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(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Grasslands of Alberta and Saskatchewan

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(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Grasslands of Alberta and Saskatchewan 299 Chapter 8 An Annotated List of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Grasslands of Alberta and Saskatchewan James R. N. Glasier* and John H. Acorn Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] *Corresponding author Abstract. A list of 53 species of ants, all known from the grassland regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan, is presented, along with collecting localities and annotations regarding the biology of each species. As the fauna is not well-known, this list is considered preliminary. Résumé. Ce chapitre présente une liste de 54 espèces de fourmis décrites dans les régions des prairies de l’Alberta et de la Saskatchewan, ainsi que des informations sur les lieux de capture et des détails sur la biologie de chaque espèce. Cette faune étant toujours mal connue, cette liste doit être considérée comme préliminaire. Introduction In North American grasslands, ants play a significant role in the turnover of soil, nutrient cycling, and the breakdown of organic matter (Briese 1982; Smidt et al. 2012). They are important predators of other invertebrates and significant prey for both invertebrates and vertebrates (Sanders and van Veen 2011). As herbivores, ants can be effective seed harvesters, which frequently results in seed dispersal (Turnbull et al. 1983; Berg-Binder and Suarez 2012), and are often counted as secondary herbivores by feeding on the honeydew from farmed Sternorrhyncha (Newton et al. 2011). With such diverse ecological roles, it is clear that ants are important to grassland ecosystems. Many factors can affect the diversity of ants in grassland ecosystems, and grasslands in both Alberta and British Columbia show high ant diversity compared with other northern temperate ecosystems (Heron 2005; Glasier 2012). Soil attributes are often cited as the most influential determinant of ant diversity in grassland ecosystems (Bestelmeyer and Wiens 2001; Boulton et al. 2005). Soils with high clay content tend to have lower species diversity, whereas sandier soils have high species diversity (Bestelmeyer and Wiens 2001; Glasier 2012; Radtke et al. 2014). Croplands have a negative effect on ant diversity, both because of tillage (Robertson et al. 1994; Yates and Andrew 2011) and because of the use of pesticides (Choate and Drummond 2012); only an estimated 30% of the mixedgrass prairie remains undisturbed in North America (Hall et al. 2011). Grazing has varying effects on ant diversity in grassland ecosystems (Heron 1996; Folgarait 1998; Smidt et al. 2012), and moderate grazing has increased ant diversity in the Okanagan of British Columbia (Heron 1996; Smidt et al. 2012), suggesting that appropriate rangeland management can maintain or enhance biodiversity. Many grassland ants in Alberta have Glasier, J. R. N. and J. H. Acorn. 2014. An Annotated List of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Grasslands of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In Arthropods of Canadian Grasslands (Volume 4): Biodiversity and Systematics Part 2. Edited by D. J. Giberson and H. A. Cárcamo. Biological Survey of Canada. pp. 299-314. © 2014 Biological Survey of Canada. ISBN 978-0-9689321-7-9 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3752/9780968932179.ch8 300 J. R. N. Glasier and J. H. Acorn mutualistic relationships with sternorrhynchans (Newton et al. 2011), which can have both positive and negative effects on sternorrhynchan host plants (Perry et al. 2004). Invasive plant species tend to have little effect on ant diversity (French and Major 2001; Radtke et al. 2014), although the presence of ants may be beneficial to invasive plants (Berg-Binder and Suarez 2012). In Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, ant composition, but not diversity, has been shown to change when an introduced grass, Agropyron cristatum (Linnaeus), is present in an area (Radtke et al. 2014). The following annotated list of grassland ants from Alberta and Saskatchewan is based on studies by Newton et al. (2011), Glasier (2012), and Radtke et al. (2014) and an examination of collections from the University of Alberta E. H. Strickland Museum, the University of Calgary entomology collection, and James Glasier’s personal collection. It is noteworthy that in Alberta, 14 of the 16 known ant genera and 55 of the 93 known species are found in grasslands (Glasier et al. 2013), while in Saskatchewan (with a less well-known fauna), 11 of the 12 known ant genera and 33 of the 60 known species are found in grasslands (Glasier et al. 2013). Additionally, like many other organisms (e.g., Hall et al. 2011), many ant species found in Canadian grasslands are at the northerly extent of their ranges (Heron 2005; Glasier et al. 2013). Fig. 1. Map of grassland localities where ants were sampled in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Locality names and descriptions can be found in Table 1. An Annotated List of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) 301 from the Grasslands of Alberta and Saskatchewan Checklist of Grassland Ants of Alberta and Saskatchewan The following checklist of 53 species is arranged according to the classification of Fisher and Cover (2007). All have been reported from grasslands in Alberta or Saskatchewan. Localities are described in Table 1 and are mapped out in Fig. 1. Sources for Locality Records in Species List A: Collected by the authors. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the E. H. Strickland Entomological Museum at the University of Alberta. BDCU: University of Calgary Entomology Collection, Calgary, Alberta. HK: Hansen and Klotz (2005). JN: Newton et al. (2011). PMAE: Royal Alberta Museum Entomology Collection, Edmonton, Alberta. R: Radtke et al. (2014): Voucher specimens have been deposited in the E. H. Strickland Entomological Museum at the University of Alberta. UASM: E.H. Strickland Museum, University of Alberta. WW: Wheeler and Wheeler (1986). Family Formicidae Genus Lasius: Subfamily Dolichoderinae: Subgenus Acanthomyops Genus Tapinoma Lasius coloradensis Wheeler Tapinoma sessile (Say) Lasius latipes (Walsh) Subfamily Formicinae: Lasius subglaber Emery Genus Brachymyrmex Subgenus Lasius Brachymyrmex depilis Emery Lasius alienus (Förster) Genus Camponotus Lasius crypticus Wilson Subgenus Camponotus Lasius neoniger Emery Camponotus modoc Wheeler Lasius niger (Linnaeus) Subgenus Myrmetoma Lasius pallitarsis (Provancher) Camponotus nearcticus Emery Subgenus Cautolasius Subgenus Tanaemyrmex Lasius fallax Wilson Camponotus vicinus Mayr Lasius flavus (Fabricius) Genus Formica Subgenus Cthonolasius Formica fusca Group Lasius subumbratus Viereck Formica argentea Wheeler Lasius umbratus (Nylander) Formica canadensis Santschi Subfamily Myrmicinae Formica montana Wheeler Genus Formicoxenus Formica neoclara Emery Formicoxenus provancheri (Emery) Formica subpolita Mayr Genus Myrmica Formica podzolica Francoeur Myrmica americana Weber Formica neogagates Group Myrmica brevispinosa Wheeler Formica bradleyi Wheeler Myrmica crassirugus Francoeur Formica lasioides Emery Myrmica fracticornis Forel Formica limata Wheeler Myrmica incompleta Provancher Formica neogagates Viereck Myrmica latifrons Stärcke Formica perpilosa Wheeler Myrmica undescribed species Formica sanguinea Group code AF-eva André Francoeur Formica aserva Forel Genus Leptothorax Formica emeryi Wheeler Leptothorax muscorum Formica obtusopilosa Emery (Nylander) Formica rubicunda Emery Genus Monomorium Formica microgyna Group Monomorium minimum (Buckley) Formica microgyna Wheeler Genus Pogonomyrmex Formica rufa Group Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Formica fossaceps Buren (Cresson) Formica obscuripes Forel Genus Solenopsis Formica obscuriventris Mayr Solenopsis molesta (Say) Formica oreas Wheeler Genus Temnothorax Formica planipilis Creighton Temnothorax ambiguus (Emery) Formica exsectoides Group: Temnothorax rugatulus (Emery) Formica opaciventris Mayr 302 J. R. N. Glasier and J. H. Acorn Table 1. Grassland sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan where ant specimens have been collected. All sites are in alphabetical order and are mapped in Fig. 1. Grassland Site Province Map ID Description Number Clearwater Lake Saskatchewan 17 Semi-forested with Populus spp. with open prairie Delisle Saskatchewan 15 Grassed grassland Dinosaur Provincial Park Alberta 4 Badlands and cottonwood flats Drumheller Alberta 3 Badlands and cottonwood flats Empress Sand Dunes Alberta 12 Semi-overgrown sand dunes covered in prairie Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan 19 Dry mixed shortgrass prairie Great Sand Hills Saskatchewan 16 Open to semi-overgrown sand dunes covered in grassland with sporadic stands of Populus spp. Hay Lakes Alberta 1 Aspen parkland and grassland Kinsella Ranch Alberta 2 Aspen parkland and fescue grassland Lethbridge Alberta 5 Urban area Mattheis Ranch: University of Alberta 6 Mixed grazed natural prairie, along with Alberta Rangeland Institute overgrown sand dunes Medicine Hat Alberta 7 Urban area Onefour Station Alberta 8 Mixed grassland Prelate Saskatchewan 18 Prairie Rolling Hills Alberta 10 Prairie Sandy Point Alberta 11 Prairie, salt flats, and coulee areas Suffield Military Base Alberta 14 Native mixedgrass prairie Tilley Alberta 9 Prairie Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park Alberta 13 Badlands and cottonwood flats Species Annotations: Brachymyrmex depilis Emery Distribution: Most of southern Canada and most of the United States (Wheeler and Wheeler 1986; Mackay and Mackay 2002). Grassland Sites: Alberta: Sandy Point Park (A). Biological Notes: Tiny (length 1.5–2.0 mm), monomorphic, light-amber coloured ants (Mackay and Mackay 2002). Colonies are often polygynous. This
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