2016 Helms Jackson Dissertati

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE ANTS IN FLIGHT: REPRODUCTION, DISPERSAL AND PREDATION OF ANT QUEENS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By JACKSON A HELMS IV Norman, Oklahoma 2016 ANTS IN FLIGHT: REPRODUCTION, DISPERSAL AND PREDATION OF ANT QUEENS A DISSERTATION APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY BY ______________________________ Dr. Eli Bridge, Chair ______________________________ Dr. Bruce Hoagland ______________________________ Dr. Edie Marsh-Matthews ______________________________ Dr. Michael Patten ______________________________ Dr. Caryn Vaughn © Copyright by JACKSON A HELMS IV 2016 All Rights Reserved. Acknowledgements This work was conducted at several sites in North America. The Republic of Panama, Barro Colorado Nature Monument, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute allowed me to work on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The State of Florida and Apalachicola National Forest allowed me to work near Tallahassee. The State of Oklahoma and the OU Biological Station allowed me to work in southern Oklahoma. My committee members have given generous help and advice throughout the project. In alphabetical order, I want to thank Eli Bridge, Bruce Hoagland, Edie Marsh- Matthews, Michael Patten, and Caryn Vaughn. Rosemary Knapp provided additional technical and professional assistance. Mike Kaspari provided guidance on much of this work. Walter Tschinkel allowed me to use his field sites and assisted my work in Florida. OU Biological Station staff supported my work in southern Oklahoma. This dissertation was funded by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, an OU Alumni Fellowship, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the Post- 9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program. My work at the OU Biological Station was funded by a George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Scholarship and an OU Biological Station Graduate Summer Research Fellowship, with help from NSF award IDBR- 1014891 to Eli Bridge. The modeling work was funded by the Oklahoma Biological Survey, and USDA – National Institute of Food and Agriculture award NIFA-AFRI- 003536 to Eli Bridge. Additional support came from an NSF Graduate Research Internship at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, an OU College of Arts & Sciences Student Travel Fund, an OU Graduate Student Senate Research Grant, and an OU Graduate Student Senate Conference and Creative Exhibition Grant. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... iv List of Tables .............................................................................................................. ix List of Figures ...............................................................................................................x Abstract ...................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1. Found or Fly: nutrient loading of dispersing ant queens decreases metrics of flight ability (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ...........................................................1 Abstract ...................................................................................................................1 Introduction .............................................................................................................1 Materials and methods .............................................................................................5 Results ....................................................................................................................9 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 14 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2. Reproduction-dispersal tradeoffs in ant queens ........................................... 17 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 17 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 18 Materials and methods ........................................................................................... 22 Results .................................................................................................................. 28 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 38 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... 42 Chapter 3. Dispersal polymorphisms in invasive fire ants ............................................ 42 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 42 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 43 v Materials and methods ........................................................................................... 48 Locality and specimens .................................................................................... 48 Flight morphology ........................................................................................... 49 Live flight ........................................................................................................ 52 Tradeoff model ................................................................................................ 55 Data analysis ................................................................................................... 56 Results .................................................................................................................. 57 Flight morphology ........................................................................................... 57 Live flight ........................................................................................................ 66 Tradeoff model ................................................................................................ 69 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 72 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... 76 Chapter 4. Are invasive fire ants kept in check by native aerial insectivores? .............. 76 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 77 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 77 Methods ................................................................................................................ 79 Results and discussion ........................................................................................... 83 Ethics .................................................................................................................. 90 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... 91 Funding ................................................................................................................. 91 Chapter 5. Predator foraging altitudes reveal the structure of aerial insect communities ........................................................................................................................ 91 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 91 vi Introduction ........................................................................................................... 92 Methods ................................................................................................................ 95 Location and dates ........................................................................................... 95 Foraging altitudes ............................................................................................ 95 Prey collection ................................................................................................. 99 Nest selection and animal care ......................................................................... 99 Prey altitudes ................................................................................................. 100 Prey abundance .............................................................................................. 101 Data analysis ................................................................................................. 101 Results ................................................................................................................ 101 Foraging altitudes .......................................................................................... 101 Prey altitudes ................................................................................................. 103 Prey choice .................................................................................................... 106 Prey abundance .............................................................................................. 106 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 107

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