Ants of the Granite Mountains FAMILY: FORMICIDAE

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Ants of the Granite Mountains FAMILY: FORMICIDAE Ants of the Granite Mountains The species list presented here is mostly based on the efforts of Jim des Lauriers and Mark Ikeda during an inventory effort they conducted in 2006 and 2007. All except a few of these taxa are vouchered; most can be found either in the GMDRC museum collection or at the Bohart Museum of UC Davis. Identification was verified by either Phil Ward or Andrew Suarez for most specimens. FAMILY: FORMICIDAE Subfamily: Dolichoderinae Velvety Tree Ants: Odorous Ants: Liometopum luctuosum Forelius mccooki Pyramid Ants: Forelius pruinosus Dorymyrmex bicolor (Bi-colored Pyramid Ant) Tapinoma sessile (Odorous House Ant) Dorymyrmex insanus Subfamily: Dorylinae Legionary Ants: Neivamyrmex nigrescens (+shiny form) Subfamily: Formicinae Rover Ants: Honeypot Ants: Brachymyrmex depilis Myrmecocystus christineae Carpenter Ants: Myrmecocystus flaviceps Camponotus absquatulator Myrmecocystus kennedyi Camponotus fragilis Myrmecocystus mendax Camponotus hyatti Myrmecocystus mexicanus Camponotus ocreatus Myrmecocystus mimicus Camponotus sansabeanus Myrmecocystus navajo Camponotus semitestaceus Myrmecocystus placodops Field Ants: Myrmecocystus romainei Formica gnava Myrmecocystus testaceus Formica xerophila Crazy Ants: Citronella Ants: Paratrechina cf. terricola Lasius cf. californicus Paratrechina sp. Lasius crypticus Subfamily: Myrmicinae Spine-twisted Ants: Little Black Ants: Aphaenogaster boulderensis Monomorium ergatogyna Aphaenogaster cockerelli Harvester Ants: Acrobat Ants: Pogonomyrmex bicolor Crematogaster depilis Pogonomyrmex californicus Crematogaster larreae Pogonomyrmex imberbiculus Crematogaster mormonum Pogonomyrmex magnacanthus Big-headed Ants: Pogonomyrmex rugosus Pheidole barbata Fire and Thief Ants: Pheidole bicarinata Solenopsis aurea Pheidole cerebrosior Solenopsis molesta Pheidole desertorum Solenopsis xyloni Pheidole gilvescens Acorn Ants: Pheidole pilifera Temnothorax andrei Pheidole psammophila Temnothorax neomexicanus Pheidole rugulosa Temnothorax nevadensis Pheidole sciophila Temnothorax obliquicanthus Pheidole vistana Smooth Harvester Ants: Pheidole xerophila Veromessor pergandei .
Recommended publications
  • Effects of Grassland Restoration Efforts on Mound-Building Ants in the Chihuahuan Desert
    Journal of Arid Environments 111 (2014) 79e83 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Arid Environments journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jaridenv Short communication Effects of grassland restoration efforts on mound-building ants in the Chihuahuan Desert * Monica M. McAllister a, b, Robert L. Schooley a, , Brandon T. Bestelmeyer b, John M. Coffman a, b, Bradley J. Cosentino c a Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA b USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico State University, MSC 3JER Box 30003, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA c Department of Biology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY 14456, USA article info abstract Article history: Shrub encroachment is a serious problem in arid environments worldwide because of potential re- Received 21 April 2014 ductions in ecosystem services and negative effects on biodiversity. In southwestern USA, Chihuahuan Received in revised form Desert grasslands have experienced long-term encroachment by shrubs including creosotebush (Larrea 4 August 2014 tridentata). Land managers have attempted an ambitious intervention to control shrubs by spraying Accepted 13 August 2014 herbicides over extensive areas to provide grassland habitat for wildlife species of conservation concern. Available online 15 September 2014 To provide a broader assessment of how these restoration practices affect biodiversity, we evaluated responses by four mound-building ant species (Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Aphaenogaster cockerelli, Myr- Keywords: Biodiversity mecocystus depilis, and Myrmecocystus mexicanus). We compared colony densities between 14 pairs of e Desert ants treated areas (herbicide applied 10 30 years before sampling) and untreated areas (spatially matched Landscape restoration and dominated by creosotebush).
