DOCSLIB.ORG

Kumar, A. & S. O'donnell. 2007. Fragmentation and Elevation Effects

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Kumar, A. & S. O'donnell. 2007. Fragmentation and Elevation Effects Journal of Tropical Ecology (2007) 23:581–590. Copyright © 2007 Cambridge University Press doi:10.1017/S0266467407004270 Printed in the United Kingdom Fragmentation and elevation effects on bird–army ant interactions in neotropical montane forest of Costa Rica Anjali Kumar1 and Sean O’Donnell Animal Behavior Program, Department of Psychology, Box 351525, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA (Accepted 27 May 2007) Abstract: Army ants (Formicidae: Ecitoninae) are top predators in neotropical forests. Army ant raids support a community of diverse organisms, including birds that attend the raids to collect prey. While elevation and forest fragmentation influence army ant and insectivorous bird communities, their effects on the interaction between army ants and bird species is unknown. We studied the size and species composition of bird flocks attending army ant swarms in forest fragments and continuous forest across an elevational gradient (1100–1680 m asl) in a neotropical montane region (Monteverde, Costa Rica). We observed a total of 41 bird species attending army ant swarms. Neither the number of birds, nor the total body mass of birds, nor the number of bird species in attending bird flocks was related to elevation. However, we found a higher bird species richness, larger flock size and greater total body mass of birds attending army ant swarms in continuous forest. Continuous and fragmented forest shared many attending bird species in common, but there was elevational segregation of attending bird species. Some montane endemic birds, and neotropical migrants, attend swarms regularly and use army ant raids as a food source. Key Words: antbird, cloud forest, Eciton burchellii, habitat alteration, Labidus praedator, Monteverde INTRODUCTION raids also show regularity in their spacing among days (Boswell et al. 1998, Franks & Fletcher 1983, Gotwald Army ants (Formicidae: Ecitoninae) are top predators in 1995, Schneirla 1934, 1971). Due to the predictable and neotropical forests (Brady 2003, Franks 1982, Franks & conspicuous swarming behaviour of E. burchellii,some Bossert1983).Recentworksuggeststhatarmyantsoccur neotropical lowland bird species (especially in the families at much higher densities than previously recognized, and Thamnophilidae and Dendrocolaptidae) regularly attend some species of army ant function as ecological keystones swarms in search of prey, and show behavioural in neotropical forests (Boswell et al. 1998, Gotwald 1995, adaptations to foraging at army ant raids (Roberts et al. Kaspari & O’Donnell 2003). Swarms of surface-raiding 2000a,Swartz2001,Willis&Oniki1978,Willson2004). species, such as Eciton burchellii Westwood, 1842, and La- It has been suggested that the abundance of army bidus praedator F. Smith, 1858, host a suite of diverse sym- ant colonies diminishes with increasing elevation, biotic organisms, including mites, beetles and centipedes contributingtotheabsenceofobligatearmyant-following (Gotwald 1995, Rettenmeyer et al. 1983), and swarm bird species in montane forests (Blake & Loiselle 2000, raids are often attended by a diverse array of bird species. Chaves-Campos 2003, Terborgh 1977, Willis & Oniki In order to escape predation by army ants, arthropods 1978). Recent quantitative studies confirm that the flee from the approaching raid. Some of the fleeing density of army ant raids covaries with local net primary arthropods are preyed upon by birds that forage near productivity, which generally declines with elevation, army ant swarm raids (Coates-Estrada & Estrada 1989, and that army ant density declines with elevation at Otis et al. 1986, Swartz 2001, Willis & Oniki 1978). Army a neotropical montane forest site (Kaspari & O’Donnell ant colonies raid almost daily throughout their nomadic 2003, O’Donnell & Kumar 2006). colony cycle (Berghoff et al. 2002, Boswell et al. 1998, In lowland forests, habitat fragmentation affects Schneirla 1934, Topoff & Mirenda 1980). Eciton burchellii both insectivorous birds and army ants independently (Bierregaard et al. 1992, Boswell et al. 1998, Franks & Fletcher 1983, Lovejoy et al. 1984, Partridge et al. 1 Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] 1996, Roberts et al. 2000b, Sekercioglu et al. 2002). 