DOCSLIB.ORG

Pared with Other Ant Species Indigenous to Texas

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Pared with Other Ant Species Indigenous to Texas FORAGING AND RECHUITMENT ABILITIES OF SOLENOPSIS INVICTA BOREN, CO*!PARED WITH OTHER ANT SPECIES INDIGENOUS TO TEXAS by STANLEY R. JONES, B.S. A THESIS IN ENTOMOLOGY Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved May, 1985 yv C-C^^'^ ACKN0^LEDGE?1ENTS I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. Sherman Phillips, committee chairman, for his guidance and support of this research. To Dr. Bernard Hartaan and Dr. James Wangberg I extend my gratitude for serving as commit­ tee members and for review of this thesis. I ar^ grateful to Dr. a. Willig for his helpful comments and assistance with data analysis, to Dr. Oscar Francke for verification of ant species identification, and to Is. Mary Peek for technical assistance. Finally, I thank James Cok- endolpher for review of preliminary drafts of this thesis. Special recognition is given to my parents for their encouragement and support of my education. To my wife Jo Ann, I express r^y deepest appreciation for her understand­ ing, support, and consideration during my graduate studies. This research was conducted through the facilities and financial resources provided by '^exas Tech University. To this institution I aii indebted. 11 ABSTRACT Since its accidental introduction into "•obile, Alabama, the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invlcta Buren, has be­ come an economic pest of much of the southern United States. Each year this ant continues to expand its range. Why S. invicta is able to successfully colonize areas previously inhabited by multifarious ant species is not understood. Possible explanations include its aggressive behavior, large colony size, and foraging efficiency. This study was con­ ducted to compare the foraging efficiency of S. invicta to three ant species native to south central Texas. Native ants studied include Pheidole dentata Mayr, wonomorium mini­ mum (Buckley) , and Forelius foetid us (Buckley) . Temporal recruitment and food retrieval patterns were recorded and con^pared for all four species held at equal colony strengths. Results indicate that interspecific differences in recruitment patterns do occur. However, these differenc- 9.5 are subtle and do not suggest that S. invicta is a more efficient forager under laboratory conditions, than the oth­ er three species. Ill TABLE OF CONTENT'S ACK>:OWLEDGEME!yTS 11 ABSTRACT 111 LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGUPES V CHAPTER I. INTPODUC^ION AND LITERATURE REVIEW 1 Foraging and Pecruitment 5 Aggression 21 Competitive Avoidance 24 Objectives 31 General .Species biology 32 Pheidole dentata 32 Solenopsis invicta 32 Forelius foetidus 3 3 Monomorium minimum 3U II. r^STIIODS AND MATERIALS 36 Confrontation 37 Aggressive Ability 37 Defensive Ability 38 Recruitment and Foraging 39 Distance Travelled and Turns "Executed 44 Recruitment 47 Paits 48 Foraging 51 III. PiSUL'^:^ 53 Confrontation 53 Aggressive Ability 53 Defensive Ability 58 Recruitment and Foraging 61 Distance Travelled and Turns Executed 61 Pecruitment 63 Foraging 67 IV IV. DISCUSSION 71 LIT^RATUFE CITED 87 APPENDIX A. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TABLES FOR FLFVEN PARA'IETERS 94 LIST OF TABLES 1. Analysis of variance table for number of contacts made by 17 species-caste combinations 94 2. Nested analysis of variance table for distance travelled 94 3. Nested analysis of variance table for number of turns executed 95 4. Nested analysis of variance table for initiation of recruitment 95 5. Nested analysis of variance table for time to reach peak numbers 96 6. 'tested analysis of variance table for peak numbers recruited 96 7. Nested analysis of variance table for bait retrieval time 97 ^. Nested analysis of variance table for numbers foraging prior to bait placement 97 9. Nested analysis of variance table for time required to discover a bait following placement 98 10. Nested analysis of variance table for numbers foraging after bait retrieval 98 11. Nested analysis of variance table for time to retrieve single baits 99 VI LIST OF FIGURES 1. Top ard side view (with detail) of a single ant foraging tray/myrmicary container 4 0 2. Side view of a free water dispenser, constructed from ^0X20 mm petri dishes 43 3. Top view of single ant foraging tray/myrmicary container 45 4. Results of confrontation studies between four ant species for 17 species-caste combinations 54 5. Results of confrontation studies between four ant species 57 6. Comparison of defensive abilities between 17 species-caste combinations 5 9 7. Comparison between species for distance travelled and number of turns executed 62 8. Comparative recruitment patterns of fotir ant species 64 9. Peak numbers recruited to food baits and bait retrieval times for four ant species 65 10. A comparison between species for the number of ants foraging prior to bait placement and after bai^ retrieval 68 11. A comparison between species for the time required to retrieve single baits 22 cm 69 vii CHAPTFIR I INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW The manner in which various biotic and abiotic factors interplay in the environment determines not only the diver­ sity of an ecosystem, but also the particular habitats and functions of the taxa involved (Odum, 1975). Widely differ­ ing taxa, or similar taxa which utilize different resources, may have widely overlapping ranges with little or no effect on each other. Conversely, similar or dissimilar taxa with similar abiotic and/or biotic requirements may interact in various ways leading to resource partitioning (Wilson, 1971). Thus, organisms in an ecosystem occupy more or less well defined areas or niches. The niche concept has been variously defined by such early authors as Grinnell (1924), and Elton (1927) . In 1957, Hutchinson defined niche in a more complex but perhaps more accurate manner. His niche concept, known as a multi­ dimensional hypervolume, accounts for all environmental variables important to an organisms survival, and defines the organism's fundamental niche. Hutchinson further refined the concept to include an organism's realized niche which is the portion of the fundamental niche actually occupied by an organism after interactions with other organisms are accounted for. In this paper, Hutchinson's definition of niche will be assumed. Ants are conspicuous by their numbers and typically play a prominent role in most terrestrial habitats. Ants are generally among the principal predators of other in­ vertebrates. Their consumption of biomass and energy ex­ ceeds that of vertebrates in most terrestrial habitats. This large accumulation of biotic material is achieved via the continual searching of foragers night and day (Wilson, 1971) . because ants are so prominent in terrestrial habitats, inter- and intraspecific interactions are common and are im­ portant in shaping the distribution of ant species in a com­ munity, other biotic and abiotic factors are also important and include vegetation type and cover, food abundance, dis­ persion and dependability, temperature, rainfall and soil type (Sherba, 1<364) . With respect to food utilization, most ant species are omnivorous (Carroll and Janzen, 1973). Even predacious ants which utilize mobile insects as prey, sup­ plement their diet with scavenged resources. This behavior is due in part to the variable location in time and space of mobile prey, as well as the large energy expenditure required to locate and capture these items (Carroll and Janzen, 1973). Omnivorous food habits are usually correlated with broad niches and low food availability. Niche breadth for any one population should increase as a result o^ selection acting through the resource in short supply C^ernstein, 1979). Species diversity may also be re­ duced by lowered resource availability (Bernstein, 1979). For example, ant colonies are often more widely spaced in areas of low productivity than in areas of high productivi­ ty, with a corresponding reduction in diversity. This cir­ cumstance was described by Davidson (1977) for several spec­ ies of granivorous ants. This relationship indicates that food is probably a limiting resource (Davidson, 1977). Species diversity within a community may also depend on moisture gradients and general environmental heterogeniety (Davidson, 1977). Bernstein (1979) identified three compo­ nents of environmental heterogeniety which are important when considering niche breadth in ants. These factors in­ clude: the range of temperatures utilized for foraging, the size of the foraging area, and the diversity in size and distribution of food sources utilized. 7hen environmental conditions favor an increase in niche breadth, indicated by low species diversity and omnivorous food habits, populations may respond with an increase in either the within phenotype component or the between phenotype component of niche breadth. The between phenotype component is shaped by the above ecological factors and is expressed as differences among individuals within a population. In the extreme case, these ecological factors could lead to a population composed of individuals highly specialized for individual tasks. This condition is unlikely because the diversity of genes within a population limits the phenotypic variability, and genetic recombination tends to dilute high­ ly specialized genotypes (Bernstein, 1979). The within phe­ notype component of niche breadth involves the variety of resources collected and used by each individual within a population. In the extreme case, the population would be totally composed of generalists, each of whose niche breadth would equal that of the population as a whole. A population of this type would be highly inefficient in resource utili­ zation (Pernstein, 1979). However, in areas of low food availability, populations will tend to be generalists in or­ der to secure as much of the available resources as possi­ ble. Ants, due to their social behavior, have been able to increase the efficiency of resource utilization despite an increase in the within-phenotype component of niche breadth (Bernstein, 1979). In ant communities, a gradation of generalists (within-phenotype component) to specialists (between-phenotype component) can be found.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Resasco Etal 2014 Plosone.Pdf (1.045Mb)
