen each: one Camponotus mengei Mayr, one Anonichomyrma constricta (Mayr), and one Formica flori Mayr. Considering that the Rovno and Saxonian collections are nearly equal in the number of amber pieces, the fundamental difference in the number of syninclusions is striking. The number of C. goepperti in syninclusions is disproportionately high; the proportion of syninclusions with aphids and C. goepperti is 1.6 times that of all inclusions of workers of this species. They are found in 31% of examined inclusions of workers in the collection of the Saxonian amber, but in 50% of syninclusions of the entire collection. This strongly suggests that C. goepperti and Germaraphis formed an association during their lifetime.
10 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that artificially dealated virgin queens start to lay eggs shortly after wing removal, whereas winged virgin queens hardly ever lay eggs, indicating that dealation does induce egg-laying and that other factors, such as mating and/or insemination, further stimulate oviposition under natural conditions.
Abstract: Once inseminated, ant queens rapidly shed their wings and start to lay eggs. Here we test whether there is a causal link between dealation and oviposition in the ant Lasius niger. We show that artificially dealated virgin queens start to lay eggs shortly after wing removal, whereas winged virgin queens hardly ever lay eggs. Dealate virgins do, however, produce fewer eggs than mated queens. These findings indicate that dealation does induce egg-laying, and that other factors, such as mating and/or insemination, further stimulate oviposition under natural conditions.
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: The occurrence and abundances (nest densities) of these Lasius s.
Abstract: Czechowski et al. (1995) described the structure and structuring of ant assemblages along a successionalgradient of moist pine forests (Peucedano-Pinetum and Leucobryo-Pinetum) in Poland. That paper did not take into account two systematic revisions where two common and abundant Lasius s. str. species, namely, L. niger (L.) and L. alienus (Forst.), were split into two and three species respectively (Seifert 1991, 1992). In the light of the revised taxonomy and the present work, the former L. niger, in fact, included two sibling species: L. platythorax Seifert and L. niger, and the former L. alienus appeared to be L. psammophilus Seifert. In the present paper, the occurrence and abundances (nest densities) of these Lasius s. str. species in the successional habitats of the moist pine forests are reassessed according to the present taxonomic knowledge. The pioneer nature of L. platythorax in forest habitats is stressed.
TL;DR: In this article, the isolation and characterization of 11 microsatellite loci in the sociobiologically enigmatic ant Lasius austriacus was described and the polymerase chain reaction primers were tested on a population in East Austria.
Abstract: We describe the isolation and characterization of 11 microsatellite loci in the sociobiologically enigmatic ant Lasius austriacus. The polymerase chain reaction primers were tested on a population in East Austria. The number of alleles ranged from four to 19 and the observed heterozygosity from 0.200 to 0.900. Cross-species amplification tests were performed, with some loci polymorphic in all species tested, for the closely related invasive species Lasius neglectus, three further Lasius species, another formicine, Formica polyctena, and the invasive myrmicine species Tetramorium tsushimae.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Test results indicate that the best way to eliminate Lasius niger and other soil-living ants is to transplant the nests to new sites, then treat transplanted nest bases with repellents.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate development of mound nests of Lasius niger treated with ant repellents compared with untreated habitats in agricultural landscapes. The research was carried out in Kiidjarve, Polva County, in 2004. After transferring a group of ant colonies to new locations, some small new nests had been slowly rebuilt on nest bases which had not been treated with repellents. The nest bases treated with repellents were abandoned, and new mounds were not restored in those locations. After treating the interior of undamaged nests with injections of tobacco dust and a water solution of Fairy (a liquid soap used for dishwashing), tobacco dust, and Cayenne pepper, the colonies started to weaken and the mound increase was negative. The height and diameter of the untreated control nests increased. Test results indicate that the best way to eliminate Lasius niger and other soil-living ants is to transplant the nests to new sites, then treat transplanted nest bases with repellents. It is necessary to transplant the subterranean part of the nest with hibernation chambers, including removal of the queens and worker ants taking care of them. The treatment of nest interiors with repellents (tobacco dust, Cayenne pepper) caused weakening of the colony, elimination of the brood growth and decrease of the building activity.