DOCSLIB.ORG

Synthesizing Data on the Geographic Distribution of Ant Species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Synthesizing Data on the Geographic Distribution of Ant Species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Myrmecological News 24 83-89 Vienna, March 2017 Forum The Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics (GABI) database: synthesizing data on the geographic distribution of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Benoit Guénard (contact author), School of Biological micidae), have brought novel insights to macroecological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR; and evolutionary questions with a global perspective (DUNN Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate & al. 2009, WEISER & al. 2010, JENKINS & al . 2011, GUÉ- University, Okinawa, Japan. E-mail: [email protected] NARD & al. 2012, LUCKY & al. 2013). Other projects have Michael D. Weiser, Department of Biology, University of considerably improved knowledge on species distributions Oklahoma, OK, 73019, USA. at various spatial and taxonomic scales including: global Kiko Gómez, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain. scale (e.g., specimen records at ANT WEB 2015), biogeo- Nitish Narula & Evan P. Economo, Okinawa Institute of graphical regions (e.g., Neotropical: FERNANDEZ & SEN - Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, DOYA 2004), continents (e.g., Europe: BOROWIEC 2014), Japan. countries (e.g., China: GUÉNARD & DUNN 2012, Costa Rica: LONGINO 2010, Fiji: SARNAT & ECONOMO 2012, Myrmecol. News 24: 83-89 (online 25 January 2017) licensed under CC BY 3.0 India: BHARTI & al. 2016, Japan: JAPANESE ANT DATA - BASE GROUP 2003); or sometimes more specifically on a ISSN 1994-4136 (print), ISSN 1997-3500 (online) given taxonomic group (e.g., Myrmica : RADCHENKO & 19 September 2016; accepted 29 September 2016 Subject Editor: Jens Dauber ELMES 2010) or on ecological groups (e.g., introduced spe- cies: WETTERER 2008). All these efforts provide valuable Abstract: The global distribution patterns of most vertebrate contributions that focus on specific facets of biodiversity groups and several plant groups have been described and ana- data, but thus far a comprehensive, global accounting of lyzed over the past few years, a development facilitated by the the known distributions of all ant species is still needed. compilation of important databases. Similar efforts are needed A long history of myrmecological research has accu- for large insect groups that constitute the majority of global bio- mulated a tremendous amount of biodiversity data in the diversity. As a result of this lack of information, invertebrate taxa are often left out of both large-scale analyses of biodiversity pat- form of published literature, museum collections, and spe- terns and large-scale efforts in conservation planning and prior- cimen record databases. However, the utility of these data itization. Here, we introduce the first comprehensive global data- for synthetic research has been limited due to its disaggre- base of ant species distributions, the Global Ant Biodiversity gation and fragmentation. The literature records are scat- Informatics (GABI) database, based on the compilation of 1.72 tered across a large number of often obscure and difficult million records extracted from over 8811 publications and 25 to access publications, some hundreds of years old, not existing databases. We first present the main goals of the data- found in normal University libraries, and often published base, the methodology used to build the database, as well as its in languages other than English. Moreover, the continued limitations and challenges. Then, we discuss how different fields evolution of ant taxonomy means that old literature records of ant biology may benefit from utilizing this tool. Finally, we need to be curated and reconciled with our latest taxono- emphasize the importance of future participation of myrmecolo- gists to improve the database and use it to identify and fill holes mic frameworks in order to remain relevant. Even if ag- in our knowledge of ant biodiversity. gregated these data are undoubtedly incomplete both for described species as well as the large number of yet un- Key words: Formicidae, ants, database, global distribution, described species (WARD 2014). species distribution, ecoinformatics, biogeography. The Anthropocene biodiversity crisis (CORLETT 2015) has created a pressing need for the development of a bio- Introduction diversity informatics framework that aggregates these di- Over the past few decades, researchers have generated data verse data types to understand and close the important geo- sets that describe species distributions and global diver- graphic (GUÉNARD & al. 2012) and taxonomic gaps (WARD sity patterns for several plant and vertebrate groups (e.g., 2014) of species distributions. Such databases can be used KIER & al. 2005, ORME & al. 2005, BUCKLEY & JETZ to monitor the distribution of known species, provide raw 2007, SCHIPPER & al. 2008, PIMM & al. 2014). These ef- data to accelerate taxonomy and inventory work, and pro- forts in "biodiversity informatics" have facilitated unpre- vide tools that will facilitate field research for ecologists cedented understanding of patterns of biodiversity (e.g., and conservation biologists. KREFT & JETZ 2007), the processes shaping them (e.g., Here we introduce the Global Ant Biodiversity Infor- KERKHOFF & al. 2014), and have considerable implications matics (GABI) database, an attempt to summarize the for conservation (JOPPA & al. 2013). While insects repre- knowledge of all ant species distributions, and in their sent more than two-thirds of described species (ZHANG aggregate form, geographic patterns of ant biodiversity. We 2013), they have been mostly left out of global-scale com- describe the overall goals of the project, the data sources prehensive analyses (DINIZ -FILHO & al. 2010, but see FO- and compilation methodology, the organization of the data, LEY & al . 