DOCSLIB.ORG

Arboreal Ants As Key Predators in Tropical Lowland Rainforest Trees

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Arboreal Ants As Key Predators in Tropical Lowland Rainforest Trees Oecologia (2002) 131:137–144 DOI 10.1007/s00442-002-0874-z COMMUNITY ECOLOGY Andreas Floren · Alim Biun · K. Eduard Linsenmair Arboreal ants as key predators in tropical lowland rainforest trees Received: 24 September 2001 / Accepted: 2 January 2002 / Published online: 14 February 2002 © Springer-Verlag 2002 Abstract Ants numerically dominate the canopy fauna on the ground and lower vegetation (Hölldobler and of tropical lowland rain forests. They are considered to Wilson 1990), and fogging studies demonstrate that they be key predators but their effects in this regard have only also dominate in the canopy (Erwin 1983; Stork 1991; rarely been studied on non-myrmecophytes. A conspicu- Floren and Linsenmair 1997; Wagner 1997; Adis et al. ously low abundance of less mobile, mainly holometa- 1998). A conspicuously low abundance of less mobile bolous arthropods like Lepidoptera larvae corresponds arthropods in the trees, mainly larvae of holometabolous with ant dominance, while hemimetabolous highly taxa like Lepidoptera- or Coleoptera, which contribute mobile nymphs occur regularly and in large numbers in less than 1% to a maximum 3% of all arthropods, corre- the trees. This is in contrast to the temperate regions lates with ant dominance. In contrast, highly mobile where ants are mostly lacking on trees and holometabol- nymphs of hemimetabolous taxa provide, on average, ous larvae are frequent. In this study we experimentally 17% of individuals to a community (Floren and Linsenmair measured ant predation in the trees by offering caterpil- 1997,1998a; Stork 1991; Wagner 1997). This is in con- lars as baits. Fifty-four ant species were tested, of which trast to the temperate regions where tree communities 46 killed caterpillars and carried them away to their nests contain only few ants and numerous less mobile arthro- while only eight species ignored the offered larvae. pods (e.g. Horstmann 1976/1977; Southwood et al. 1982; Insecticidal knockdown fogging of ten trees after finish- Simandl 1993; Wagner 1996; A. Floren unpublished ing the prey experiments showed that on average 85% of data). These results suggest that the arboreal ants strongly ant individuals per tree were predacious. With the analy- influence the composition of the arthropod fauna in trees sis of another 69 foggings and meticulous observations of tropical lowland forests by exerting a high predation in many other trees this suggests that arboreal ants are pressure. This might also explain in part the extraordi- responsible for the low abundance of less mobile arthro- narily high dynamics in species composition in tree- pods in tropical lowland rain forest canopies. Ant preda- associated communities (expressed as fast species turnover) tion was significantly lower in a disturbed forest indicat- as found for example in daily re-fogging experiments of ing that human disturbance induces a change in the func- individual trees (Floren and Linsenmair 1997, 1999, tional interactions in these ecosystems. unpublished data; see also Stork 1991). Myrmecophilous and myrmecophytic plants make use of ants as protective Keywords Anthropogenic disturbance · Canopy · agents against herbivores by attracting ants with food Community structure · Ecosystem function · Fogging and/or shelter in specialized plant structures (Fiala and Maschwitz 1992; Fiala et al. 1994; Fonseca and Ganade Introduction 1996; Bronstein 1998; Heil et al. 2000, 2001; Oliveira et al. 1987; Letourneau and Dyer 1998). Because such trees Formicidae are considered to be the most abundant and are only a minority in primary forests, their special rela- most important predators in tropical lowland rain forests tionships provide us with no explanation of the general scarcity of less mobile arthropods in tropical lowland rain A. Floren (✉) · K.E. Linsenmair forest trees. Until now, however, no close attention has Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, been paid to the effects that ant predation pressure exert Biozentrum, Am Hubland. University Wuerzburg, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany on the composition of arthropod communities in canopies e-mail: [email protected] of the large majority of trees that are neither myrmecophil- Tel.: +49-931-8884376, Fax: +49-931-8884352 ous nor myrmecophytes. A. Biun This is the first study to measure ant predation in Sabah Parks, Peti Surat 10626, 88806 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia