DOCSLIB.ORG

Trophic Ecology of Invasive Argentine Ants in Their Native and Introduced Ranges

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Trophic Ecology of Invasive Argentine Ants in Their Native and Introduced Ranges Trophic ecology of invasive Argentine ants in their native and introduced ranges Chadwick V. Tillberg*†, David A. Holway‡, Edward G. LeBrun‡§, and Andrew V. Suarez*¶ *Departments of Entomology and Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801; and ‡Division of Biological Sciences, MC 0116, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116 Edited by May R. Berenbaum, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, and approved November 7, 2007 (received for review July 24, 2007) Although the ecological effects of invasions often become obvious In this study we examine the direct effects of Argentine ant soon after introduced species become established, more gradual (Linepithema humile) invasions on native ant diversity and then effects may take years to manifest and can thus require long-term quantify how dietary flexibility in this widespread invader affects data for quantification. We analyzed an 8-year record of stable spatiotemporal variation in its trophic position. Invasive ants isotope data on Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) from south- provide an ideal system to test how trophic flexibility contributes ern California to infer how the trophic position of this widespread to invasion success. With many species introductions, it can be invasive species changes over time as native ant species are difficult to separate the effects of the invader from covarying displaced. We couple this longitudinal analysis with a biregional factors, such as habitat disturbance, that might also negatively comparison of stable isotope data (␦15N) on ants from Argentina affect natives (2, 6). Because Argentine ants aggressively displace (native range) and California (introduced range) to quantify (i) how above-ground foraging native ants (7), changes in the diet of L. the trophic position of L. humile differs between native and humile that occur during and just after invasion can be linked to introduced populations, and (ii) how relative trophic position as native ant displacement. Second, invasive ants, such as L. humile, estimated by ␦15N values of Argentine ants compare with those of are highly omnivorous and frequently form nonspecialized as- other ants at the same site. Both long-term and biregional com- sociations with honeydew-producing Hemiptera (7–10). Greater parisons indicate that the Argentine ant’s relative trophic position use of honeydew and other plant-based resources in introduced is reduced at sites with a longer history of occupation. Over the populations might result in a decrease in trophic position course of 8 years, the relative trophic position of L. humile re- (relative to that of native populations), such that invasive ants mained high at the leading edge of an invasion front but declined, would persist at higher densities than if they were acting as on average, behind the front as native ants disappeared. Relative carnivores (7, 11, 12). Similar arguments have been proposed to to native populations, where L. humile is among the most carniv- explain the great abundance of ants in tropical rainforest can- orous of ants, Argentine ants from California occupied lower opies (13). Although the exploitation of honeydew and other plant-based resources might subsidize invasive ants at high trophic positions. These results support the hypothesis that Ar- densities, few data are available to evaluate this hypothesis. gentine ants shift their diet after establishment as a result of An important obstacle in this area of research concerns the resource depletion and increasing reliance on plant-based re- quantification of ant diets. Incomplete dietary information sources, especially honeydew-producing Hemiptera. Our results greatly hinders an understanding of the community-wide effects demonstrate the value of long-term and biregional data in uncov- of ant invasions. Invasive ants forage extensively on liquids (11, ering ecological effects of invasions. 