582 ANJALI KUMAR AND SEAN O’DONNELL Insectivorousbirdspeciesarefirsttodisappearfromforests Five Holdridge life zones occur within a 600-m elevation fragments, implying that they are particularly sensitive range at Monteverde (Haber 2000, Holdridge 1966). to habitat change (Bierregaard et al. 1992, Karr 1982, The present study was conducted in continuous forest Sekercioglu et al. 2002, Willis 1974). Similarly, Eciton (11 sites) and forest fragments (7 sites) located between burchelliicoloniesdisappearfromforestfragmentsthatare 1100 m asl and 1680 m asl on the Pacific and Atlantic below a minimum size (Bierregaard et al. 1992, Britton slopes in the vicinity of Monteverde. et al. 1996, 1999, Meisel 2004, Partridge et al. 1996). However, the effects of fragmentation on the army ant- attending bird interaction are unknown. Furthermore, Opportunistic observations of birds at army ant swarms few systematic studies on army ant-bird interactions have been conducted in neotropical montane forest (Roberts et In the dry season of 2005 (12 January to 4 March) al. 2000a). The goal of this study was to estimate the we collected data on army ant density and diversity in combined effects of elevation and forest fragmentation the Monteverde area (O’Donnell & Kumar 2006). Army on interactions between army ants and bird species in ant raids were sampled using standardized trail walks neotropical montane forest by quantifying bird species at four elevationally separated sites, ranging from 1200 richness and abundance at army ant swarms. to 1650 m asl, and army ant activity was observed Recent research shows that the birds attending swarms opportunistically at other locations in the Monteverde are cleptoparasites, reducing prey capture by the army area.Whenaswarmraidfrontwasencountered,wenoted ants (Wrege et al. 2005). Because birds rely on ant swarms whether birds were in attendance. Birds were identified for food to varying degrees, and bird attendance decreases to species and we counted individuals when possible. To the foraging success of the ant raids (Wrege et al. 2005), be counted, birds had to be actively foraging either within fragmentation and elevation effects on the interaction 2 m of the front of the swarm, or in the army ant swarm. could have implications for both the attending birds All dry-season data were collected in continuous forest. and the ants. We tested for elevation and fragmentation effects on the potential cleptoparasitic pressure exerted by montane forest birds. Standardized observations of birds at army ant swarms Wehypothesizedthatarmyant-birdinteractionswould beaffectedbybothelevationandforestfragmentation.We Standardized observations of bird attendance at army made the following predictions: (1) the size and species ant swarms (Eciton burchellii and Labidus praedator)were richness of bird flocks attending army ant raids will made from 29 June to 11 December 2005. We observed a decrease with elevation; (2) the size and species richness of maximum of one swarm per day and alternated sampling bird flocks attending army ant raids will vary with habitat dates among elevations and habitat types to minimize type,withsmallerspecies-poorflocksinfragmentsrelative order effects. Army ant swarms were located by walking to continuous forest; (3) the potential for cleptoparasitism trails, and by referral from other observers to A.K. of army ants by attending birds will be affected by habitat After locating an army ant colony, the foraging trail fragmentation; and (4) bird species will vary in their rate was followed to the swarm front where the attending of attendance at army ant raids. We were particularly birds forage (Swartz 2001, Willis & Oniki 1978). The interested in assessing whether some montane forest following data were collected: (1) Start and end time. resident birds, and neotropical migrants, attend swarms (2) Habitat type (continuous or fragment). Habitat type regularly. Those that do may rely on army ant raids as a was determined by viewing aerial maps, by consulting food source. Guindon (1997), and during site visits. A fragment was defined as any patch of forest separated from another patch by at least 50 m of open habitat. We used fragments METHODS ranging in size from approximately 1 ha to 4 ha (Guindon 1997). (3) Elevation (all elevations were taken to the Study area nearest 1 m with a digital altimeter). The best spot for viewing the swarm front was chosen; The research was conducted in neotropical montane this was usually located off to one side and facing in forest in the Monteverde area, Costa Rica (10◦18N, the direction in which the swarm was moving. The 84◦47W). Monteverde is a well-studied cloud-forest observation period began 5 min after reaching the swarm habitat on the continental divide of the Tilaran´ front to allow the birds to resume their normal activities mountain range. Local habitats include privately (Coates-Estrada&Estrada1989). Eachobservationperiod protected continuous forest and adjacent forest fragments lasted 60 min total, unless the ants traversed over (Guindon 1997, Haber 2000, Harvey 2000). Over small unmanageable terrain or heavy rain began. We recorded changes in elevation, the habitat changes dramatically. bird attendance at the army ant swarm. To be counted Bird-army ant interactions 583 as an attendant,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Territory Size and Stability in a Sedentary Neotropical Passerine: Is Resource Partitioning a Necessary Condition?