tropical lowland rain forest trees by offering caterpillars 138 as prey and by quantifying attack rates of various ant tree were tested. If ant individuals did not behave in a uniform species. By fogging ten trees after finishing the prey- way, the behaviour most often observed was used to categorize them. However, inconsistent results were only recorded in a few offering experiments we were able to assess the pro- cases. The caterpillars showed either no recognizable reaction or a portion of predacious to non-predacious ants in these clear defence and/or escape behaviour (strong beating of the body communities. in order to shake off the ants or spinning down from the branch or leaf on a thread of silk). In these experiments we assume that ant behaviour in response Materials and methods to the baits does not differ from those of ants which forage in a tree and accidentally meet a caterpillar. This assumption corre- sponds with the results of earlier studies (Goetzke 1993; Floren Study site and Linsenmair 1997; Berghoff 1998). In order to test whether ants that were attracted by tuna baits reacted differently compared Field work was done in January and February 2000 in the tropical to ants that met a larva accidentally, individual caterpillars were lowland rain forest of Kinabalu National Park, substation Poring put on leaves and observed until they were encountered by an ant. Hot Springs, in Sabah, Malyasia (6°2.75′N, 116°42.2′E). Details about the study area have been published elsewhere (Floren and Linsenmair 1997, 2000). Insecticidal fogging In order to determine relative proportions of predacious to non- Tree species chosen for the prey experiments predacious ants in individual communities, ten trees out of the same sample were fogged after the prey experiments were For carrying out the prey experiments we selected 45 trees of the finished. Because abundances of most ant species are represented lower canopy stratum, between 20 and 30 m high. Twenty-six trees in approximately correct proportions in the fogging samples, it is belonged to the species Aporusa lagenocarpa (Euphorbiaceae)*, possible to roughly assess – based on the comparison with the tuna the focal tree of our earlier studies (Floren and Linsenmair 1997, bait data – the ratio of predatory to non-predatory ant specimens in 2000), and ten were Depressa nervosa trees (Guttiferae). Further- a particular tree. Comprehensive information about the method of more, ants were tested that lived in the following trees: Barringtonia insecticidal fogging is given in Floren and Linsenmair (1997, scortechinii* (two trees), B. gitingensis (Lecythidaceae), Cryptoc- 2000, 2001) and Adis et al. (1998). Since we have no indication of arya sp. (Lauraceae), Payena lucida (Sapotaceae), Aporusa the existence of tree-specific ant species (Floren and Linsenmair maingayi (Euphorbiaceae)*, Dacryodes laxa (Burseraceae)*, 1997, 2000), the selection of the trees for fogging followed practical Palaquium rostratum (Sapotaceae)* and Ochanostachys amentacea criteria. Trees should be fully grown and should grow in similar (Olacaceae)*. Ten trees of the species marked with an asterisk habitats, as regards for example edaphic factors, degree of shading, were fogged after the prey experiments finished (see “Insecticidal etc. (Floren and Linsenmair 1998b). Tree structural parameters, fogging” below). such as the amount of dead wood, should be similar and tree cover by lianas and epiphytes should be low. No myrmecophilous nor myrmecophytic trees were investigated [however, a highly special- The prey species ized ant species of the genus Cladomyrma (Formicinae) which lived in a liana growing in a tree was tested in the prey experi- In most ecosystems, larvae of Lepidoptera are important herbi- ments]. The ten trees selected for fogging were four A. lagenocarpa, vores (e.g. Koptur 1984; Smiley 1987; Letourneau et al. 1993). two B. scortechinii, and the other trees given above. For our experiments we chose caterpillars of a Gelechiidae species, genus Onebala, which were found in leaf-rolls of Hibiscus shrubs. No other species of Lepidoptera larvae were found in Investigations in a disturbed forest greater abundance. Onebala specimens are not hairy and we have no indication that they are chemically defended (C. Schulze, Earlier investigations indicated that ant predation, and thus their personal communication). Caterpillars of two size classes were effects on arthropod communities, might differ between primary used in the experiments: (1) large individuals of 2–2.5 cm size, and disturbed forests. These investigations