    Using Historical and Experimental Data to Reveal Warming Effects on Ant Assemblages The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Resasco, Julian, Shannon L. Pelini, Katharine L. Stuble, Nathan J. Sanders, Robert R. Dunn, Sarah E. Diamond, Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, and Douglas J. Levey. 2014. “Using Historical and Experimental Data to Reveal Warming Effects on Ant Assemblages.” Edited by Martin Heil. PLoS ONE 9 (2) (February 4): e88029. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088029. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0088029. Published Version doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088029 Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11857773 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Using Historical and Experimental Data to Reveal Warming Effects on Ant Assemblages Julian Resasco1*†, Shannon L. Pelini2, Katharine L. Stuble 3‡, Nathan J. Sanders3§, Robert R. Dunn4, Sarah E. Diamond4¶, Aaron M. Ellison5, Nicholas J. Gotelli6, Douglas J. Levey7 1Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA 2Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA 3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA 4Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA 5Harvard University, Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA 01366 USA 6Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 USA 7National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, USA † Current address: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA ‡ Current address: Oklahoma Biological Survey, 111 E.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology and Field Biology of Two Dominant Camponotus Ants
    JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 2018 VOL. 52, NOS. 3–4, 237–252 https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2017.1420833 Ecology and field biology of two dominant Camponotus ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Brazilian savannah Mariane U.V. Ronquea, Vincent Fourcassiéb and Paulo S. Oliveira c aPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, C.P. 6109, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil; bCentre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, UMR CNRS Nº5169, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France; cDepartamento de Biologia Animal, C.P. 6109, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil Camponotus renggeri and C. rufipes are very abundant in Brazilian ARTICLE HISTORY cerrado savannah, where they feed extensively on liquid rewards Received 23 March 2017 and commonly associate with plants bearing extrafloral nectaries Accepted 5 December 2017 and honeydew-producing insects. Here, we provide a qualitative Online 22 January 2018 and quantitative field account on the natural history and ecology of KEYWORDS these two ant species. The study was carried out in a cerrado Activity schedule; ants; reserve in south-eastern Brazil across a rainy/hot season (summer) cerrado vegetation; nesting and a dry/cold season (winter). The ants were found in two vegeta- habits; home range tion physiognomies: all nests of C. rufipes were located in the cerrado sensu stricto (scrub of shrubs and trees, 3–8 m tall), whereas C. renggeri occurred mostly in the cerradão (forest with more or less merging canopy, 10–12 m tall). Both species nested in fallen or erect dead trunks, as well as underground.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ants of Oklahoma Master of Science
    THE ANTS OF OKLAHOMA By Jerry H. Young(I\" Bachelor of Science Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College Stillwater, Oklahoma 1955 Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE January 1 1956 tl<lAWMA AGCMCl«.f�Al L �Ci'!AlttCAl e&U.Ull LIBRARY JUL16195 6 THE ANTS OF OKLAHOMA Thesis Approved: Thesis Adviser }>JcMem��f � 't'" he Thesis ) Committee Member of the Thesis Committee 7'4'.��Member of the Thesis Committee Head of the Department ifean of the Graduate School 361565 ii PREFACE The study of the distribution of ants in the United States has been a long and continuous process with many contributors, but the State of Oklahoma has not received the attentions of these observers to any great extent. The only known list of ants of Oklahoma is one prepared by Mo Ro Smith (1935)0 Early in 1954 a survey of the state of Oklahoma was made to determine the species present and their distributiono The results of this survey, which blanketed the entire State, are given in this paper. The author wishes to express his appreciation to Dro Do E. Howell, chairman of the writer's thesis committee, for his valuable assistance and careful guidance in the preparation of this papero Also, much guidance on preparation of this manuscrip_t was received from Drs. Do Eo Bryan, William H. Irwin and F. A. Fenton. Many of the determin­ ations were made by M. R. Smith.. Vital infonnation was obtained from the museums at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College and the University of Oklahoma.