    J. Field Ornithol. 76(4):395±401, 2005 Territory size and stability in a sedentary neotropical passerine: is resource partitioning a necessary condition? Janet V. Gorrell,1 Gary Ritchison,1,3 and Eugene S. Morton2 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky 40475 USA 2 Hemlock Hill Field Station, 22318 Teepleville Flats Road, Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania 16403 USA Received 9 April 2004; accepted 11 April 2005 ABSTRACT. Long-term pair bonds and defense of territories year-round are common among tropical passer- ines. The boundaries of these territories tend to be stable, perhaps re¯ecting the need to defend an area that, regardless of conditions, provides suf®cient food resources. If, however, these stable territories are not, even tem- porarily, suf®ciently large, then intra-pair competition for available food may result, particularly in species with no sexual size dimorphism. With such competition, sex-speci®c differences in foraging behavior may result. Male and female Dusky Antbirds (Cercomacra tyrannina) are not size dimorphic, and pairs jointly defend territories throughout the year. Our objective was to determine if paired Dusky Antbirds exhibited sex-speci®c differences in foraging behavior. Foraging antbirds were observed in central Panama from February±July 2002 to determine if pairs par- titioned food resources. Males and females exhibited no differences in foraging behavior, with individuals of both sexes foraging at similar heights and using the same foraging maneuvers (glean, probe, and sally) and substrates (leaves, rolled leaves, and woody surfaces). These results suggest that Dusky Antbirds do not partition resources and that territory switching, rather than resource partitioning, may be the means by which they gain access to additional food resources.
    [Show full text]
  • Antbird Guilds in the Lowland Caribbean Rainforest of Southeast Nicaragua1
    The Condor 102:7X4-794 0 The Cooper Ornithological Society 2000 ANTBIRD GUILDS IN THE LOWLAND CARIBBEAN RAINFOREST OF SOUTHEAST NICARAGUA1 MARTIN L. CODY Department of OrganismicBiology, Ecology and Evolution, Universityof California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Some 20 speciesof antbirdsoccur in lowland Caribbeanrainforest in southeast Nicaragua where they form five distinct guilds on the basis of habitat preferences,foraging ecology, and foraging behavior. Three guilds are habitat-based,in Edge, Forest, and Gaps within forest; two are behaviorally distinct, with species of army ant followers and those foraging within mixed-species flocks. The guilds each contain 3-6 antbird species. Within guilds, species are segregatedby body size differences between member species, and in several guilds are evenly spaced on a logarithmic scale of body mass. Among guilds, the factors by which adjacent body sizes differ vary between 1.25 and 1.75. Body size differ- ences may be related to differences in preferred prey sizes, but are influenced also by the density of the vegetation in which each speciescustomarily forages. Resumen. Unas 20 especies de aves hormiguerasviven en el bosque tropical perenni- folio, surestede Nicaragua, donde se forman cinquo gremios distinctos estribando en pre- ferencias de habitat, ecologia y comportamiento de las costumbresde alimentacion. Las diferenciasentre las varias especiesson cuantificadaspor caractaristicasde1 ambiente vegetal y por la ecologia y comportamientode la alimentaci6n, y usadospara definir cinco grupos o gremios (“guilds”). Tres gremios se designanpor las relacionesde habitat: edge (margen), forest (selva), y gaps (aberturasadentro la selva); dos mas por comportamiento,partidarios de army ants (hormigasarmadas) y mixed-speciesflocks (forrejando en bandadasde especies mexcladas).