were carried out in and (2) small larvae of about 1 cm. three forests of different disturbance level. They were clear cut, used some years for crop planting, abandoned, and left to natural regeneration 5, 15, and 40 years ago. From each forest ten con- The prey-offering experiments specific trees were fogged. Details are given in Floren and Linsenmair (1998b) and Floren et al. (2001a). Three years ago, Because a number of ant individuals per species was needed for these forests were completely destroyed by a fire. the prey experiments, ants were attracted to the trees with pieces In order to test whether ant predation differed between the of tuna bait that were placed on leaves and most branches within primary and a disturbed forest we included a strongly disturbed reach of the stem. We have shown earlier that most arboreal ant forest in our study. It was around 500 m from the primary forest, species are generalist feeders that can be attracted with tuna baits. separated by private gardens and the entrance area of the National In fact, this method allows one to map the ant nests of a tree Park. The forest was used as pasture for water buffaloes.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Obligate Plant Farming by a Specialized Ant Nature Plants
    Online Supporting Material for Obligate plant farming by a specialized ant Nature Plants Guillaume Chomicki and Susanne Renner Department of Biology, Systematic Botany and Mycology, Menzinger Str. 67, University of Munich (LMU), Munich 80638 Corresponding author: [email protected] (G.C.) Supplementary Materials and Methods Supplementary information on collection of material on Fiji and study sites The study sites in Viti Levu were Colo-i-Suva forest reserve in the south of the island (S 18° 1’ 46.808”, E 178° 24’ 0.4175”) and a forest in the vicinity of Navai in the centre of the island (S 17° 37’ 49.5979”, E 177° 58’ 34.9315”); in Vanua Levu, the collection sites were in Waisali forest reserve (S 16 38’19.8”, E 179 13’19.7”) and along the Cross Island road before the bifurcation to Nabouwalu and Labasa; in Taveuni, the samples (and herbarium collections) were obtained along the trail to DesVoeux peak and Mt. Manuca on the western side of the island (S 16° 48’ 25.8133”, E 179° 56’ 36.6843” ) and at the end of Lavena coastal walk, Bouma heritage park, on the eastern side of the island (S 16° 51’ 45.4433”, E 179° 54’ 6.5149”). All collections were made in collaboration with colleagues from the University of South Pacific (Acknowledgements), and vouchers have been deposited in the herbaria of Suva (SUVA) and Munich (M). For DNA extraction, we collected young leaves and dried them in silica gel. Squamellaria taxonomy follows Chomicki and Renner (2016). Host specificity, occupancy rates Philidris nagasau form large colonies that often occupy several dozen of Squamellaria plants (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Autecology of the Sunda Pangolin (Manis Javanica) in Singapore
    AUTECOLOGY OF THE SUNDA PANGOLIN (MANIS JAVANICA) IN SINGAPORE LIM T-LON, NORMAN (B.Sc. (Hons.), NUS) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2007 An adult male Manis javanica (MJ17) raiding an arboreal Oceophylla smaradgina nest. By shutting its nostrils and eyes, the Sunda Pangolin is able to protect its vulnerable parts from the powerful bites of this ant speces. The scales and thick skin further reduce the impacts of the ants’ attack. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My supervisor Professor Peter Ng Kee Lin is a wonderful mentor who provides the perfect combination of support and freedom that every graduate student should have. Despite his busy schedule, he always makes time for his students and provides the appropriate advice needed. His insightful comments and innovative ideas never fail to impress and inspire me throughout my entire time in the University. Lastly, I am most grateful to Prof. Ng for seeing promise in me and accepting me into the family of the Systematics and Ecology Laboratory. I would also like to thank Benjamin Lee for introducing me to the subject of pangolins, and subsequently introducing me to Melvin Gumal. They have guided me along tremendously during the preliminary phase of the project and provided wonderful comments throughout the entire course. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) provided funding to undertake this research. In addition, field biologists from the various WCS offices in Southeast Asia have helped tremendously throughout the project, especially Anthony Lynam who has taken time off to conduct a camera-trapping workshop.
