ANT DIVERSITY IN WADALI FOREST PARK AND UPPER WARDHA OF AMRAVATI REGION Jayashree Deepak Dhote Associate Professor, Shri Shivaji Science College, Amravati Abstract: of Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands lack The distribution of ants diversity was native ant species.(Jones and Alice S. 2008; decided to study in two locations i.e. Wadali Thomas and Philip 2007). Ants occupy a wide garden and Upper Wardha dam forest area range of ecological niches, and are able to of Amravati region. This Wadali forest park exploit a wide range of food resources either as region is located Amravati region and upper direct or indirect herbivores, predators, and Wardha dam is near Simbhora village in scavengers. Most species are omnivorous Morshi taluka in Amravati district in the generalists, but a few are specialist feeders. Indian state of Maharashtra. In this region Their ecological dominance may be measured we identified different types of Formicidae by their biomass and estimates in different ants. In this study we tried to explore the environments suggest that they contribute 15– distribution of ants in Wadali and upper 20% (on average and nearly 25% in the tropics) Wardha forest area. In this area, three of the total terrestrial animal biomass, which species of antes with three genera were exceeds that of the vertebrates (Schultz T.R identified Three species namely Red 2000). imported fire ant, Solenopsisinvicta , Ants are important components of Carpenter ant, Camponotus and Pharaoh ecosystems notonly because they constitute a ant, Monomoriumpharaonis were observed. great part of the animal biomass but also Out of these Carpenter ant and Red because they act as ecosystem engineers. All the imported fire ant, Solenopsisinvicta was most known species of ants are eusocial. Globally, dominant in this study Wadali garden. The there are about 12,571 extant ant species. As per aim of the study, diversity of ants to clarify the recent classification, all ants are grouped the ant fauna of the area and add new record into 21 subfamilies. Recently, the subfamily to the list of Indian ants. Martialinae has been added to the family Keywords : Ants,Wadali,Wardha Formicidae. All the ants species fall into the single family Formicidae. This family is INTRODUCTION included in the superfamily Vesipedae of the Ants are important components of ecosystems order Hymenoptera, which is placed in the class not only because they constitute a great part of Insecta. The Myrmicinae is the largest the animal biomass but also because they act as subfamily of the Formicidae, with 138 genera, ecosystem engineers. All the known species of followed by Formicinae that have 39 genera and ants are eusocial. The family Formicidae Ponerinae which have 25 genera. Indian Ant belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which also Fauna, represent diversity, includes 12 known includes sawflies, bees, and wasps. Ants subfamilies like; Aenictinae, Amblyoponinae, evolved from a lineage within the Aculeate Cerapachyinae, Dolichoderinae, Dorylinae, wasps and a 2013 study suggests that they are a Ectatomminae, Formicinae, Leptanillinae, sister group of the Apoidea. Ants are found on Myrmicinae, Ponerinae,Proceratiinae all continents except Antarctica, and only a few andPseudomyrmecinae. All over the world there large islands such as Greenland, Iceland, parts are 22 known subfamilies of ants. The current ISSN (PRINT): 2393-8374, (ONLINE): 2394-0697, VOLUME-5, ISSUE-1, 2018 435 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (IJCESR) species list includes approximately 600 species (Hölldobler and Wilson 1990, Andersen and from 81 genera and will continue to increase in Sparling 1997, Majer and Nichols 1998, Peck et number as researchers begin to explore al. 1998, Lobry de Bruyn 1999, Agosti et al. systematically the diverse habitats of ants across 2000). They are one of the dominant organisms the region. Ants in India, occupy a variety of on land (Agosti et. 2000). If all the world’s ants habitats such as leaf litter, trees, soil and dead were combined, it is estimated that they would logs, while tramp species prefer human- weigh about as much as all human beings modified habitats. Myrmicinae forms the bulk (Hölldobler and Wilson 1994). They also of Indian ant diversity (45%) with genera participate in every part of the trophic system Pheidole and Crematogaster having the most (Carroll and Janzen 1973, Trager 1998). They species. The subfamily, Formicinae is the play a major role in dispersing seeds for many second largest ant group (25% of species), with plant species (Berg 1975, Beattie, 1985, genera Camponotus and Polyrhachis Willson et al. 1990), are the chief predators of constituting the majority of the diversity. The insects and other arthropods (Mirenda et al. subfamily Ponerinae contributes about 14% of 1980, Youngs 1983, Porter and Savignano species of which genera Leptogenys the most 1990), and other invertebrates (Whitcomb et al. diverse.Recently a list of 591 species of ants in 1973, Jackson et. 1998), and vertebrates prey on India was released