    [Show full text]
  • Vocal Duetting Behaviour in a Neotropical Wren: Insights Into Paternity Guarding and Parental Commitment
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Scholarship at UWindsor University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 10-5-2017 Vocal duetting behaviour in a neotropical wren: Insights into paternity guarding and parental commitment Zach Alexander Kahn University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Kahn, Zach Alexander, "Vocal duetting behaviour in a neotropical wren: Insights into paternity guarding and parental commitment" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 7268. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/7268 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. VOCAL DUETTING BEHAVIOUR IN A NEOTROPICAL WREN: INSIGHTS INTO PATERNITY GUARDING AND PARENTAL COMMITMENT By ZACHARY ALEXANDER KAHN A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Department of Biological Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science at the University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada 2017 © Zachary A.
    [Show full text]
  • Tropical Forests Surround - Data Sheet Tropical Forests
    TROPICAL FORESTS SURROUND - DATA SHEET TROPICAL FORESTS FILENAME DESCRIPTION QP07 0672 Trop forest EC evening 5.0.wav Evening insects, few bird calls, winged insects. Birds include Gilded Barbet, White-throated Tinamou and Black-necked Red-Cotinga. QP07 0673 Trop forest EC nightfall 5.0.wav Evening insect rhythms, frogs, drips, debris falling, occasional bird, light is quickly weakening. Birds include Undulated Tinamou and Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl. Evening insect rhythms, frogs, Red Howler Monkey distant and becoming louder, occasional water drips with winged insects, animal lurks in vicinity. Birds include Gilded Barbet and Undulated QP07 0674 Trop forest EC nightfall 5.0.wav Tinamou. Pronounced insect rhythms at night with occasional bird calls and wing flutters, winged insects, sparse frogs, water drips. Birds include Red-throated Caracara, Thrush-like Antpitta, Brown Nunlet QP07 0675 Trop forest EC night early 5.0.wav and Variegated Tinamou. Night insect rhythms dense, increasing at times, large frog with two note call, night birds in background include Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl and Crested Owl. Faint water ripples produced by nearby QP07 0676 Trop forest EC night 5.0.wav river. QP07 0677 Trop forest EC night 5.0.wav Night insect rhythms and loud frogs with sparse drips, bat wing flutters. QP07 0678 Trop forest EC night 5.0.wav Night insect rhythms, night birds, jaguar lurks then hisses, frog. Birds include Black-banded Owls counter-calling throughout sometimes simultaneously with Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl. QP07 0679 Trop forest EC night zephyr 5.0.wav Night insect rhythms, frog chirps and gecko multi-note call, series of whoops in background probably a frog.
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Biology of Yellow-Browed Antbird Hypocnemis Hypoxantha
    Daniel M. Brooks et al. 156 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(3) Breeding biology of Yellow-browed Antbird Hypocnemis hypoxantha by Daniel M. Brooks, Pablo Aibar, Pam Bucur, Ron Rossi & Harold F. Greeney Received 17 February 2016 Summary.—We provide novel data concerning the nests, eggs and parental care of Yellow-browed Antbird Hypocnemis hypoxantha based on two nests in eastern Ecuador and Peruvian Amazonia, one of which was video-taped. Both adults participated in incubation, with earliest and latest feeding events at 06.11 h and 17.22 h, respectively. Feeding behaviour is described, with intervals of 1–114 minutes (mean = 38.3 minutes) and tettigoniid cicadas the primary prey. Nestlings frequently produced faecal sacs (interval range = 4–132 minutes, mean = 37.8 minutes) immediately following food delivery, and the sac was always carried from the nest by an adult. Two events involving a parent bird being chased from the nest are described, the first involving a male Fulvous Antshrike Frederickena fulva. Systematics are discussed in light of nest morphology and architecture. Yellow-browed Antbird Hypocnemis hypoxantha is a distinctive Amazonian thamnophilid that comprises two currently recognised subspecies: nominate hypoxantha in western Amazonian lowland and foothill forests from southern Colombia south to central Peru, and H. h. ochraceiventris in south-east Amazonian Brazil (Zimmer & Isler 2003). Generally found below 400 m, the nominate subspecies occasionally ranges as high as 900 m (Zimmer & Isler 2003, Ridgely & Tudor 2009). The species’ reproductive biology is almost completely unknown (Zimmer & Isler 2003). Willis (1988) provided a cursory description of a nest with nestlings from Colombia, but included few details of the nest and no description of the eggs or behaviour.