    [Show full text]
  • PROCEEDINGS of the WORKSHOP on TRADE and CONSERVATION of PANGOLINS NATIVE to SOUTH and SOUTHEAST ASIA 30 June – 2 July 2008, Singapore Zoo Edited by S
    PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP ON TRADE AND CONSERVATION OF PANGOLINS NATIVE TO SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA 30 June – 2 July 2008, Singapore Zoo Edited by S. Pantel and S.Y. Chin Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP ON TRADE AND CONSERVATION OF PANGOLINS NATIVE TO SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA 30 JUNE –2JULY 2008, SINGAPORE ZOO EDITED BY S. PANTEL AND S. Y. CHIN 1 Published by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia © 2009 TRAFFIC Southeast Asia All rights reserved. All material appearing in these proceedings is copyrighted and may be reproduced with permission. Any reproduction, in full or in part, of this publication must credit TRAFFIC Southeast Asia as the copyright owner. The views of the authors expressed in these proceedings do not necessarily reflect those of the TRAFFIC Network, WWF or IUCN. The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The TRAFFIC symbol copyright and Registered Trademark ownership is held by WWF. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN. Layout by Sandrine Pantel, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Suggested citation: Sandrine Pantel and Chin Sing Yun (ed.). 2009. Proceedings of the Workshop on Trade and Conservation of Pangolins Native to South and Southeast Asia, 30 June-2 July
    [Show full text]
  • THE TRUE ARMY ANTS of the INDO-AUSTRALIAN AREA (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae)
    Pacific Insects 6 (3) : 427483 November 10, 1964 THE TRUE ARMY ANTS OF THE INDO-AUSTRALIAN AREA (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae) By Edward O. Wilson BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE, MASS., U. S. A. Abstract: All of the known Indo-Australian species of Dorylinae, 4 in Dorylus and 34 in Aenictus, are included in this revision. Eight of the Aenictus species are described as new: artipus, chapmani, doryloides, exilis, huonicus, nganduensis, philiporum and schneirlai. Phylo­ genetic and numerical analyses resulted in the discarding of two extant subgenera of Aenictus (Typhlatta and Paraenictus) and the loose clustering of the species into 5 informal " groups" within the unified genus Aenictus. A consistency test for phylogenetic characters is discussed. The African and Indo-Australian doryline species are compared, and available information in the biology of the Indo-Australian species is summarized. The " true " army ants are defined here as equivalent to the subfamily Dorylinae. Not included are species of Ponerinae which have developed legionary behavior independently (see Wilson, E. O., 1958, Evolution 12: 24-31) or the subfamily Leptanillinae, which is very distinct and may be independent in origin. The Dorylinae are not as well developed in the Indo-Australian area as in Africa and the New World tropics. Dorylus itself, which includes the famous driver ants, is centered in Africa and sends only four species into tropical Asia. Of these, the most widespread reaches only to Java and the Celebes. Aenictus, on the other hand, is at least as strongly developed in tropical Asia and New Guinea as it is in Africa, with 34 species being known from the former regions and only about 15 from Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Borowiec Et Al-2020 Ants – Phylogeny and Classification
    A Ants: Phylogeny and 1758 when the Swedish botanist Carl von Linné Classification published the tenth edition of his catalog of all plant and animal species known at the time. Marek L. Borowiec1, Corrie S. Moreau2 and Among the approximately 4,200 animals that he Christian Rabeling3 included were 17 species of ants. The succeeding 1University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA two and a half centuries have seen tremendous 2Departments of Entomology and Ecology & progress in the theory and practice of biological Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, classification. Here we provide a summary of the NY, USA current state of phylogenetic and systematic 3Social Insect Research Group, Arizona State research on the ants. University, Tempe, AZ, USA Ants Within the Hymenoptera Tree of Ants are the most ubiquitous and ecologically Life dominant insects on the face of our Earth. This is believed to be due in large part to the cooperation Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, which also allowed by their sociality. At the time of writing, includes wasps and bees. ▶ Eusociality, or true about 13,500 ant species are described and sociality, evolved multiple times within the named, classified into 334 genera that make up order, with ants as by far the most widespread, 17 subfamilies (Fig. 1). This diversity makes the abundant, and species-rich lineage of eusocial ants the world’s by far the most speciose group of animals. Within the Hymenoptera, ants are part eusocial insects, but ants are not only diverse in of the ▶ Aculeata, the clade in which the ovipos- terms of numbers of species.
