Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2016; 4(1): 342-348 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 Ant species composition in Macaranga spp. trees JEZS 2016; 4(1): 342-348 © 2016 JEZS at a conservation forest of palm oil plantation in Received: 21-11-2015 Accepted: 23-12-2015 West Sumatra, Indonesia Diyona Putri Laboratory of Animal Taxonomy, Diyona Putri, Henny Herwina, Ardinis Arbain, Alan Handru Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Andalas University, 25163 West Abstract Sumatra, Indonesia. This study was aims to investigate the ant species composition in Macaranga spp. trees at Conservation Henny Herwina Forest of Palm Oil Plantation of Tidar Kerinci Agung Company in West Sumatra Province by using Laboratory of Animal Taxonomy, Colony Collections and Hand Collections methods. A total of 28 species of ants that belonging to five Department of Biology, Faculty of subfamilies, 10 tribes, 17 genera and 5277 individuals was collected from five species of Macaranga (31 Mathematics and Natural Sciences, individuals of Macaranga trees). Myrmicinae and Formicinae were the highest in number of species (10 Andalas University, 25163 West Sumatra, Indonesia. species respectively), followed by Ponerinae and Dolichoderinae (three species respectively), meanwhile Dorylinae only one species. Crematogaster (Decacrema) borneensis Andre, 1896 was the species with Ardinis Arbain the most frequently among samples, accounting for 100% of species occurrences. Shannon-Wiener Laboratory of Plant Taxonomy, Diversity Index for all samples collected was low (0.94). Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Andalas University, 25163 West Keywords: Ants, Macaranga spp., Crematogaster spp., Conservation Forest Sumatra, Indonesia. Alan Handru 1. Introduction Laboratory of Animal Taxonomy, Ants are highly eusocial insects that belonging to the family Formicidae of the order Department of Biology, Faculty of Hymenoptera. Approximately about 20.000 ant species living in the world and were classified Mathematics and Natural Sciences, [2, 3] Andalas University, 25163 West into 16 subfamilies . Ants are an ideal organism for biodiversity studies since this insect Sumatra, Indonesia. usually high in diversity, numerical and biomass. Ants are dominant in almost every habitat, easy to collect, stationary nesting habits that allow them to be resample over time, sensitive to [1] environmental change and have several interactions with other organism at every tropic level . The research about ants was not just limited to the taxonomy, ecology, diversity, but also on the interactions of ants with plants. Some plant species depend on other organism, mainly [6, 24] animals, for anti-herbivore defenses . In this type of defense system, which is called biotic defense, the plants attract other organism to protect them from the herbivore attacks [21]. Mutual interactions between ants and plants are widespread phenomenon, with plants provided [4] housing or food for ant meanwhile plant will receive the protection from other herbivores . There are three main types of ant-plant association i.e. non-myrmecophytic species, incipient myrmecophytes and obligate myrmecophytes. Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) is the only genus of plant in Asia with a substantial of myrmecophytes [11]. There are approximately 23 of myrmecophytic of Macaranga species had known from the Malay Archipelago. The plants have developed a complex set of associations with ants, involving numerous plant and ant species. Macaranga comprises a range of species, from those not inhabited by ants to obligate [13, 14, 16] myrmecophytes . The myrmecophytic species are usually associated with specific ants from the genus of Crematogaster, which live within the stem internodes of their plant-partners where they [11, 30] cultivate trophobiotic coccids . Myrmecophytic complex is more diverse, and involves a much variation in life types and species diversity, e.g., Camponotus ants of the subgenus Colobopsis which utilize food bodies but do not keep coccids [15]. The information about ant plant interaction from West Sumatra is very limited except the composition of ants in banana with Banana Bunchy-Top Virus (BBTV) symptom [22]. Palm oil plantation of Tidar Kerinci Agung (TKA) Company has an area that covered of 2400 ha of Correspondence Henny Herwina conservation forest. Conservation forests develop a nursery with 60 kinds of plant seedling to Laboratory of Animal Taxonomy, be planted in the forest area [29]. The aims of this research are to analyze the composition of the Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, ant species among Macaranga spp. trees as one of mainly pioneer tree species in this Andalas University, 25163 West conservation forest. Sumatra, Indonesia. ~ 342 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2. Materials and Methods plantation of TKA company at two sites (Miniature Forest and Study Area: Ants were collected in Conservation Forest of IPK4 Forest) (Figure. 