    [Show full text]
  • Fine-Scale Genetic Population Structure of an Understory Rainforest Bird in Costa Rica
    Conserv Genet (2012) 13:925–935 DOI 10.1007/s10592-012-0341-2 RESEARCH ARTICLE Fine-scale genetic population structure of an understory rainforest bird in Costa Rica Stefan Woltmann • Brian R. Kreiser • Thomas W. Sherry Received: 6 July 2011 / Accepted: 15 March 2012 / Published online: 29 March 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012 Abstract We studied five populations of a rainforest implications. It appears that chestnut-backed antbirds may understory insectivorous bird (Myrmeciza exsul, chestnut- persist in fragmented landscapes in the absence of signifi- backed antbird) in a fragmented landscape in northeastern cant migration among patches, but mechanisms that allow Costa Rica in order to test hypotheses about the influence this species to persist when many other similar species do of forest fragmentation on population genetic structure not are not well understood. using 16 microsatellite loci. Bayesian assignment approa- ches—perhaps the most conservative analyses we per- Keywords Antbird Á Costa Rica Á Deforestation Á formed—consistently grouped the sites into two distinct Dispersal Á Population genetic structure Á Microsatellites Á groups, with all individuals from the smallest and most Relatedness isolated population clustering separately from the other four sites. Additional analyses revealed (1) overall signif- icant genetic structure; (2) a pattern of population differ- Introduction entiation consistent with a hypothesis of isolation by resistance (landscape connectivity), but not distance; and Population genetic structure of natural populations is an (3) relatively short dispersal distances indicated by ele- important aspect of ecological and evolutionary biology vated mean pairwise relatedness in several of the sites. Our (Rousset 2004).
    [Show full text]
  • Reproduction and Nest Success of the Scalloped Antbird, Myrmoderus Ruficauda (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae), in an Atlantic Rainforest of Northeastern Brazil
    Reproduction and nest success of the Scalloped Antbird, Myrmoderus ruficauda (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae), in an Atlantic rainforest of northeastern Brazil Anita Studer1,2, Marcelo Cardoso de Sousa1 & Begoña Barcena-Goyena1 Introduction The Scalloped Antbird Myrmoderus ru- ficauda(Wied, 1831) is an uncommon bird endemic to Brazil’s lowland Atlantic rain- forest (0-600 m, Marini et al. 2003) with disjunct populations in Brazil: from Para- íba to Alagoas and others from Bahia to Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo (Ridgely & Tudor 2009). It is considered as an en- dangered species by the IUCN Red List of threatened species (BirdLife Interna- tional 2016) as a consequence of its very small and severely fragmented range and population. It is taxonomically separated into two subspecies, the subspecies M. r. soror (Pinto, 1940), occurring in the eas- tern basin and the nominate subspecies M. Figure 1. Cumulative number of active nests (green) in every month r. ruficauda (Wied, 1831), occurring in the during the study period. In blue, the average precipitation (mm) in the south-eastern basin (Marini et al. 2003, municipality of Quebrangulo. Source: Agência Nacional de Água (2009). Grantsau 2010). Even though it is a rare species, the subspe- Material and methods cies soror appears to occur at higher densities than the nominate Study area subspecies. The study was conducted in Serra das Guaribas (36°25’W, 09°14’S) Myrmoderus ruficauda presents sexual dimorphism with ma- between the borders of Alagoas and Pernambuco states in northeastern les having scalloped underparts, black ear covert patches, rufous Brazil. This mountain range is characterised by having several Atlantic brown plumage and broadly tipped blackish wing coverts (Isler rainforest enclaves, with the most important and best preserved being et al.