    [Show full text]
  • Nutritional Ecology of the Carpenter Ant Camponotus Pennsylvanicus (De Geer): Macronutrient Preference and Particle Consumption
    Nutritional Ecology of the Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer): Macronutrient Preference and Particle Consumption Colleen A. Cannon Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Entomology Richard D. Fell, Chairman Jeffrey R. Bloomquist Richard E. Keyel Charles Kugler Donald E. Mullins June 12, 1998 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: diet, feeding behavior, food, foraging, Formicidae Copyright 1998, Colleen A. Cannon Nutritional Ecology of the Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer): Macronutrient Preference and Particle Consumption Colleen A. Cannon (ABSTRACT) The nutritional ecology of the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer) was investigated by examining macronutrient preference and particle consumption in foraging workers. The crops of foragers collected in the field were analyzed for macronutrient content at two-week intervals through the active season. Choice tests were conducted at similar intervals during the active season to determine preference within and between macronutrient groups. Isolated individuals and small social groups were fed fluorescent microspheres in the laboratory to establish the fate of particles ingested by workers of both castes. Under natural conditions, foragers chiefly collected carbohydrate and nitrogenous material. Carbohydrate predominated in the crop and consisted largely of simple sugars. A small amount of glycogen was present. Carbohydrate levels did not vary with time. Lipid levels in the crop were quite low. The level of nitrogen compounds in the crop was approximately half that of carbohydrate, and exhibited seasonal dependence. Peaks in nitrogen foraging occurred in June and September, months associated with the completion of brood rearing in Camponotus.
    [Show full text]
  • The Functions and Evolution of Social Fluid Exchange in Ant Colonies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Marie-Pierre Meurville & Adria C
    ISSN 1997-3500 Myrmecological News myrmecologicalnews.org Myrmecol. News 31: 1-30 doi: 10.25849/myrmecol.news_031:001 13 January 2021 Review Article Trophallaxis: the functions and evolution of social fluid exchange in ant colonies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Marie-Pierre Meurville & Adria C. LeBoeuf Abstract Trophallaxis is a complex social fluid exchange emblematic of social insects and of ants in particular. Trophallaxis behaviors are present in approximately half of all ant genera, distributed over 11 subfamilies. Across biological life, intra- and inter-species exchanged fluids tend to occur in only the most fitness-relevant behavioral contexts, typically transmitting endogenously produced molecules adapted to exert influence on the receiver’s physiology or behavior. Despite this, many aspects of trophallaxis remain poorly understood, such as the prevalence of the different forms of trophallaxis, the components transmitted, their roles in colony physiology and how these behaviors have evolved. With this review, we define the forms of trophallaxis observed in ants and bring together current knowledge on the mechanics of trophallaxis, the contents of the fluids transmitted, the contexts in which trophallaxis occurs and the roles these behaviors play in colony life. We identify six contexts where trophallaxis occurs: nourishment, short- and long-term decision making, immune defense, social maintenance, aggression, and inoculation and maintenance of the gut microbiota. Though many ideas have been put forth on the evolution of trophallaxis, our analyses support the idea that stomodeal trophallaxis has become a fixed aspect of colony life primarily in species that drink liquid food and, further, that the adoption of this behavior was key for some lineages in establishing ecological dominance.