14, 15), so observational data on diets are of limited use, because the exact composition of consumed or stored liquids remains ͉ ͉ biological invasions stable isotopes food webs unknown (e.g., the relative proportions of nectar, honeydew, and hemolymph). For these reasons, we use stable isotope analysis, iological invasions threaten biodiversity and drain economic an approach of demonstrated value in quantifying trophic rela- Bresources. Despite the importance of species introductions, tionships in ants (13, 16, 17). the short-term and small-scale nature of most invasive species We combine longitudinal and biregional comparisons (i)to research is a recognized limitation of this field (1). Additionally, track changes in nitrogen isotopic ratios of Argentine ants over confounding environmental factors can obscure links between time (i.e., as they actively displace native ants), and (ii)to the spread of invasive species and decline of natives (2). Spa- compare the trophic position of L. humile between its native and tiotemporal fluctuations in the population sizes of introduced introduced ranges. To measure changes in Argentine ant trophic species (3) that result from changes in resource use or availability position and native ant diversity during the course of an invasion, (4) can greatly alter the extent to which invaders disrupt eco- we sampled an active invasion front over an 8-year period. We systems. Because a better understanding of such variation will predict that the trophic level of resources assimilated by L. inform both ecological theory and management strategies, there humile will drop if the process of invasion either (i) depletes is an urgent need for long-term studies as well as for research that resources from high trophic levels (e.g., the consumption of investigates ecological interactions in the native ranges of intro- duced species. Author contributions: C.V.T., D.A.H., and A.V.S. designed research; C.V.T., D.A.H., E.G.L., One underappreciated source of variation regarding intro- and A.V.S. performed research; C.V.T., D.A.H., E.G.L., and A.V.S. analyzed data; and C.V.T., duced species concerns dietary flexibility and shifts in trophic D.A.H., E.G.L., and A.V.S. wrote the paper. position between native and introduced populations. This form The authors declare no conflict of interest. of ecological plasticity may enhance invasion success in a number This article is a PNAS Direct Submission. of ways. Species capable of extracting required nutrients from †Present address: Department of Biology, Linfield College, 900 SE Baker Street, McMin- multiple trophic levels might establish in a broader range of nville, OR 97128. environments compared with more specialized consumers. Fur- §Present address: University of Texas, Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin thermore, theory predicts diminishing biomass at higher trophic Boulevard, Austin, TX 78703. levels, suggesting that species feeding at lower trophic levels ¶To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]. might attain greater abundance (5). © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA 20856–20861 ͉ PNAS ͉ December 26, 2007 ͉ vol. 104 ͉ no. 52 www.pnas.org͞cgi͞doi͞10.1073͞pnas.0706903105 10 100 Table 1. Native ant species detected in Rice Canyon, San Diego 1996 1997 County, California 8 80 Before invasion After invasion 6 60 Genus and species (1996) (2003) 4 40 Dorymyrmex bicolor X 2 20 Dorymyrmex insanus X 0 0 Tapinoma sessile X 1998 2000 Forelius mccooki X 8 80 Brachymyrmex depilis X 6 60 Paratrechina cf. terricola X Camponotus fragilis X 4 40 Camponotus yogi X 2 20 Prenolepis imparis X Stenamma diecki X 0 0 Pheidole hyatti X 2002 2001 120 8 Pheidole vistana X 100 Pheidole clementensis X 6 80 Crematogaster mormonum X 60 4 Crematogaster californica X 40 Solenopsis xyloni X 2 20 Solenopsis molesta XX 0 0 Temnothorax andrei XX number of native ant species (closed circles) 123456789 2003 Messor andrei X 8 80 Cyphomyrmex wheeleri X 6 60 number of Argentine ant workers per trap (open squares) Neivamyrmex californicus X 4 40 Neivamyrmex nigrescens X Pseudomyrmex apache X 2 20 0 0 123456789 Rice Canyon as a whole, the number of native ant species dropped Fig. 1. Displacement of native ants by Argentine ants over an 8-year period from 23 before 1996 to just 2 by 2003 (Table 1). in Rice Canyon, San Diego County, California. Sampling stations (1–9) are As L. humile spread through Rice Canyon and displaced shown on the x axis. Open squares, number of Argentine ant workers captured resident ants (Fig. 1), its average ␦15N value decreased over the per pitfall trap at each sampling station; closed circles, number of native ant ECOLOGY species captured in pitfall traps at each sampling station. The photograph 8-year period of investigation (Fig. 2A). For seven of the nine 15 (Bottom Right) shows an aerial view of Rice Canyon (coastal sage scrub fixed sampling stations, the ␦ N value for the first year that L. surrounded by residential development) and the approximate location of the humile was recorded at a station (i.e., at the leading edge of the center of each sampling station. Image provided by Google Earth. invasion front) exceeded that of the mean ␦15N value for that station in all subsequent years (i.e., after the displacement of native ants) (paired t test: t8 ϭ 3.07, P ϭ 0.0154) (Fig. 2B). native ants and other arthropod predators), or (ii) leads to increased exploitation of plant-based resources. Alternatively, a Biregional Comparisons of Trophic Ecology. At our six study sites in ␦15 downward shift in trophic position would not be expected if Argentina and California, N values for ants as a whole resources exploited by Argentine ants remained stable through encompassed a broad range of values (Fig. 3), suggesting that time, or if plant-based resources, such as honeydew, were ants at each site occupy several trophic levels.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Efeito De Borda Sobre a Comunidade De Formigas Em Remanescentes De Mata Atlântica Nordestina Em Relação Ao Agroecossistema De Cana-De-Açúcar
