The forgotten predators: ant- and termite-eating mammals Acknowledgements Patchy Ubiquitous Prof. William Bond (ideas); Prof. Mark Robertson; Prof. Kate Parr and Dr. Paul Eggleton top-down bottom-up “Population density (of ants) is constrained by kinds of food and nest sites, as well as by predation.” “Predators, especially visually searching vertebrate predators, play a key role ... rivalling the maximization of net energetic yield as a natural selection factor.” Holldobler and Wilson. 1990. The Ants. 113 3 1 leaf-cutter ant nest size control exclosure Hirsch et al., 2014 1 VERY LARGE LARGE MEDIUM SMALL Hirsch et al., 2014 Terborgh et al., 2001 2 Terborgh et al., 2001 Trophic Cascade 2 Chinese Pangolin Nine-banded Armadillo Common Echidna Giant Anteater Aardvark Orycteropus afer Redford (1987) 216 extant species cross-continental comparison Our database (2019) 291 extant + 40 extinct species = 331 extinct mammals extant extinct # of species mass (kg) ANT DEFENCE AGAINST MAMMALS 1. Bites & Stings 2. Nest Design 3. Flight Response 2. NEST DESIGN Predator Digging Depth 0.18m Echidna Numbat Opiang, 2009 2.25m Aardvark Pangolin Aardwolf Taylor & Skinner, 2003 Milewski et al., 1994 Echidna Numbat Tschinkel, 2004; 2011 Nest design where predators only scratch the surface? Aardvark Pangolin Aardwolf Tschinkel, 2004; 2011 Nest design where predators are large and dig deep? FORMICINE DOLICHODERINE Anoplolepis custodiens Iridomyrmex purpureus 40cm 400cm Longitudinal section through A.custodiens nest on the island of Zanzibar Ettershank, 1968 TERMITE DEFENCE AGAINST MAMMALS 1. Mound Hardness 2. Soldier 3. Digging Morphology distance to the queen 1. MOUND HARDNESS Echidna Giant Anteater 50 x harder than soil at the base Cornitermes cumulans Negret and Redford CONCLUSIONS different 1. predict greater differences in ant and termite biology btw. Africa and Australia than btw. Africa and South America 2. largely threatened mammals 3. megafauna of the ant and termite world Time to integrate mammal predation into ant and termite community ecology! cross-continental termite predictions similar major + minor soldier castes single soldier caste + developed mandibles under-developed mandibles soldier: worker ratio soldier: worker ratio +++ hard mounds soft mounds no design constraint relating to the greater digging distance to the queen position of the queen ant genus with highest abundance in diet of predator FORMICINE DOLICHODERINE Anoplolepis Iridomyrmex Lindsey and Skinner, 2001 Abensperg-Traun et al., 1991.