1). Ant colonies were collected by TKA Company that covered the area of Solok Selatan District cutting about three set of 30 cm branches of Macaranga spp., and Dharmasraya District in West Sumatera Province. put it into plastic bag (30 x 50 cm) and bring it to laboratory. Ants from each branch was collected by forceps then kept in Ant Collection: Ant was collected by using Colony vial with 96% ethanol. Hand Collections was conducted by Collections and Hand Collections methods from October 22 to using forceps to collect directly the foraging ant from stem and October 27, 2014 in a mixed conservation forest and oil palm other part of Macaranga. Fig 1: Map of study area at conservation forest of Palm Oil Plantation of TKA Company, West Sumatra Province, Tidar Kerinci Agung Company. Ant Identification: Ant specimens were identified by using To measure the similarity between two community samples, the identification guides [2, 20, 26]. Identification of ant species the coefficient of Sorensen was calculated as follows: was also confirmed by direct comparison with reference materials deposited in the Laboratory of Animal Taxonomy, Department of Biology, Andalas University, Padang, West QS = x 100% Sumatra. If specimens could not identified to species level by using the identification guides and also difference from the reference materials, we wrote morphospecies with additional Qs = Sorensen’s similarity coefficient; C = number of species code as HH (Henny Herwina) or SKY (Seiki Yamane). The in sample A and sample B (joint occurrences); a = number of species diversity indices, similarity indices, and cumulative species in sample A but not in sample B; B = number of number were counted for ant species among the different species in sample B but not in sample A. Macaranga species. The specimen was deposited in We used Estimate S Vers. 9.0 for the calculation of rarefaction Laboratory of Animal Taxonomy of Biology Department, curves of observed and estimated number of ant species among Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra. Macaranga species [7]. Data Analyses: The list of ant species that found in each 3. Results and Discussion Macaranga shows in table 1. All ants of one species, which Ants were collected from 31 individuals of Macaranga trees were found in Macaranga trees (the proportion of that belonging to five species of Macaranga i.e. M. depresa species/Macaranga occurrences), were counted as one species (Müll Arg), M. gigantea (Reichb.F. & Zoll.), M. hypoleuca occurrence (SOC), whereas a sample comprised all species (Reichb.F. & Zoll.), M. tanarius (L.) Müll.Arg and M. triloba collected in Macaranga trees. The Shannon-Wiener function (BI.) Müll.Arg. (Figure 2). A total of 28 species of ants that was used to calculate the species diversity indices of the ants categorized to five subfamilies, 11 tribes, 17 genera and 5277 living in each Macaranga as follows: individuals were collected. Myrmicinae and Formicinae were the highest in number of species (10 species respectively), followed by Ponerinae and Dolichoderinae (three species respectively), meanwhile Dorylinae only one species (Table 1 and Figure 3). H′ = Index of species diversity; pi = Proportion of the total th [27] sample belonging to i species . ~ 343 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies Camponotus and Crematogaster were the genus with the Tapinoma, Aenictus, Echinopla, Anoplolepis, Euprenolepis, highest in number of species (four species respectively) Nylanderia, Pheidologeton, Meranoplus, Paratopula, followed by Dolichoderus and Pheidole (three species Diacamma, Leptogenys and Odontoponera. These genera were respectively). Crematogaster was predicted can build nests in predicted as visitor on Macaranga tree because of the biology the trunk of Macaranga. These ants were found while foraging of some genus known as generalized foragers and predator [1] and making nest in the hollow of tree trunks and branches. (Table 1). About 12 genera of ants were found only one species i.e. Fig 2: Macaranga species that were found at conservation forest of Palm Oil Plantation of TKA Company. A: Macaranga depresa, B: Macaranga gigantea, C: Macaranga hypoleuca, D: Macaranga tanarius, E: Macaranga triloba and F: Ants that were found in the hollow of Macaranga tree. The highest number of individual of ant species was found in mutualism between Crematogaster (Decacrema) spp. and Macaranga spp. i.e Crematogaster (Decacrema) borneensis Macaranga [13, 14, 25, 31]. (2941 individuals), followed by Crematogaster (Paracrema)