2007). Recent attempts, using community-level and review some potential scientific uses of the data. The data and generic distribution records of an ecologically data can be viewed through a custom-built web-mapping dominant and ubiquitous group, ants (Hymenoptera: For- interface, antmaps.org (JANICKI & al. 2016). Additional mechanisms to distribute the data are under development, ever represent a small proportion of our data and are and pending its completion and full documentation in the added on the basis of trust of known experts. We do literature, we intend for the GABI data to be an open re- hope that more direct information could be collected in source available to all. We expect GABI to become an im- that manner in the future through direct communication portant new tool for biologists for the study and under- with local experts. Toward that end, the release of the standing of ant distribution at all taxonomic levels; and website antmaps.org (presented in details in JANICKI & open a new era of more rapid and penetrating macroeco- al . 2016) and of the option "Report Data Issue" has faci- logical, macroevolutionary, and taxonomic investigation litated the communication about personal records. of the Formicidae. With this new tool, we hope that ant Organization and presentation of the data biologists will gain a better understanding of ant species distributions and use it to accelerate the discovery and de- Taxonomic information: Taxonomy is an evolving field scription of new taxa and new species distribution records of biology, and the taxonomic frameworks used for ant in the mold of what already exists for vertebrate groups like biology remain dynamic at all levels (WARD 2007, 2014). birds. One major challenge for the construction of a global data- base is to ensure that the current taxonomy of the taxa used Goals of the GABI project represents their most updated status. Thanks to tools de- Compile all known information on the geographic distri- veloped previously (e.g., BOLTON 2014, 2015), taxonomic bution of all ant species in a single database, including a changes have been kept up to date along the construction comprehensive accounting of publications, specimen data- of GABI, with continuous synchronization with newly pub- bases, museum collections, and other collection records. lished literature. – Identify erroneous and dubious records that may exist To ensure the traceability of every record and of their in the literature or other data sources. changes over time, the information relative to the original – Provide range maps for each species, genus and sub- presentation of the taxon has been kept separately within family, distinguishing native and exotic ranges. the database. In a second step the current valid name was – Provide a first draft of species checklists for all regions updated in separate fields using the community website of the world. BOLTON (2015). The validity of each taxonomic combina- – Provide the raw material for enhanced biogeographic tion has been checked manually. This process permits for analysis of ant biodiversity patterns. the correction of species misspelling that could artificially – Provide the raw material for integrating ant biodiversity inflate the species richness in a given region. As a result, information into global conservation efforts. a total of 38,239 combination pairs of original taxonomic – Develop an interactive framework for the continued description*valid species names have been retrieved. For growth and improvement of the database, with the par- instance, records of Amblyopone pallipes were changed to ticipation of the global myrmecological research com- Stigmatomma pallipes (HALDEMAN , 1844) following taxo- munity. nomic changes of YOSHIMURA & FISHER (2012), resulting in the pair Amblyopone pallipes
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Akes an Ant an Ant? Are Insects, and Insects Are Arth Ropods: Invertebrates (Animals With­
    ~ . r. workers will begin to produce eggs if the queen dies. Because ~ eggs are unfertilized, they usually develop into males (see the discus­ : ~ iaplodiploidy and the evolution of eusociality later in this chapter). =- cases, however, workers can produce new queens either from un­ ze eggs (parthenogenetically) or after mating with a male ant. -;c. ant colony will continue to grow in size and add workers, but at -: :;oint it becomes mature and will begin sexual reproduction by pro· . ~ -irgin queens and males. Many specie s produce males and repro­ 0 _ " females just before the nuptial flight . Others produce males and ---: : ._ tive fem ales that stay in the nest for a long time before the nuptial :- ~. Our largest carpenter ant, Camponotus herculeanus, produces males _ . -:= 'n queens in late summer. They are groomed and fed by workers :;' 0 it the fall and winter before they emerge from the colonies for their ;;. ights in the spring. Fin ally, some species, including Monomoriurn : .:5 and Myrmica rubra, have large colonies with multiple que ens that .~ ..ew colonies asexually by fragmenting the original colony. However, _ --' e polygynous (literally, many queens) and polydomous (literally, uses, referring to their many nests) ants eventually go through a -">O=- r' sexual reproduction in which males and new queens are produced. ~ :- . ant colony thus functions as a highly social, organ ized "super­ _ _ " 1." The queens and mo st workers are safely hidden below ground : : ~ - ed within the interstices of rotting wood. But for the ant workers ~ '_i S ' go out and forage for food for the colony,'life above ground is - =- .