The objective of this study them for food (Milne and Milne 1950, Taigen was to find out ant diversity and distribution of and Pough 1983, Reiss 2001). Ants circulate ant in three different habitats such as forest, and aerate more soil in the tropics than do grassland and human habitats. This study will earthworms, thus moving nutrients throughout generate some valuable information about the landscape (Lobry de Bruyn and Conacher distribution and richness of ants species in and 1990, Hölldobler and Wilson 1994). In a study around the given locations of Formica cinereamontana Emery, (Baxter and Many of the ants have been Hole 1967) found that mineral soil in the upper grouped/classified on the basis of peculiar tasks half to two-thirds of a representative mound performed by them. The major groups consists of about 85% B horizon material. Ants are:Harvester ants, Weaver ants, Leaf- cutter also fill diverse niches including soil (Tschinkel ants, Army ants 2003), rotting logs (Chen et al. 2002), trees The diversity seen in ant fauna globally (Djieto-Lordon and Dejean 1999), leaf litter suggests that they have attained the ability to (Leponce et al. 2004), acorns (Pratt and Pierce survive in various biotopes, which means that 2001) and twigs (Armbrecht and Ivette Perfecto they have specialised nesting structures to suit 2003) different environmental conditions. Anthills and Ants have mutualistic relationships with ant nests are a maze of internal subdivisions many plant and animal species. The carnivorous wherein they conceal their inhabitants in a pitcher plant, Nepenthes bicalcarata Hook highly ordered manner. Accurate and intelligent houses Camponotus sp. worker in its tendrils construction and positioning of the nest and its and feeds the ants captured prey that has fallen chambers and passages internally suffices for into the pitcher (Clark and Kitching 1995). The the specific temperature and moisture levels ants easily run up and down the slick walls and necessities of the eggs, larvae at different swim in the pitcher’s digestive juices retrieving instars, the queen and the different classes of prey. In return, the ant prevents accumulation of workers (Dumpert 1978). Ant nests are highly organic matter, which would lead to the pitcher diverse taking a variety of forms and shapes. rotting (Clark and Kitching 1995). The oak- Ground nests are usually associated with most feeding aphid Stomaphisquercus Linnaeus only of the Ponerines as Harpegnathos, occupies trees that are within 17 mof the nests Streblognathos, Paraponera, Dinoponera, of the ant LasiusfulignosusLatreille and is Megaponera and Odontoponera and majority of strongly associated with trees that housed these Myrmicines ants (Hopkins and Thacker 1999). The ants receive a nutritious food award of honeydew 2. LITERATURE REVIEW and in return, the ants protect the aphids from Ants are diverse organisms that have an potential predators (Buckley 1987, Hopkins and impact on their surrounding environment Thacker 1999). ISSN (PRINT): 2393-8374, (ONLINE): 2394-0697, VOLUME-5, ISSUE-1, 2018 436 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (IJCESR) Ants have adapted to both cold and hot Species level identification was confirmed from conditions (Cerdá et al. 1998). Hölldobler and the available research papers and informations. Wilson (1994) observed the active foraging of ants on their visits to Finland in midMay, north OBSERVATION AND RESULT of the Artic Circle, in 12 °C . In contrast, the Red imported fire ant (Fig. 1) Saharan silver ant, Cataglyphisbombycina Classification Smith initiates foraging at surface temperatures Kingdom: Animalia, exceeding 45 °C when most desert ants Phylum: Arthropoda discontinue foraging as surface temperatures Class: Insecta exceed 35-45 °C (Wehner et al. 1992). Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae MATERIAL AND METHOD Subfamily: Myrmicinae Ants, in general, are very easy to sample. Ttribe: Solenopsidini Baiting techniques, pitfall traps, aspirators, litter Genus: Solenopsis sifting, Berlese-Tullgren or Winkler funnels for Species:invicta litter or soil core samples, and hand collections with forceps or nets are among the most common methods to sample ground foraging ants. 3.1. Collection of Ant Field work was carried out in and around upperwardha dam and wadali park, Amravati. We employed intensive all out search method. i.e., Manual collection by using a brush and forceps during daytime from 11 AM to 5 PM. Generally, mornings and evenings gave best results for all out search method. The information about Date and time of collection, habitat, locality, was also recorded at the time Fig 1 Red imported fire ant of collection. The collected specimens were then transferred into vials. Then ants were Red imported fire ants are found from Pohara brought to the laboratory of Department of forest. They have both a pedicel and Zoology, Shivaji Science College for postpediole. In other words, they belong to a identification, labeling and preservation. group of ants that have two humps between the Ant cleaning and sorting thorax and abdomen.