    MINISTÉRIO DA EDUCAÇÃO UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL RURAL DE PERNAMBUCO PRÓ-REITORIA DE PESQUISA E PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO DEPARTAMENTO DE CIÊNCIA FLORESTAL PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM CIÊNCIA FLORESTAL EFEITO DE BORDA SOBRE A COMUNIDADE DE FORMIGAS EM REMANESCENTES DE MATA ATLÂNTICA NORDESTINA EM RELAÇÃO AO AGROECOSSISTEMA DE CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR Emanuel Rodrigo de Albuquerque Silva RECIFE – PE, BRASIL FEVEREIRO - 2012 i EMANUEL RODRIGO DE ALBUQUERQUE SILVA EFEITO DE BORDA SOBRE A COMUNIDADE DE FORMIGAS EM REMANESCENTES DE MATA ATLÂNTICA NORDESTINA EM RELAÇÃO AO AGROECOSSISTEMA DE CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR Dissertação apresentado ao Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Florestais da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do título de mestre em Ciências Florestais. Orientador 1: Prof. PhD. Alberto Fábio Carrano Moreira Orientador 2: Prof. PhD. Inara Roberta Leal RECIFE – PE, BRASIL FEVEREIRO - 2012 ii Ficha Catalográfica S586i Silva, Emanuel Rodrigo de Albuquerque Efeito de borda sobre a comunidade de formigas em remanescentes de mata atlântica nordestina em relação ao agroecossistema de cana- de-açúcar / Emanuel Rodrigo de Albuquerque Silva – Recife, 2012. 70 f. : Il. Orientador: Alberto Fábio Carrano Moreira Dissertação (Mestrado em Ciências Florestais) – Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Departamento de Ciência Florestal, Recife, 2012. Referências 1. Ecologia de populações 2. Efeito de borda 3. Mirmecofauna 4. Floresta Atlantica nordestina 5. Agroecossistema de cana-de- açúcar I. Moreira, Alberto Fábio Carrano, orientador II. Título CDD 634.9 iii Emanuel Rodrigo de Albuquerque Silva EFEITO DE BORDA SOBRE A COMUNIDADE DE FORMIGAS EM REMANESCENTES DE MATA ATLÂNTICA NORDESTINA EM RELAÇÃO AO AGROECOSSISTEMA DE CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR Aprovado em: 28/02/2012 Banca examinadora: _______________________________ _______________________________ Profª.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ecology and Feeding Habits of the Arboreal Trap-Jawed Ant Daceton Armigerum
    Open Archive TOULOUSE Archive Ouverte (OATAO) OATAO is an open access repository that collects the work of Toulouse researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. This is an author-deposited version published in : http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/ Eprints ID : 11561 To link to this article : DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0037683 URL : http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0037683 To cite this version : Dejean, Alain and Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles and Corbara, Bruno and Azémar, Frédéric and Groc, Sarah and Orivel, Jérôme and Leponce, Maurice The Ecology and Feeding Habits of the Arboreal Trap-Jawed Ant Daceton armigerum. (2012) PLoS ONE, vol. 7 (n° 5). e37683. ISSN 1932-6203 Any correspondance concerning this service should be sent to the repository administrator: [email protected] The Ecology and Feeding Habits of the Arboreal Trap- Jawed Ant Daceton armigerum Alain Dejean1,2*, Jacques H. C. Delabie3, Bruno Corbara4,5, Fre´deric Aze´mar2,6, Sarah Groc7, Je´roˆ me Orivel1, Maurice Leponce8 1 CNRS, E´cologie des Foreˆts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, France, 2 Universite´ de Toulouse, UPS (Ecolab), Toulouse, France, 3 U.P.A. Laborato´rio de Mirmecologia, Conveˆnio UESC/CEPLAC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil, 4 CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes, Ge´nome et Environnement (UMR-CNRS 6023), Universite´ Blaise Pascal, Aubie`re, France, 5 Clermont Universite´, Universite´ Blaise Pascal (LMGE), Clermont-Ferrand, France, 6 CNRS, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR-CNRS 5245), Toulouse, France, 7 Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlaˆndia, Uberlaˆndia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 8 Biological Evaluation Section, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium Abstract Here we show that Daceton armigerum, an arboreal myrmicine ant whose workers are equipped with hypertrophied trap- jaw mandibles, is characterized by a set of unexpected biological traits including colony size, aggressiveness, trophobiosis and hunting behavior.