    [Show full text]
  • Fossil Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Ancient Diversity and the Rise of Modern Lineages
    Myrmecological News 24 1-30 Vienna, March 2017 Fossil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): ancient diversity and the rise of modern lineages Phillip BARDEN Abstract The ant fossil record is summarized with special reference to the earliest ants, first occurrences of modern lineages, and the utility of paleontological data in reconstructing evolutionary history. During the Cretaceous, from approximately 100 to 78 million years ago, only two species are definitively assignable to extant subfamilies – all putative crown group ants from this period are discussed. Among the earliest ants known are unexpectedly diverse and highly social stem- group lineages, however these stem ants do not persist into the Cenozoic. Following the Cretaceous-Paleogene boun- dary, all well preserved ants are assignable to crown Formicidae; the appearance of crown ants in the fossil record is summarized at the subfamilial and generic level. Generally, the taxonomic composition of Cenozoic ant fossil communi- ties mirrors Recent ecosystems with the "big four" subfamilies Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, and Ponerinae comprising most faunal abundance. As reviewed by other authors, ants increase in abundance dramatically from the Eocene through the Miocene. Proximate drivers relating to the "rise of the ants" are discussed, as the majority of this increase is due to a handful of highly dominant species. In addition, instances of congruence and conflict with molecular- based divergence estimates are noted, and distinct "ghost" lineages are interpreted. The ant fossil record is a valuable resource comparable to other groups with extensive fossil species: There are approximately as many described fossil ant species as there are fossil dinosaurs. The incorporation of paleontological data into neontological inquiries can only seek to improve the accuracy and scale of generated hypotheses.
    [Show full text]
  • Description of a New Genus of Primitive Ants from Canadian Amber
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Insecta Mundi Florida 8-11-2017 Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Leonid H. Borysenko Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Entomology Commons Borysenko, Leonid H., "Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)" (2017). Insecta Mundi. 1067. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/1067 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. INSECTA MUNDI A Journal of World Insect Systematics 0570 Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Leonid H. Borysenko Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes AAFC, K.W. Neatby Building 960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, K1A 0C6, Canada Date of Issue: August 11, 2017 CENTER FOR SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY, INC., Gainesville, FL Leonid H. Borysenko Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Insecta Mundi 0570: 1–57 ZooBank Registered: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C6CCDDD5-9D09-4E8B-B056-A8095AA1367D Published in 2017 by Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • (Insecta: Hymenoptera), Part II—Cerapachyinae, Aenictinae, Dorylinae, Leptanillinae, Amblyoponinae, Ponerinae, Ectatomminae and Proceratiinae
    Zootaxa 3860 (1): 001–046 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3860.1.1 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FDFD1014-8DDA-4EED-A385-95FA4F964CFC Generic Synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), Part II—Cerapachyinae, Aenictinae, Dorylinae, Leptanillinae, Amblyoponinae, Ponerinae, Ectatomminae and Proceratiinae KATSUYUKI EGUCHI1,4, BUI TUAN VIET2 & SEIKI YAMANE3 1Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan 2Vietnam National Museum of Nature, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam 3Haruyama-cho 1054-1, Kagoshima-shi, 899-2704, Japan 4Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Abstract Of the subfamilies and genera known from Vietnam, the following taxa are treated in this second part of the series entitled “Generic Synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam”: CERAPACHYINAE: Cerapachys, Simopone; AENICTINAE: Aenic- tus; DORYLINAE: Dorylus; LEPTANILLINAE: Leptanilla, Protanilla; AMBLYOPONINAE: Myopopone, Mystrium, Opamyrma, Prionopelta, Stigmatomma; PONERINAE: Anochetus, Brachyponera, Buniapone, Centromyrmex, Crypto- pone, Diacamma, Ectomomyrmex, Euponera, Harpegnathos, Hypoponera, Leptogenys, Mesoponera, Odontomachus, Odontoponera, Parvaponera, Platythyrea, Ponera, Pseudoneoponera; ECTATOMMINAE: Gnamptogenys; PROCER- ATIINAE: Discothyrea, Probolomyrmex, Proceratium. For each of these subfamilies we provide keys to genera (when there is more than one genus) known from Vietnam. For each genus we provide a synopsis and a list of Vietnamese species. Key words: dorylomorph, leptanillomorph, poneromorph, Indo-China, key Introduction This is the second part of the series entitled “Generic Synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam”. The first part covers Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmicinae (Eguchi et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Phylogeny and Biogeography of a Hyperdiverse Ant Clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
    UC Davis UC Davis Previously Published Works Title The evolution of myrmicine ants: Phylogeny and biogeography of a hyperdiverse ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2tc8r8w8 Journal Systematic Entomology, 40(1) ISSN 0307-6970 Authors Ward, PS Brady, SG Fisher, BL et al. Publication Date 2015 DOI 10.1111/syen.12090 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Systematic Entomology (2015), 40, 61–81 DOI: 10.1111/syen.12090 The evolution of myrmicine ants: phylogeny and biogeography of a hyperdiverse ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) PHILIP S. WARD1, SEÁN G. BRADY2, BRIAN L. FISHER3 andTED R. SCHULTZ2 1Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A., 2Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, U.S.A. and 3Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A. Abstract. This study investigates the evolutionary history of a hyperdiverse clade, the ant subfamily Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), based on analyses of a data matrix comprising 251 species and 11 nuclear gene fragments. Under both maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods of inference, we recover a robust phylogeny that reveals six major clades of Myrmicinae, here treated as newly defined tribes and occur- ring as a pectinate series: Myrmicini, Pogonomyrmecini trib.n., Stenammini, Solenop- sidini, Attini and Crematogastrini. Because we condense the former 25 myrmicine tribes into a new six-tribe scheme, membership in some tribes is now notably different, espe- cially regarding Attini. We demonstrate that the monotypic genus Ankylomyrma is nei- ther in the Myrmicinae nor even a member of the more inclusive formicoid clade – rather it is a poneroid ant, sister to the genus Tatuidris (Agroecomyrmecinae).
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the RESTRUCTURING of ARTHROPOD TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS in RESPONSE to PLANT INVASION by Adam B. Mitchell a Dissertation Submitt
    THE RESTRUCTURING OF ARTHROPOD TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS IN RESPONSE TO PLANT INVASION by Adam B. Mitchell 1 A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology Winter 2019 © Adam B. Mitchell All Rights Reserved THE RESTRUCTURING OF ARTHROPOD TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS IN RESPONSE TO PLANT INVASION by Adam B. Mitchell Approved: ______________________________________________________ Jacob L. Bowman, Ph.D. Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology Approved: ______________________________________________________ Mark W. Rieger, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Approved: ______________________________________________________ Douglas J. Doren, Ph.D. Interim Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: ______________________________________________________ Douglas W. Tallamy, Ph.D. Professor in charge of dissertation I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: ______________________________________________________ Charles R. Bartlett, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: ______________________________________________________ Jeffery J. Buler, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF File