    [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]
  • 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]
  • 2006 Imported Fire Ant Conference Proceedings
    Index to Submitted ~bstracts/~rticles* *NOTE: NS denotes Not Submitted Session: Chemical Control H. Dorough, F. Graham, V. Bertagnolli, A. Wiggins, W. Datcher: Fire ants at Talladega: bringing NASCAR fans back down to earth 19 J. Altom: Esteem ant bait now labeled for pasture and hay 20 C. Barr, A. Calixto: Mixing bait and fertilizer: is it ok, yet? T. Birthisel: Report on 2005 ANDE development activity-Tast-E-Bait and Fertibait for use with insect growth regulators and other active ingredients for imported fire ant control NS D. Vander Hooven: TAST-E-Bait, a new improved bait carrier T. Rashid, P. Parkman, J. Oliver, K. Vail: Mortality response of red, black and hybrid imported fire ants to insecticide treated soil in laboratory bioassays R. Hickman, D. Calibeo-Hayes, B. Everson: Metaflumizone: a new insecticide for imported fire ant bait from BASF L. Greenberg, M. Rust, J. Klotz: Metaflumizone trials against RIFA in California using corn chips as an estimate of ant abundance 38 D. Pollet: Fire ant management at poultry houses P. Nester, W. Thompson, B. Drees: Discussion of 2005 survey of Texas aerial applicators Session: Behavior & Chemical Ecology T. Fink, L. Gui, D. Streett, J. Seiner: Preliminary observations of phorid fly (Pseudacteon cumatus) and black imported fire ant interactions with high-speed videography Y. Lin, H. Chang, C. Lin, H. Ho, W. Wu: Differential cuticular chemical profiles between monogyne and polygyne red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) colonies S. Ochleng: Imported fire ant repellency and mortality following exposure to Ecotroll EC R. Renthal, D. Velasquez, D. Gonzalea, A.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Riverside UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Riverside UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Selenium in Ant Communities: Implications of Contamination on Ecosystem Ecology, Diversity, and Invasive Potential Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4b296412 Author De La Riva, Deborah Grace Publication Date 2016 Supplemental Material https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4b296412#supplemental Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Selenium in Ant Communities: Implications of Contamination on Ecosystem Ecology, Diversity and Invasive Potential A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Entomology by Deborah Grace De La Riva June 2016 Dissertation Committee: Dr. John T. Trumble, Chairperson Dr. Ring T. Cardé Dr. Dong-Hwan Choe Copyright by Deborah Grace De La Riva 2016 The Dissertation of Deborah Grace De La Riva is approved: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgments I would like to first and foremost thank my graduate advisor, Dr. John T. Trumble, for his commitment to my academic success over the past five years. I understand that taking on a graduate student is large investment of time, effort and finances and I greatly appreciate the opportunities provided to me through his leadership. I’m very grateful for the many opportunities I had to travel to professional conferences in order to present my research and network with others in my field. I would also like to thank John for agreeing to send me to the 2012 Ants of the Southwest Course in Portal, AZ. The field collection and identification techniques learned not only assisted with my research, but are also skills that will follow me after I graduate.
    [Show full text]
  • Arthropod Communities in a Selenium-Contaminated Habitat with a Focus on Ant Species*
    Environmental Pollution xxx (2016) 1e8 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Environmental Pollution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envpol Arthropod communities in a selenium-contaminated habitat with a focus on ant species* * Deborah G. De La Riva a, , Kristen R. Hladun a, Beatriz G. Vindiola b, John T. Trumble a a Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, USA b Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, USA article info abstract Article history: The selenium contamination event that occurred at Kesterson Reservoir (Merced Co., CA) during the 1970 Received 21 June 2016 e80s is a frequently cited example for the negative effects of contamination on wildlife. Despite the Received in revised form importance of arthropods for ecosystem services and functioning, relatively little information is available 9 September 2016 as to the impacts of pollution on arthropod community dynamics. We conducted surveys of the Accepted 15 September 2016 arthropod community present at Kesterson Reservoir to assess the impacts of selenium contamination Available online xxx on arthropod diversity, with a focus on ant species richness, composition and density. Trophic groups were compared to determine which arthropods were potentially receiving the greatest selenium Keywords: Trophic groups exposure. Plant samples were analyzed to determine the selenium content by site and by location within Pollution plant. Soil concentrations varied across the study sites, but not across habitat types. Topsoil contained Disturbance higher levels of selenium compared to core samples. Plants contained similar concentrations of selenium Bioaccumulation in their leaves, stems and flowers, but flowers contained the greatest range of concentrations.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence for a Thoracic Crop in the Workers of Some Neotropical Pheidole Species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
    Arthropod Structure & Development 59 (2020) 100977 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Arthropod Structure & Development journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/asd Evidence for a thoracic crop in the workers of some Neotropical Pheidole species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) * A. Casadei-Ferreira a, , G. Fischer b, E.P. Economo b a Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Parana, Avenida Francisco Heraclito dos Santos, s/n, Centro Politecnico, Curitiba, Mailbox 19020, CEP 81531-980, Brazil b Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan article info abstract Article history: The ability of ant colonies to transport, store, and distribute food resources through trophallaxis is a key Received 28 May 2020 advantage of social life. Nonetheless, how the structure of the digestive system has adapted across the Accepted 21 July 2020 ant phylogeny to facilitate these abilities is still not well understood. The crop and proventriculus, Available online xxx structures in the ant foregut (stomodeum), have received most attention for their roles in trophallaxis. However, potential roles of the esophagus have not been as well studied. Here, we report for the first Keywords: time the presence of an auxiliary thoracic crop in Pheidole aberrans and Pheidole deima using X-ray micro- Ants computed tomography and 3D segmentation. Additionally, we describe morphological modifications Dimorphism Mesosomal crop involving the endo- and exoskeleton that are associated with the presence of the thoracic crop. Our Liquid food results indicate that the presence of a thoracic crop in major workers suggests their potential role as Species group repletes or live food reservoirs, expanding the possibilities of tasks assumed by these individuals in the colony.