    [Show full text]
  • Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Hábitos De Nidificação E Ocorrência Em Carcaça Animal
    412 May-June 2006 SCIENTIFIC NOTE Cephalotes clypeatus Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Hábitos de Nidificação e Ocorrência em Carcaça Animal THIAGO DE C. MORETTI E ODAIR B. RIBEIRO Depto. Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia, Unicamp. Cidade Universitária “Zeferino Vaz”, Distrito de Barão Geraldo, C. postal 610913, 083-970, Campinas, SP Neotropical Entomology 35(3):412-415 (2006) Cephalotes clypeatus Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Nesting Habits and Occurrence in Animal Carcass ABSTRACT - The ecological position of the family Formicidae in animal carcasses varies from predator, when feeding on eggs, larvae and pupae of some insects to necrophagous, when the ants feed on exudates or decomposing tissues. Ants are present in human corpses subject to forensic analyses and can also be used in estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI). Cephalotes clypeatus Fabricius is exclusively arboricolous and occurs only in the American continent. During a field study conducted in the Campus of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, in December 2003, a laboratory mouse carcass weighing 35,9 g was placed in an iron-mesh cage, which was adequate to collect adult ants. The carcass decomposed in four days. The total of 82 specimens of C. clypeatus was collected, in the first two days of exposure. They were observed feeding on exudates, tissues of the carcass, and on Diptera larvae occurring in the carcass. This species was observed nesting in hollow branches of Senna multijuga (Rich.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (Caesalpinaceae), which was found one-meter far from the cage. Further investigation on the biology of this Cephalotini must be performed, in order to understand the role of this species in the utilization of animal carcasses, and in the entomological succession process as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Guide of Common Ants
    J U L Y / A U G 2 0 0 3 N P M A L I B R A R Y U P D A T E Insert this update into the NPMA Pest Management Library, which can be Updatepurchased from the Resource Center. phone: 703-573-8330 fax: 703-573-4116 Common Ants: A Pull-Out Guide for Use in the Field This Library Update is designed to of acrobat ants. Workers are 1/16” to 1/8” assist technicians in identification and in length and are normally brown to control of ants while servicing accounts. black in color. The pedicel, or front joint This update is not designed for of the abdomen has two nodes or instruction in basic ant biology, segments. Looking down on the ant nomenclature of the anatomy of the ant, under hand lens magnification, one pair or to be used as a key. For more detailed of spines is found on the thorax. Various information on those topics, refer to the species of acrobat ants are found Field Guide or other technical materials. throughout the United States. In the field, a great aid to identification Acrobat ants are named for their is the use of a hand lens. Many of these tendency to raise their abdomens in the ants are small and positive identification air when disturbed. As the abdomen is is not easy without a hand lens. This heart shaped and is frequently black and article focuses on common, non-wood- shiny, the acrobat motion is readily destroying ants, including: acrobat, observable.