    [Show full text]
  • Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
    SYSTEMATICS Phylogenetic Analysis of Aphaenogaster Supports the Resurrection of Novomessor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) 1 B. B. DEMARCO AND A. I. COGNATO Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 108(2): 201–210 (2015); DOI: 10.1093/aesa/sau013 ABSTRACT The ant genus Aphaenogaster Mayr is an ecologically diverse group that is common throughout much of North America. Aphaenogaster has a complicated taxonomic history due to variabil- ity of taxonomic characters. Novomessor Emery was previously synonymized with Aphaenogaster, which was justified by the partial mesonotal suture observed in Aphaenogaster ensifera Forel. Previous studies using Bayesian phylogenies with molecular data suggest Aphaenogaster is polyphyletic. Convergent evolution and retention of ancestral similarities are two major factors contributing to nonmonophyly of Aphaenogaster. Based on 42 multistate morphological characters and five genes, we found Novomessor more closely related to Veromessor Forel and that this clade is sister to Aphaenogaster. Our results confirm the validity of Novomessor stat. r. as a separate genus, and it is resurrected based on the combi- nation of new DNA, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data. KEY WORDS Aphaenogaster, Novomessor, phylogenetics, resurrection Introduction phylogenetic analyses resolved Aphaenogaster as polyphyletic, including Messor Forel, 1890 and Sten- The ant genus Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853 is a speciose amma (Brady et al. 2006, Moreau and Bell 2013). group,whichhasnotbeentaxonomicallyreviewedin Ward (2011) suggested that convergent evolution and over 60 years (Creighton 1950). Aphaenogaster con- retention of ancestral similarities were two major fac- tains 227 worldwide species (Bolton 2006), with 23 tors contributing to polyphyly of Aphaenogaster. valid North American species reduced from 31 original Aphaenogaster taxonomy was further complicated species descriptions.
    [Show full text]
  • Individual Versus Collective Cognition in Social Insects
    Individual versus collective cognition in social insects Ofer Feinermanᴥ, Amos Kormanˠ ᴥ Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel. Email: [email protected] ˠ Institut de Recherche en Informatique Fondamentale (IRIF), CNRS and University Paris Diderot, 75013, Paris, France. Email: [email protected] Abstract The concerted responses of eusocial insects to environmental stimuli are often referred to as collective cognition on the level of the colony.To achieve collective cognitiona group can draw on two different sources: individual cognitionand the connectivity between individuals.Computation in neural-networks, for example,is attributedmore tosophisticated communication schemes than to the complexity of individual neurons. The case of social insects, however, can be expected to differ. This is since individual insects are cognitively capable units that are often able to process information that is directly relevant at the level of the colony.Furthermore, involved communication patterns seem difficult to implement in a group of insects since these lack clear network structure.This review discusses links between the cognition of an individual insect and that of the colony. We provide examples for collective cognition whose sources span the full spectrum between amplification of individual insect cognition and emergent group-level processes. Introduction The individuals that make up a social insect colony are so tightly knit that they are often regarded as a single super-organism(Wilson and Hölldobler, 2009). This point of view seems to go far beyond a simple metaphor(Gillooly et al., 2010)and encompasses aspects of the colony that are analogous to cell differentiation(Emerson, 1939), metabolic rates(Hou et al., 2010; Waters et al., 2010), nutrient regulation(Behmer, 2009),thermoregulation(Jones, 2004; Starks et al., 2000), gas exchange(King et al., 2015), and more.