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Complexity Modiwes Ant–Parasitoid Interactions: Implications for Community Dynamics and the Role of Disturbance
    Oecologia (2007) 152:151–161 DOI 10.1007/s00442-006-0634-6 COMMUNITY ECOLOGY Habitat complexity modiWes ant–parasitoid interactions: implications for community dynamics and the role of disturbance Elliot B. Wilkinson · Donald H. Feener Jr Received: 4 November 2006 / Accepted: 27 November 2006 / Published online: 22 December 2006 © Springer-Verlag 2006 Abstract Species must balance eVective competition itat complexity was also studied, and demonstrated with avoidance of mortality imposed by predators or that the immediate negative impact of Wre on habitat parasites to coexist within a local ecological commu- complexity can persist for multiple years. Our Wndings nity. Attributes of the habitat in which species interact, indicate that habitat complexity can increase dominant such as structural complexity, have the potential to host competitive success even in the presence of parasi- aVect how species balance competition and mortality toids, which may have consequences for coexistence of by providing refuge from predators or parasites. Dis- subordinate competitors and community diversity in turbance events such as Wre can drastically alter habitat general. complexity and may be important modiWers of species interactions in communities. This study investigates Keywords Competition · Formicidae · Fire · whether the presence of habitat complexity in the form Trade-oVs · Indirect interactions of leaf litter can alter interactions between the behav- iorally dominant host ants Pheidole diversipilosa and Pheidole bicarinata, their respective specialist dipteran Introduction parasitoids (Phoridae: Apocephalus sp. 8 and Apoceph- alus sp. 25) and a single species of ant competitor Trade-oVs resulting from variability in resource acqui- (Dorymyrmex insanus). We used a factorial design to sition, competition and mortality are central to our manipulate competition (presence/absence of competi- understanding of coexistence in local ecological com- tors), mortality risk (presence/absence of parasitoids) munities (Tilman 1994; Kneitel and Chase 2004).
    [Show full text]
  • Genus Myrmecocystus) Estimated from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences
    MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32 (2004) 416–421 www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Short communication Phylogenetics of the new world honey ants (genus Myrmecocystus) estimated from mitochondrial DNA sequences D.J.C. Kronauer,* B. Holldobler,€ and J. Gadau University of Wu€rzburg, Institute of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, 97074 Wu€rzburg, Germany Received 8 January 2004; revised 9 March 2004 Available online 6 May 2004 1. Introduction tes. The nominate subgenus contains all the light colored, strictly nocturnal species, the subgenus Eremnocystus Honey pot workers that store immense amounts of contains small, uniformly dark colored species, and the food in the crop and are nearly immobilized due to their subgenus Endiodioctes contains species with a ferrugi- highly expanded gasters are known from a variety of ant nous head and thorax and darker gaster. Snelling (1976) species in different parts of the world, presumably as proposed that the earliest division within the genus was adaptations to regular food scarcity in arid habitats that between the line leading to the subgenus Myrmec- (Holldobler€ and Wilson, 1990). Although these so called ocystus and that leading to Eremnocystus plus Endiodi- repletes are taxonomically fairly widespread, the phe- octes (maybe based on diurnal versus nocturnal habits) nomenon is most commonly associated with species of and that the second schism occurred when the Eremno- the New World honey ant genus Myrmecocystus, whose cystus line diverged from that of Endiodioctes. repletes have a long lasting reputation as a delicacy with Based on external morphology and data from both indigenous people.
    [Show full text]
  • GENERAL HOUSEHOLD PESTS Ants Are Some of the Most Ubiquitous Insects Found in Community Environments. They Thrive Indoors and O
    GENERAL HOUSEHOLD PESTS Ants are some of the most ubiquitous insects found in community environments. They thrive indoors and outdoors, wherever they have access to food and water. Ants outdoors are mostly beneficial, as they act as scavengers and decomposers of organic matter, predators of small insects and seed dispersers of certain plants. However, they can protect and encourage honeydew-producing insects such as mealy bugs, aphids and scales that are feed on landscape or indoor plants, and this often leads to increase in numbers of these pests. A well-known feature of ants is their sociality, which is also found in many of their close relatives within the order Hymenoptera, such as bees and wasps. Ant colonies vary widely with the species, and may consist of less than 100 individuals in small concealed spaces, to millions of individuals in large mounds that cover several square feet in area. Functions within the colony are carried out by specific groups of adult individuals called ‘castes’. Most ant colonies have fertile males called “drones”, one or more fertile females called “queens” and large numbers of sterile, wingless females which function as “workers”. Many ant species exhibit polymorphism, which is the existence of individuals with different appearances (sizes) and functions within the same caste. For example, the worker caste may include “major” and “minor” workers with distinct functions, and “soldiers” that are specially equipped with larger mandibles for defense. Almost all functions in the colony apart from reproduction, such as gathering food, feeding and caring for larvae, defending the colony, building and maintaining nesting areas, are performed by the workers.
    [Show full text]