    [Show full text]
  • Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
    ASIAN MYRMECOLOGY Volume 8, 17 – 48, 2016 ISSN 1985-1944 © Weeyawat Jaitrong, Benoit Guénard, Evan P. Economo, DOI: 10.20362/am.008019 Nopparat Buddhakala and Seiki Yamane A checklist of known ant species of Laos (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Weeyawat Jaitrong1, Benoit Guénard2, Evan P. Economo3, Nopparat Buddhakala4 and Seiki Yamane5* 1 Thailand Natural History Museum, National Science Museum, Technopolis, Khlong 5, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120 Thailand E-mail: [email protected] 2 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China 3 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan 4 Biology Divisions, Faculty of Science and Technology, Rajamangala Univer- sity of Technology Tanyaburi, Pathum Thani 12120 Thailand E-mail: [email protected] 5 Kagoshima University Museum, Korimoto 1-21-30, Kagoshima-shi, 890-0065 Japan *Corresponding author’s email: [email protected] ABSTRACT. Laos is one of the most undersampled areas for ant biodiversity. We begin to address this knowledge gap by presenting the first checklist of Laotian ants. The list is based on a literature review and on specimens col- lected from several localities in Laos. In total, 123 species with three additional subspecies in 47 genera belonging to nine subfamilies are listed, including 62 species recorded for the first time in the country. Comparisons with neighboring countries suggest that this list is still very incomplete. The provincial distribu- tion of ants within Laos also show that most species recorded are from Vien- tiane Province, the central part of Laos while the majority of other provinces have received very little, if any, ant sampling.
    [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]
  • Taxonomy Of&Nbsp;The Ant Genus&Nbsp;Echinopla Smith
    THESIS TAXONOMY OF THE ANT GENUS ECHINOPLA SMITH, 1857 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: FORMICINAE) IN THAILAND SOISUNEE TANANSATHAPORN GRADUATE SCHOOL, KASETSART UNIVERSITY Academic Year 2018 THESIS APPROVAL GRADUATE SCHOOL, KASETSART UNIVERSITY DEGREE: Master of Science (Entomology) MAJOR FIELD: Entomology DEPARTMENT: Entomology TITLE: Taxonomy of the ant genus Echinopla Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in Thailand NAME: Miss Soisunee Tanansathaporn THIS THESIS HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THESIS ADVISOR (Miss Monthathip Kongmee, Ph.D.) THESIS CO-ADVISOR (Associate Professor Nantasak Pinkaew, Ph.D.) THESIS CO-ADVISOR (Mr. Weeyawat Jaitrong, Ph.D.) DEPARTMENT HEAD (Assistant Professor Roungthip Masmeatathip, Ph.D.) APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ON DEAN (Associate Professor Somwang Khantayanuwong, Ph.D.) THESIS TAXONOMY OF THE ANT GENUS ECHINOPLA SMITH, 1857 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: FORMICINAE) IN THAILAND SOISUNEE TANANSATHAPORN A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science (Entomology) Graduate School, Kasetsart University Academic Year 2018 C ABSTRACT Soisunee Tanansathaporn : Taxonomy of the ant genus Echinopla Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in Thailand. Master of Science (Entomology), Major Field: Entomology, Department of Entomology. Thesis Advisor: Miss Monthathip Kongmee, Ph.D. Academic Year 2018 Taxonomy of the ants has been only recently started seriously in Thailand. This study aims to clarify the ant genus Echinopla of Thailand mainly based on the worker caste. Materials used in this study were mainly based on specimens deposited in the collections at the Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum, Pathum Thani Province, Thailand; the Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand and at the Ant Museum, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Thailand.