    Myrmecological News 20 Digital supplementary material Digital supplementary material to LANAN, M. 2014: Spatiotemporal resource distribution and foraging strategies of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). – Myrmecological News 20: 53-70. Tab. S1: Data and citations for information presented in Figure 3 and Figure S1. Note that no data in any column indi- cates a lack of reports in the literature. For instance, no data in the column for nesting strategy should not be interpreted as a positive report of strict monodomy, and ants may collect foods that have not been reported. Species Resource collected Foraging strategy Nesting strategy Acanthognathus rudis Small prey: collembola Solitary foraging (GRONENBERG & al. 1998) (GRONENBERG & al. 1998) Acromyrmex ambiguus Leaves (FOWLER 1985, Trunk trails, partially subterranean (FOWLER SAVERSCHEK & ROCES 2011) 1985) trails (SAVERSCHEK & ROCES 2011) Acromyrmex balzani Grass (LOPES & al. 2004) Recruitment, type = ? (LOPES & al. 2004) Polydomy (ICHINOSE Solitary foraging (PODEROSO & al. 2009) & al. 2006) Solitary foraging (FOWLER 1985) Acromyrmex coronatus Leaves (WETTERER 1995) Trunk trails (WETTERER 1995) Acromyrmex crassispinus Leaves (FOWLER 1985) Two to five trunk trails (FOWLER 1985) Acromyrmex disciger Leaves (FOWLER 1985) Trunk trails (FOWLER 1985) Acromyrmex fracticornis Grass (FOWLER & ROBINSON 1977) Solitary (FOWLER & ROBINSON 1977) Acromyrmex heyeri Grass (BOLLAZZI & ROCES 2011) Trunk trails (FOWLER 1985, BOLLAZZI & ROCES 2011) Acromyrmex hispidus fallax Leaves (FOWLER 1985) Trunk trails (FOWLER 1985) Acromyrmex laticeps Leaves (FOWLER 1985) Trunk trails (FOWLER 1985) Acromyrmex lobicornis Leaves (ELIZALDE & FARJI-BERNER Trunk trails (ELIZALDE & FARJI-BERNER 2012) 2012) Acromyrmex lundii Leaves (FOWLER 1988), mush- Trunk trails (FOWLER 1988) rooms (LECHNER & JOSENS 2012) Acromyrmex niger Leaves (SOUSA-SOUTO & al. 2005) Trunk trails (SOUSA-SOUTO & al.
    [Show full text]
  • A New American Amblyopone, with Notes Foricide)
    A NEW AMERICAN AMBLYOPONE, WITH NOTES ON THE GENUS (HYMENOPTERA: FORICIDE) BY WILLIAM L. BRowiv, JR. Biological Laboratories, Harvard University Amblyopone (Stigmatomma) trigonignatha new species Figure 1 Holotype worker: Total length measured from lateral profile, mandibles included but sting excluded, 6.12 +/- .10 ram.; Weber's length of alitrunk, 1.60_ .05 ram.; maxi- mum measurable length of the head from the center of the anterior clypeal border to a line connecting the pos- terior extremities of the occipital corners, :[.22 +_ .005 ram. maximum width of head, 1.05 __+ .005 ram. cephalic index, 86 _ 1; left mandible, straightline distance, when closed, from the point of contact with the anterior border of head to apex, 0.80 ___ .01 mm., or, more roughly, about two thirds of the length of the head proper. Head a little more slender than in A. (S.) pallipes (Haldeman), sides gently convex, greates width at about the anterior third, slightly convergent behind and pass- ing into the rounded occipital corners through easy curves; posterior border of head moderately but dis- tinctly concave in outline. "Amblyoponine teeth" at the anterolateral corners of the head reduced to small, bluntly rounded tubercles which are more or less hidden in dense pilosity; this reduction much greater than in any small specimens of the pallipes complex I have seen. Clypeus dorsally weakly convex, its anterior apron rather narrow, with a very feebly convex anterior border which appears straight at some angles of view. This apron is rather abruptly terminated on each lateral ex- tremity by an angle which marks the boundary between Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ants of Ashtabula County, Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
    THE ANTS OF ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) A. E. HEADLEY1 1705 East 46th Street, Ashtabula, Ohio This list of ants collected in Ashtabula county and vicinity was compiled with two purposes in mind. First, to give some aid in determining the number of species of ants found in Ohio. Second, to record any interesting observations on ant behavior and ecological factors determining their distribution. Collections were made for the most part during the spring, summer and late fall of 1938. A few collections were made during the fall months of 1937 and the spring of 1939. A record of each nest was made as to its location, habitat, general structure and environment, the date taken and interesting occurrences in the nest. The types of ants collected; whether they were workers, winged forms, queens, pupae, etc., were noted. The ants collected were placed in one dram vials with seventy per cent alcohol acting as a preservative. DESCRIPTION OF THE REGION The collecting area has been separated into three regions that seem to be dis- tinct as to soil features and general topography. First, a lake plain strip about five miles in width south of the present shore of Lake Erie. Two parallel sand ridges mark the ancient beach lines at former lake levels—North Ridge and South Ridge. The soil of this region is mostly sand, with some gravel and sandy loam. Second, the gulf and ravines of the Grand River along the western side of the county; also a small part of Geauga county bordering Ashtabula on the west.