    [Show full text]
  • Nest Site Selection During Colony Relocation in Yucatan Peninsula Populations of the Ponerine Ants Neoponera Villosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
    insects Article Nest Site Selection during Colony Relocation in Yucatan Peninsula Populations of the Ponerine Ants Neoponera villosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Franklin H. Rocha 1, Jean-Paul Lachaud 1,2, Yann Hénaut 1, Carmen Pozo 1 and Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud 1,* 1 El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Avenida Centenario km 5.5, Chetumal 77014, Quintana Roo, Mexico; [email protected] (F.H.R.); [email protected] (J.-P.L.); [email protected] (Y.H.); [email protected] (C.P.) 2 Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse; CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +52-98-3835-0440 Received: 15 January 2020; Accepted: 19 March 2020; Published: 23 March 2020 Abstract: In the Yucatan Peninsula, the ponerine ant Neoponera villosa nests almost exclusively in tank bromeliads, Aechmea bracteata. In this study, we aimed to determine the factors influencing nest site selection during nest relocation which is regularly promoted by hurricanes in this area. Using ants with and without previous experience of Ae. bracteata, we tested their preference for refuges consisting of Ae. bracteata leaves over two other bromeliads, Ae. bromeliifolia and Ananas comosus. We further evaluated bromeliad-associated traits that could influence nest site selection (form and size). Workers with and without previous contact with Ae. bracteata significantly preferred this species over others, suggesting the existence of an innate attraction to this bromeliad. However, preference was not influenced by previous contact with Ae. bracteata. Workers easily discriminated between shelters of Ae. bracteata and A.
    [Show full text]
  • (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for the Control of Salvinia
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2011 Introduction and Establishment of Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for the Control of Salvinia minima Baker (Salviniaceae), and Interspecies Interactions Possibly Limiting Successful Control in Louisiana Katherine A. Parys Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Parys, Katherine A., "Introduction and Establishment of Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for the Control of Salvinia minima Baker (Salviniaceae), and Interspecies Interactions Possibly Limiting Successful Control in Louisiana" (2011). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1565. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1565 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. INTRODUCTION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF CYRTOBAGOUS SALVINIAE CALDER AND SANDS (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) FOR THE CONTROL OF SALVINIA MINIMA BAKER (SALVINIACEAE), AND INTERSPECIES INTERACTIONS POSSIBLY LIMITING SUCCESSFUL CONTROL IN LOUISIANA. A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology By Katherine A. Parys B.A., University of Rhode Island, 2002 M.S., Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2004 December 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In pursing this Ph.D. I owe many thanks to many people who have supported me throughout this endeavor.
    [Show full text]
  • Effect of Increased Soil Moisture and Reduced Soil Temperature on a Desert Soil Arthropod Community
    Effect of Increased Soil Moisture and Reduced Soil Temperature on a Desert Soil Arthropod Community WILLIAM P. MACKAY, SOLANGE SILVA, DAVID C. LIGHTFOOT, MARIA INEZ PAGANI and WALTER G. WHITFORD' Department of Biology, Box 3AFJ New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 88003 ABSTRACT: The effects of soil moisture and temperature on arthropod communi- ties were experimentally examined in the northern Chihuahuan Desert of New Mex- ico. Shaded plots were established which lowered the soil temperature several degrees; some plots received artificial rainfall to increase soil moisture. Shading reduced soil temperature at 5-cm depth 7-10 C. Soil moisture at 5 cm accounted for most of the variation in surface activity of subterranean termites (r values between 0.3 and 0.7). Termites did not respond to temperature differences. When all soils were at field capacity, there was no difference in termite activity in shaded and unshaded plots. There were higher densities of mi- croarthropods in litter bags on the shaded plots than on the unshaded plots. Numbers of microarthropods were an order of magnitude larger in litter bags on watered and shaded plots than on other plots. Lower litter temperatures apparently affect litter ar- thropods more than increased soil moisture. Shade had no effect on ant colonies but there were fewer colonies on the watered plots. There was between 40 to 50% mass loss from creosotebush leaf litter after 7 months on all plots. Water and soil temperature had no effect on decomposition rates. INTRODUCTION Temperature extremes and water availability are considered to be the most impor- tant factors limiting production, activity of desert organisms and ecosystem processes in deserts (Noy-Meir, 1973, 1974; Whitford et al., 1981, Whitford et al., 1983).