    [Show full text]
  • Pedestal Hairs of the Ant Echinopla Melanarctos (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): Morphology and Functional Aspects
    Zoomorphology (2006) 125: 57–68 DOI 10.1007/s00435-005-0011-8 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Werner Gnatzy Æ Ulrich Maschwitz Pedestal hairs of the ant Echinopla melanarctos (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): morphology and functional aspects Received: 12 July 2005 / Accepted: 3 October 2005 / Published online: 23 February 2006 Ó Springer-Verlag 2006 Abstract The South East Asian arboreal Formicine Introduction Echinopla melanarctos, as well as some other members of this genus possess a cuticular structure unique in ants, In ants (Formicidae), presence of conspicuous covers of the pedestal hairs. In E. melanarctos, about 700 pedestal long and dense hairs, on the exoskeleton is rare hairs are situated on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of (Holldobler and Wilson 1990). However, workers of the head, the alitrunk, the petiole and the gaster. They ¨ species of the tropical ant tribes Basicerotini and Ste- are arranged in a polygon-like figuration. On the summit gomyrmecini possess two dominant forms of setae on of each of the up to 200-lm high pedestals, a single the dorsal surfaces of the body and outer surfaces of central hair inserts. This hair (up to 500-lm long) is legs: longer ‘brush’ hairs with splintered distal ends, and innervated by a single bipolar mechanosensitive sensory shorter ‘holding’ hairs that vary among species from cell. The lumen of each tube-like pedestal contains (1) plumose to blade-shaped or filiform. According to epithelial cells (2) the sensory cell and the auxiliary cells Holldobler and Wilson (1986), the two hair types usually of the central hair and (3) the long efferent ductules of ¨ but not invariably occur together to form a double layer.
    [Show full text]
  • RECENT LITERATURE on LEPIDOPTERA (Cnder the Supervision of PETER F
    1957 TIll' LepidopteristJ' News 63 RECENT LITERATURE ON LEPIDOPTERA (Cnder the supervision of PETER F. BELLINGER) Under this heading are included abstracts of papers anel books of interest to lepi­ dopterists. The world's literature is searched systematically, and it is intended that eve ry work on Lepidoptera published after 1946 will be floticed here; omissions of papers more than 3 or 4 years old should he called to Dr. BELLINGER'S attention. New genera and higher categories a re shown in CAPITALS, with types in parentheses; new species and subspecies are noted, with type localities if given in print. Larval foodplants are usually listed. Critical comments by abstractors may he made. Papers of only local interest and papers from The Lepidopterists' News are listed without abstract. Readers, particularly outside of Nortb America, interested in assisting with this very large task, are invited to write Dr. BELLI NGE R (Osborn Zoological Lah., Yale University, New Haven 11, Coon., U.S.A.) Abstractors' initia ls are as follows: [P.B.] - P. F. BELLINGER; [I. C.] I. F. B. COMMON ; [W. C.] - W. C. COOK; [A. D.] - A. DIAKONOFF; [W. H.] - W. HACKMAN; [J. M.] - J. MOUCHA; [E. M.l - E. G. MUNROE; [N.O.] - N. S. OBRAZTSOV; [C. R] - C. L. REMINGTON; [J.1'.] - J. W. TILnEN; [Po V.] - P. E. L. VIETTE. B. SYSTEMATICS AND NOMENCLATURE Adamczewski, Stanislaw, "Notes all the plume-moths, II. Capperia trirhodactyla (Dennis ct Schiffermiiller) 1775, in Poland (Lep., Alucitida:)" [in Polish; English summary]. Bull. E1I1. Pologlle, vol. 18: pp. 142-155. 1948. Gives the :>ynonymy of C.