    [Show full text]
  • Jordan Beans RA RMO Dir
    Importation of Fresh Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Shelled or in Pods, from Jordan into the Continental United States A Qualitative, Pathway-Initiated Risk Assessment February 14, 2011 Version 2 Agency Contact: Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory Center for Plant Health Science and Technology United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27606 Pest Risk Assessment for Beans from Jordan Executive Summary In this risk assessment we examined the risks associated with the importation of fresh beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), in pods (French, green, snap, and string beans) or shelled, from the Kingdom of Jordan into the continental United States. We developed a list of pests associated with beans (in any country) that occur in Jordan on any host based on scientific literature, previous commodity risk assessments, records of intercepted pests at ports-of-entry, and information from experts on bean production. This is a qualitative risk assessment, as we express estimates of risk in descriptive terms (High, Medium, and Low) rather than numerically in probabilities or frequencies. We identified seven quarantine pests likely to follow the pathway of introduction. We estimated Consequences of Introduction by assessing five elements that reflect the biology and ecology of the pests: climate-host interaction, host range, dispersal potential, economic impact, and environmental impact. We estimated Likelihood of Introduction values by considering both the quantity of the commodity imported annually and the potential for pest introduction and establishment. We summed the Consequences of Introduction and Likelihood of Introduction values to estimate overall Pest Risk Potentials, which describe risk in the absence of mitigation.
    [Show full text]
  • Check List 8(4): 722–730, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (Available at Journal of Species Lists and Distribution
    Check List 8(4): 722–730, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution Check list of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: PECIES S Formicidae) of the eastern Acre, Amazon, Brazil OF Patrícia Nakayama Miranda 1,2*, Marco Antônio Oliveira 3, Fabricio Beggiato Baccaro 4, Elder Ferreira ISTS 1 5,6 L Morato and Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie 1 Universidade Federal do Acre, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza. BR 364 – Km 4 – Distrito Industrial. CEP 69915-900. Rio Branco, AC, Brazil. 2 Instituo Federal do Acre, Campus Rio Branco. Avenida Brasil 920, Bairro Xavier Maia. CEP 69903-062. Rio Branco, AC, Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Florestal. Rodovia LMG 818, Km 6. CEP 35690-000. Florestal, MG, Brazil. 4 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia. CP 478. CEP 69083-670. Manaus, AM, Brazil. 5 Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira, Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau, Laboratório de Mirmecologia – CEPEC/CEPLAC. Caixa Postal 07. CEP 45600-970. Itabuna, BA, Brazil. 6 Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz. CEP 45650-000. Ilhéus, BA, Brazil. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The ant fauna of state of Acre, Brazilian Amazon, is poorly known. The aim of this study was to compile the species sampled in different areas in the State of Acre. An inventory was carried out in pristine forest in the municipality of Xapuri. This list was complemented with the information of a previous inventory carried out in a forest fragment in the municipality of Senador Guiomard and with a list of species deposited at the Entomological Collection of National Institute of Amazonian Research– INPA.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomy and Distribution of the Argentine Ant, Linepithema Humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
    SYSTEMATICS Taxonomy and Distribution of the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ALEXANDER L. WILD Department of Entomology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616 Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 97(6): 1204Ð1215 (2004) ABSTRACT The taxonomy of an invasive pest species, the Argentine ant, is reviewed. Linepithema humile (Mayr) 1868 is conÞrmed as the valid name for the Argentine ant. Morphological variation and species boundaries of L. humile are examined, with emphasis on populations from the antÕs native range in southern South America. Diagnoses and illustrations are provided for male, queen, and worker castes. Collection records of L. humile in South America support the idea of a