    [Show full text]
  • (Antbird) Molt Strategies in a Central Amazonian Rainforest
    The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126(3):451–462, 2014 THAMNOPHILIDAE (ANTBIRD) MOLT STRATEGIES IN A CENTRAL AMAZONIAN RAINFOREST ERIK I. JOHNSON1,2,3,4 AND JARED D. WOLFE1,2 ABSTRACT.—Avian molt, or the regularly scheduled replacement of feathers, is an important life history event, particularly in central Amazonian rainforest birds for which a relatively high proportion of the annual cycle can be dedicated to this process. Here, we detail molt strategies of 18 antbird species (Thamnophilidae) based on 2,362 individuals captured from lowland tropical rainforest at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragmentation Project near Manaus, Brazil. All species exhibited a molt strategy consistent with the Complex Basic Strategy, in which birds undergo an inserted preformative molt within the first cycle, but apparently lack prealternate molts. The preformative molt and resulting formative plumage aspect of the 18 antbird species can be grouped by three distinct patterns: 1) a complete molt resulting in an adult-like formative plumage without molt limits; 2) a partial molt involving body feathers, lesser coverts, at least some or all median and greater coverts, and sometimes tertials or rectrices, resulting in an adult-like formative plumage with molt limits; and 3) a partial molt as in ‘2’ but resulting in an adult female-like formative plumage in both sexes with plumage maturation delayed in males until the second prebasic molt. In addition, we show that one species, Percnostola rufifrons, exhibited an extra inserted molt (a partial auxiliary preformative molt) in the first cycle before initiating a complete preformative molt making this, to our knowledge, the first description of an auxiliary preformative molt for a suboscine.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF File
    Myrmecological News 19 Digital supplementary material Digital supplementary material to DEJEAN, A., CORBARA, B., ROUX, O. & ORIVEL, J. 2014: The antipredatory behaviours of Neotropical ants towards army ant raids (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). – Myrmeco- logical News 19: 17-24. Appendix 1: Synthesis of the reactions of different ant species when faced with New World army ants. The size of the ecitonine colonies varies as follows: Eciton burchellii WESTWOOD, 1842: up to 650,000 workers (FRANKS 1985) and E. hamatum FABRICIUS, 1782: up to 250,000 workers (RETTENMEYER & al. 1983); Neivamyrmex nigrescens (CRESSON, 1872): 150,000 to 200,000 (SCHNEIRLA 1958); Nomamyrmex esenbeckii (WESTWOOD, 1842): 700,000 workers (RETTENMEYER 1963); Labidus praedator (F. SMITH, 1858): one million workers (HÖLLDOBLER & WILSON 1990). SF: subfamily; Dol: Dolichoderinae; Eci: Ecitoninae; Ect: Ectatomminae; Form: Formicinae; Myr: Myrmicinae; Par: Paraponerinae; Ps; Pseudomyrmecinae; Pon: Ponerinae. Raided ant species SF Army ant Details of the reactions References Avoided by army ants Acromyrmex coronatus Myr Eciton bur- Encountered Acromyrmex forager immobilized, crouched, SAN JUAN (2002) FABRICIUS, 1804 chellii (WEST- was antennated, then it moved; Eciton seemed repulsed. WOOD, 1842) Atta cephalotes (LINNAEUS, Myr Eciton No aggressiveness during the encounters. Once the raid RETTENMEYER 1758), Atta spp. burchellii traversed the Atta nest. (1963), this study Odontomachus spp. Pon Eciton hama- Avoided; seldom retrieved workers. RETTENMEYER & tum (FABRICI- al. (1983) US, 1782) Crematogaster spp. Myr Eciton spp. Avoided by Eciton as well as Neivamyrmex pilosus. RETTENMEYER & al. (1983) Myrmecocystus mimicus Myr Neivamyrmex Avoided; even F. pruinosus climbed over the raiders, MIRENDA & al. WHEELER, 1908, nigrescens which remained motionless. (1980) Forelius pruinosus (ROGER, Dol (CRESSON, 1863) 1872) Solenopsis xyloni MCCOOK, Myr Neivamyrmex Avoided but was raided by Neivamyrmex harrisi (speci- MIRENDA & al.