    [Show full text]
  • Longterm Change of Ant Community Structure in Cacao Agroforestry
    Insect Conservation and Diversity (2012) doi: 10.1111/j.1752-4598.2012.00219.x Long-term change of ant community structure in cacao agroforestry landscapes in Indonesia AKHMAD RIZALI,1,2 YANN CLOUGH,1 DAMAYANTI BUCHORI,2 MELDY L.A. HOSANG,3 MERIJN M. BOS4 and TEJA TSCHARNTKE1 1Agroecology, Department of Crop Science, University of Go¨ ttingen, Go¨ ttingen, Germany, 2Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia, 3The Indonesian Coconut and Other Palmae Research Institute, Manado, Indonesia and 4Louis Bolk Institute, Driebergen, The Netherlands Abstract. 1. Land-use change and agricultural intensification can strongly affect biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Although many studies investigate management impacts, data on the long-term change of species communities in agroecosystems are scarce. 2. We analysed the long-term change in diversity and composition of ant communities in cacao agroforestry systems in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia and attempted to disentangle the driving factors of this change. Ant communities were resampled in 2009 from sites for which previous surveys had been conducted either in 2001 (the rainforest-poor Palolo region) or 2003 (the rainforest-rich Kulawi region) using insecticide fogging. 3. Ant community composition changed significantly over time in Palolo and Kulawi. The change in ant species richness differed between regions. Species richness increased in Kulawi, probably due to the increasing availability of nest sites and microhabitats as trees grow larger and older. In the Palolo region, species richness decreased, suggesting that the high local intensification and landscape-wide changes may have counteracted the effects of tree age. Changes in ant communities over time were significant, but were more difficult to explain than expected, despite clear difference in management changes within and between regions.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomy of Microlepidoptera
    KFRI Research Report No. 361 Taxonomy of Microlepidoptera George Mathew Kerala Forest Research Institute An Institution of Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) Peechi – 680 653, Thrissur, Kerala, India March 2010 KFRI Research Report No. 361 Taxonomy of Microlepidoptera (Final Report of the Project KFRI/ 340/2001: All India Coordinated Project on the Taxonomy of Microlepidoptera, sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi) George Mathew Forest Health Division Kerala Forest Research Institute Peechi-680 653, Kerala, India March 2010 Abstract of Project Proposal Project No. KFRI/340/2001 1. Title of the project: Taxonomy of Microlepidoptera 2. Objectives: • Survey, collection, identification and preservation of Microlepidoptera • Maintenance of collections and data bank • Development of identification manuals • Training of college teachers, students and local communities in Para taxonomy. 3. Date of commencement: March 2001 4. Scheduled date of completion: June 2009 5. Project team: Principal Investigator (for Kerala part): Dr. George Mathew Research Fellow: Shri. R.S.M. Shamsudeen 6. Study area: Kerala 7. Duration of the study: 2001- 2010 8. Project budget: Rs. 2.4 lakhs/ year 9. Funding agency: Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi CONTENTS Abstract 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………… 1 1.1. Classification of Microheterocera………………………………………… 1 1.2. Biology and Behavior…………………………………………………….. 19 1.3. Economic importance of Microheterocera……………………………….. 20 1.4. General External Morphology……………………………………………. 21 1.5. Taxonomic Key for Seggregating higher taxa……………………………. 26 1.6. Current status of taxonomy of the group………………………………….. 28 2. Review of Literature……………………………………………………….. 30 2.1. Contributors on Microheterocera………………………………………….. 30 2.2. Microheteocera fauna of the world………………………………………… 30 2.3.
    [Show full text]