    [Show full text]
  • Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
    Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e4447 doi: 10.3897/BDJ.3.e4447 Taxonomic Paper Taxonomy and distribution of the ant Cataglyphis setipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo‡, Himender Bharti§ ‡ University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India § Punjabi University, Patiala, India Corresponding author: Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo ([email protected]) Academic editor: Marek Borowiec Received: 04 Jan 2015 | Accepted: 18 Mar 2015 | Published: 27 Mar 2015 Citation: Wachkoo A, Bharti H (2015) Taxonomy and distribution of the ant Cataglyphis setipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e4447. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.3.e4447 Abstract Taxonomy and distribution of the ant species Cataglyphis setipes (Forel, 1894) is herewith detailed. C. setipes is redescribed, based on workers, queens, and males. Photomontage images of all castes are provided. Information on the distribution and ecology of this species is also given. A key to the Indian species of Cataglyphis is presented. Keywords Formicinae, redescription, ants, distribution, taxonomy. Introduction The ant genus Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 is one of the most dominant groups of ants in arid zones of the Old World (Radchenko and Paknia 2010). It is distributed mainly in the Palaearctic region, with several species known from the deserts and semi-deserts of the Afrotropical and Oriental regions (Agosti 1990, Radchenko 1997, Bolton et al. 2007, Radchenko and Paknia 2010). It contains 89 valid species and 20 subspecies in the world fauna (Bolton 2014). This genus is represented by three species in India (Bharti et al. © Wachkoo A, Bharti H. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomic Revision of Stigmatomma Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy Region
    Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e8032 doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e8032 Taxonomic Paper Taxonomic revision of Stigmatomma Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy region Flavia A. Esteves‡, Brian L. Fisher‡ ‡ California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, United States of America Corresponding author: Flavia A. Esteves (fl[email protected]) Academic editor: Marek Borowiec Received: 04 Feb 2016 | Accepted: 01 Jun 2016 | Published: 13 Jun 2016 Citation: Esteves F, Fisher B (2016) Taxonomic revision of Stigmatomma Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy region. Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e8032. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e8032 ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5AE871B6-46CB-4BEF-8E4D-19C0F05BDBFA Abstract In this study we present the first taxonomic revision of the ant genus Stigmatomma in the Malagasy biogeographic region, re describe the previously known S. besucheti Baroni- Urbani, and describe seven new species to science (S. bolabola sp. n., S. irayhady sp. n., S. janovitsika sp. n., S. liebe sp. n., S. roahady sp. n., S. sakalava sp. n., and S. tsyhady sp. n.). The revision is based on the worker caste, but we provide brief descriptions of gynes and males for some species. Species descriptions, diagnosis, character discussion, identification key, and glossary are illustrated with 360 high-quality montage and SEM images. The distribution of Stigmatomma species in Madagascar are mapped and discussed within the context of the island’s biomes and ecoregions. We also discuss how some morphometric variables describe the differences among the species in the bioregion. Open science is supported by providing access to R scripts, raw measurement data, and all specimen data used.
    [Show full text]
  • High Diversity in an Urban Habitat: Are Some Animal Assemblages Resilient to Long-Term Anthropogenic Change?
    Urban Ecosyst DOI 10.1007/s11252-014-0406-8 High diversity in an urban habitat: are some animal assemblages resilient to long-term anthropogenic change? Benoit Guénard & Adrianna Cardinal-De Casas & Robert R. Dunn # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract Urbanization is thought to lead to the loss of biodiversity both because of habitat disturbance and the increased abundance of invasive species. However, most studies of biodiversity in cities are conducted on a short time scale, usually less than 3 years, and so miss the long-term dynamics of communities inhabiting these ecosystems. Here we use a study performed in the early 70’s on North Carolina State University (Raleigh, USA) as a baseline to evaluate the long term effects of disturbance and introduced species on native ant communi- ties. Ant species were sampled almost 40 years later using a variety of sampling techniques in order to maximize species collection. Our results show that while the number of exotic species increased, including three major invasive ants, native ant species richness remained high. Furthermore, our survey was able to add several new records for the area considered, in comparison of the 70’s study, for a total of 89 species known from NCSU campus. After comparison with other studies, our results represent one of the most species-rich urban environments monitored and thus open encouraging perspective on how urban ecosystems could contribute to the preservation of the biodiversity of small-bodies organisms such as ants. Keywords Urban ecosystem . Long term study. Formicidae . Disturbance . Invasive species Introduction Over the past decades the number and size of cities continuously increased (Seto et al.
    [Show full text]