    [Show full text]
  • Nymphister Kronaueri Von Beeren & Tishechkin Sp. Nov., an Army Ant
    BMC Zoology Nymphister kronaueri von Beeren & Tishechkin sp. nov., an army ant-associated beetle species (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Haeteriinae) with an exceptional mechanism of phoresy von Beeren and Tishechkin von Beeren and Tishechkin BMC Zoology (2017) 2:3 DOI 10.1186/s40850-016-0010-x von Beeren and Tishechkin BMC Zoology (2017) 2:3 DOI 10.1186/s40850-016-0010-x BMC Zoology RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Nymphister kronaueri von Beeren & Tishechkin sp. nov., an army ant-associated beetle species (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Haeteriinae) with an exceptional mechanism of phoresy Christoph von Beeren1,2* and Alexey K. Tishechkin3 Abstract Background: For more than a century we have known that a high diversity of arthropod species lives in close relationship with army ant colonies. For instance, several hundred guest species have been described to be associated with the Neotropical army ant Eciton burchellii Westwood, 1842. Despite ongoing efforts to survey army ant guest diversity, it is evident that many more species await scientific discovery. Results: We conducted a large-scale community survey of Eciton-associated symbionts, combined with extensive DNA barcoding, which led to the discovery of numerous new species, among them a highly specialized histerid beetle, which is formally described here. Analyses of genitalic morphology with support of molecular characters revealed that the new species is a member of the genus Nymphister. We provide a literature review of host records and host-following mechanisms of Eciton-associated Haeteriinae demonstrating that the new species uses an unusual way of phoretic transport to track the nomadic habit of host ants. Using its long mandibles as gripping pliers, the beetle attaches between the ants’ petiole and postpetiole.
    [Show full text]
  • Army Ants Dynamically Adjust Living Bridges in Response to a Cost–Benefit Trade-Off
    Army ants dynamically adjust living bridges in response to a cost–benefit trade-off Chris R. Reida,1,2,3, Matthew J. Lutzb,1,3, Scott Powellc, Albert B. Kaod, Iain D. Couzine,f, and Simon Garniera aDepartment of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102; bDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544; cDepartment of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052; dDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; eDepartment of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz D-78457, Germany; and fChair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz D-78457, Germany Edited by Bert Hölldobler, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and approved October 19, 2015 (received for review June 22, 2015) The ability of individual animals to create functional structures by use strength in numbers to overwhelm their prey, and a colony typ- joining together is rare and confined to the social insects. Army ically harvests around 40 g dry weight of prey per day from an area a ants (Eciton) form collective assemblages out of their own bodies few hundred meters across (11). Unsurprisingly, this level of localized to perform a variety of functions that benefit the entire colony. raid intensity can have a significant impact on prey populations (11– Here we examine ‟bridges” of linked individuals that are constructed 14), but the army ants avoid local prey depletion by conducting regular to span gaps in the colony’s foraging trail. How these living structures colony emigrations to new, potentially prey-rich patches of the forest adjust themselves to varied and changing conditions remains poorly (11, 12).
    [Show full text]
  • On the Origin and Evolution of Nest Building by Passerine Birds’
    T H E C 0 N D 0 R r : : ,‘ “; i‘ . .. \ :i A JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY ,I : Volume 99 Number 2 ’ I _ pg$$ij ,- The Condor 99~253-270 D The Cooper Ornithological Society 1997 ON THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF NEST BUILDING BY PASSERINE BIRDS’ NICHOLAS E. COLLIAS Departmentof Biology, Universityof California, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1606 Abstract. The object of this review is to relate nest-buildingbehavior to the origin and early evolution of passerinebirds (Order Passeriformes).I present evidence for the hypoth- esis that the combinationof small body size and the ability to place a constructednest where the bird chooses,helped make possiblea vast amountof adaptiveradiation. A great diversity of potential habitats especially accessibleto small birds was created in the late Tertiary by global climatic changes and by the continuing great evolutionary expansion of flowering plants and insects.Cavity or hole nests(in ground or tree), open-cupnests (outside of holes), and domed nests (with a constructedroof) were all present very early in evolution of the Passeriformes,as indicated by the presenceof all three of these basic nest types among the most primitive families of living passerinebirds. Secondary specializationsof these basic nest types are illustratedin the largest and most successfulfamilies of suboscinebirds. Nest site and nest form and structureoften help characterizethe genus, as is exemplified in the suboscinesby the ovenbirds(Furnariidae), a large family that builds among the most diverse nests of any family of birds. The domed nest is much more common among passerinesthan in non-passerines,and it is especially frequent among the very smallestpasserine birds the world over.
    [Show full text]