    [Show full text]
  • Group Recruitment in a Thermophilic Desert Ant, Ocymyrmex Robustior
    Eawag_07834 J Comp Physiol A (2013) 199:711–722 DOI 10.1007/s00359-013-0830-x ORIGINAL PAPER Group recruitment in a thermophilic desert ant, Ocymyrmex robustior Stefan Sommer • Denise Weibel • Nicole Blaser • Anna Furrer • Nadine E. Wenzler • Wolfgang Ro¨ssler • Ru¨diger Wehner Received: 19 March 2013 / Revised: 30 April 2013 / Accepted: 17 May 2013 / Published online: 8 June 2013 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract Thermophilic desert ants—Cataglyphis, Ocy- nest. As video recordings show the leader, while continually myrmex, and Melophorus species inhabiting the arid zones keeping her gaster in a downward position, intermittently of the Palaearctic region, southern Africa and central Aus- touches the surface of the ground with the tip of the gaster tralia, respectively—are solitary foragers, which have been most likely depositing a volatile pheromone signal. These considered to lack any kind of chemical recruitment. Here recruitment events occur during the entire diurnal activity we show that besides mainly employing the solitary mode period of the Ocymyrmex foragers, that is, even at surface of food retrieval Ocymyrmex robustior regularly exhibits temperatures of more than 60 °C. They may provide group recruitment to food patches that cannot be exploited promising experimental paradigms for studying the inter- individually. Running at high speed to recruitment sites that play of orientation by chemical signals and path integration may be more than 60 m apart from the nest a leading ant, as well as other visual guidance routines. the recruiter, is followed by a loose and often quite dis- persed group of usually 2–7 recruits, which often overtake Keywords Desert ants Á Recruitment Á Ocymyrmex Á the leader, or may lose contact, fall back and return to the Path integration Á Solitary foraging S.
    [Show full text]
  • Nest Defense and Conspecific Enemy Recognition in the Desert
    P1: JRX Journal of Insect Behavior [joib] pp1033-joir-474318 November 6, 2003 13:37 Style file version Feb 08, 2000 Journal of Insect Behavior, Vol. 16, No. 5, September 2003 (C 2003) Nest Defense and Conspecific Enemy Recognition in the Desert Ant Cataglyphis fortis Markus Knaden1 and Rudiger¨ Wehner1,2 Accepted July 16, 2003; revised August 12, 2003 This study focuses on different factors affecting the level of aggression in the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis. We found that the readiness to fight against conspecific ants was high in ants captured close to the nest entrance (0- and 1-m distances). At a 5-m distance from the nest entrance the level of aggression was significantly lower. As the mean foraging range in desert ants by far exceeds this distance, the present account clearly shows that in C. fortis aggressive behavior is displayed in the context of nest, rather than food-territory defense. In addition, ants were more aggressive against members of a colony with which they had recently exchanged aggressive encounters than against members of a yet unknown colony. This finding is discussed in terms of a learned, enemy- specific label-template recognition process. KEY WORDS: aggression; Cataglyphis; “dear-enemy” phenomenon; enemy recognition; territoriality. INTRODUCTION The desert ant Cataglyphis fortis (Wehner, 1983) is the only species of ants inhabiting the vast plains of the North African salt pans. The colonies of this medium-sized monomorphic Cataglyphis species (body length, 5.5– 9.6 mm; head width, 1.1–2.4 mm; [Wehner, 1983; Dillier, 1998]) comprise only about 50 foragers, which search individually for dead arthropods (Wehner, 1983, 1987).
    [Show full text]