native distribution closely associated with major waterways in lowland areas of the Parana´ River drainage, with recent intro- ductions into parts of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. KEY WORDS Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, taxonomy, invasive species THE ARGENTINE ANT, Linepithema humile (Mayr) 1868, MCSN, MCZC, MHNG, MZSP, NHMB, NHMW, and is among the worldÕs most successful invasive species. USNM; see below for explanation of abbreviations). This native South American insect has become a cos- Taxonomic confusion over L. humile extends be- mopolitan pest, particularly in the Mediterranean cli- yond museum collections. At least one important mates of North America, Chile, South Africa, Austra- study, seeking to explain Argentine ant population lia, and southern Europe (Suarez et al. 2001). regulation in the native range through phorid para- Argentine ants have been implicated in the decline of sitism (Orr and Seike 1998), initially targeted the native arthropod (Cole et al. 1992) and vertebrate wrong Linepithema species (Orr et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species Without Extrafloral Nectaries
    Hindawi Publishing Corporation Psyche Volume 2012, Article ID 172739, 6 pages doi:10.1155/2012/172739 Research Article Tree-Dwelling Ants: Contrasting Two Brazilian Cerrado Plant Species without Extrafloral Nectaries Jonas Maravalhas,1 JacquesH.C.Delabie,2 Rafael G. Macedo,1 and Helena C. Morais1 1 Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Bras´ılia, 70910-900 Bras´ılia, DF, Brazil 2 Laboratorio´ de Mirmecologia, Convˆenio UESC/CEPLAC, Centro de Pesquisa do Cacau, CEPLAC, Cx. P. 07, 45600-000 Itabuna, BA, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Jonas Maravalhas, [email protected] Received 31 May 2011; Revised 28 June 2011; Accepted 30 June 2011 Academic Editor: Fernando Fernandez´ Copyright © 2012 Jonas Maravalhas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Ants dominate vegetation stratum, exploiting resources like extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and insect honeydew. These interactions are frequent in Brazilian cerrado and are well known, but few studies compare ant fauna and explored resources between plant species. We surveyed two cerrado plants without EFNs, Roupala montana (found on preserved environments of our study area) and Solanum lycocarpum (disturbed ones). Ants were collected and identified, and resources on each plant noted. Ant frequency and richness were higher on R. montana (67%; 35 spp) than S. lycocarpum (52%; 26), the occurrence of the common ant species varied between them, and similarity was low. Resources were explored mainly by Camponotus crassus and consisted of scale insects, aphids, and floral nectaries on R.
    [Show full text]
  • TESE DE DOUTORADO Interações Formiga-Planta Nos Campos Rupestres: Diversidade, Estrutura E Dinâmica Temporal FERNANDA VIEIRA
    UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre ______________________________________________________________________ TESE DE DOUTORADO Interações formiga-planta nos campos rupestres: diversidade, estrutura e dinâmica temporal FERNANDA VIEIRA DA COSTA BELO HORIZONTE 2016 FERNANDA VIEIRA DA COSTA Interações formiga-planta nos campos rupestres: diversidade, estrutura e dinâmica temporal Tese apresentada ao Programa de Pós- Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, como requisito parcial para obtenção do título de Doutora em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre. Orientador: Dr. Frederico de Siqueira Neves Coorientadores: Dr. Marco Aurelio Ribeiro de Mello & Dr. Tadeu José de Abreu Guerra BELO HORIZONTE 2016 2 3 Agradecimentos À Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) e ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre (ECMVS), pela oportunidade, apoio e excelente formação acadêmica. Especialmente aos professores Frederico Neves, Marco Mello, Adriano Paglia e Fernando Silveira pelos ensinamentos e conselhos transmitidos. Agradeço também aos secretários Frederico Teixeira e Cristiane por todo auxílio com as burocracias, que facilitaram muito pra que essa caminhada fosse mais tranquila. À Fundação CAPES pela concessão da bolsa durante o período do doutorado realizado no Brasil. Ao Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) e ao Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdiens (DAAD) pela oportunidade de realização do doutorado sanduíche na Alemanha e concessão da bolsa durante o intercâmbio. Ao CNPq (Chamada Universal, Processo 478565/2012-7) e ao Projeto de Pesquisas Ecológicas de Longa Duração (PELD – Campos Rupestres da Serra do Cipó) pelo apoio financeiro e logístico.
    [Show full text]
  • Deep Divergence and Rapid Evolutionary Rates in Gut-Associated Acetobacteraceae of Ants Bryan P
    Brown and Wernegreen BMC Microbiology (2016) 16:140 DOI 10.1186/s12866-016-0721-8 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Deep divergence and rapid evolutionary rates in gut-associated Acetobacteraceae of ants Bryan P. Brown1,2 and Jennifer J. Wernegreen1,2* Abstract Background: Symbiotic associations between gut microbiota and their animal hosts shape the evolutionary trajectories of both partners. The genomic consequences of these relationships are significantly influenced by a variety of factors, including niche localization, interaction potential, and symbiont transmission mode. In eusocial insect hosts, socially transmitted gut microbiota may represent an intermediate point between free living or environmentally acquired bacteria and those with strict host association and maternal transmission. Results: We characterized the bacterial communities associated with an abundant ant species, Camponotus chromaiodes. While many bacteria had sporadic distributions, some taxa were abundant and persistent within and across ant colonies. Specially, two Acetobacteraceae operational taxonomic units (OTUs; referred to as AAB1 and AAB2) were abundant and widespread across host samples. Dissection experiments confirmed that AAB1 and AAB2 occur in C. chromaiodes gut tracts. We explored the distribution and evolution of these Acetobacteraceae OTUs in more depth. We found that Camponotus hosts representing different species and geographical regions possess close relatives of the Acetobacteraceae OTUs detected in C. chromaiodes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that AAB1 and AAB2 join other ant associates in a monophyletic clade. This clade consists of Acetobacteraceae from three ant tribes, including a third, basal lineage associated with Attine ants. This ant-specific AAB clade exhibits a significant acceleration of substitution rates at the 16S rDNA gene and elevated AT content.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 KEY to the DESERT ANTS of CALIFORNIA. James Des Lauriers
    KEY TO THE DESERT ANTS OF CALIFORNIA. James des Lauriers Dept Biology, Chaffey College, Alta Loma, CA [email protected] 15 Apr 2011 Snelling and George (1979) surveyed the Mojave and Colorado Deserts including the southern ends of the Owen’s Valley and Death Valley. They excluded the Pinyon/Juniper woodlands and higher elevation plant communities. I have included the same geographical region but also the ants that occur at higher elevations in the desert mountains including the Chuckwalla, Granites, Providence, New York and Clark ranges. Snelling, R and C. George, 1979. The Taxonomy, Distribution and Ecology of California Desert Ants. Report to Calif. Desert Plan Program. Bureau of Land Mgmt. Their keys are substantially modified in the light of more recent literature. Some of the keys include species whose ranges are not known to extend into the deserts. Names of species known to occur in the Mojave or Colorado deserts are colored red. I would appreciate being informed if you find errors or can suggest changes or additions. Key to the Subfamilies. WORKERS AND FEMALES. 1a. Petiole two-segmented. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 b. Petiole one-segmented. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..4 2a. Frontal carinae narrow, not expanded laterally, antennal sockets fully exposed in frontal view. ……………………………….3 b. Frontal carinae expanded laterally, antennal sockets partially or fully covered in frontal view. …………… Myrmicinae, p 4 3a. Eye very large and covering much of side of head, consisting of hundreds of ommatidia; thorax of female with flight sclerites. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…. Pseudomyrmecinae, p 2 b. Eye absent or vestigial and consist of a single ommatidium; thorax of female without flight sclerites.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of the Argentine Ant in Vineyards of Northern Argentina
    insects Article Growing Industries, Growing Invasions? The Case of the Argentine Ant in Vineyards of Northern Argentina Maria Schulze-Sylvester 1,* ID , José A. Corronca 1 ID and Carolina I. Paris 2 1 FCN-IEBI (Instituto para el Estudio de la Biodiversidad de Invertebrados), CONICET CCT-Salta, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Av. Bolivia 5150, CP 4400 Salta, Argentina; [email protected] 2 Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +54-387-425-5472 Received: 10 December 2017; Accepted: 23 January 2018; Published: 29 January 2018 Abstract: The invasive Argentine ant causes ecological and economic damage worldwide. In 2011, this species was reported in vineyards of Cafayate, a wine-producing town in the Andes, Argentina. While the local xeric climate is unsuitable for Argentine ants, populations could establish in association with vineyards where human activity and irrigation facilitate propagule introduction and survival. In 2013–2014, we combined extensive sampling of the area using ant-baits with monitoring of the change in land use and vineyard cultivated area over the past 15 years. Our results revealed that the species has thus far remained confined to a relatively isolated small area, owing to an effective barrier of dry shrublands surrounding the infested vineyards; yet the recent expansion of vineyard acreage in this region will soon connect this encapsulated area with the rest of the valley. When this happens, vulnerable ecosystems and the main local industry will be put at risk.
    [Show full text]