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Sosiak C, Janovitz T, Perrichot V, Timonera JP, Barden P. Trait-Based Paleontological Niche Prediction Recovers Extinct Ecological Breadth of the Earliest Specialized Ant Predators. Am Nat 2023; 202:E147-E162. [PMID: 38033183 DOI: 10.1086/726739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractPaleoecological estimation is fundamental to the reconstruction of evolutionary and environmental histories. The ant fossil record preserves a range of species in three-dimensional fidelity and chronicles faunal turnover across the Cretaceous and Cenozoic; taxonomically rich and ecologically diverse, ants are an exemplar system to test new methods of paleoecological estimation in evaluating hypotheses. We apply a broad extant ecomorphological dataset to evaluate random forest machine learning classification in predicting the total ecological breadth of extinct and enigmatic hell ants. In contrast to previous hypotheses of extinction-prone arboreality, we find that hell ants were primarily leaf litter or ground-nesting and foraging predators, and by comparing ecospace occupations of hell ants and their extant analogs, we recover a signature of ecomorphological turnover across temporally and phylogenetically distinct lineages on opposing sides of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. This paleoecological predictive framework is applicable across lineages and may provide new avenues for testing hypotheses over deep time.
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Lum JY, Chiu MC, Tseng SP, Scotty Yang CC, Lee CY. Anthropogenic Influence on the Distribution of the Longlegged Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 116:520-528. [PMID: 36715608 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The longlegged ant Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith) is a highly invasive tramp ant species known for its deleterious effects on native ecosystems. While tramp ants are associated with human activity, information on how different intensities of human activity affect their distribution is limited. This study investigated how anthropogenic activities affected the distribution of A. gracilipes in Penang, a tropical island in northern peninsular Malaysia. Three study sites (Youth Park, Sungai Ara, and Bukit Jambul/Relau) were selected, containing four sub-locations corresponding to different levels of human activity (low, moderate, high, and very high), determined by the average number of passersby observed over 30 min. Baited index cards were placed at each sub-location to evaluate ant abundance and distribution. The results demonstrated that A. gracilipes worker abundance was highest in areas of moderate human activity, as opposed to areas with low and higher human activity. The low abundance of A. gracilipes in comparatively undisturbed localities may be attributed to unsuitable microclimate, lack of propagule pressure, and diminished honeydew availability. In contrast, its exclusion from more urbanized localities could be explained by high interspecific competition with other tramp species and the absence of preferred nesting sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Yin Lum
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Ming-Chung Chiu
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 106, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 106, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Chow-Yang Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Booher DB, Gotelli NJ, Nelsen MP, Ohyama L, Deyrup M, Moreau CS, Suarez AV. Six decades of museum collections reveal disruption of native ant assemblages by introduced species. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2088-2094.e6. [PMID: 37030293 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
There is a looming environmental crisis characterized by widespread declines in global biodiversity,1,2,3,4,5,6 coupled with the establishment of introduced species at accelerated rates.7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 We quantified how multi-species invasions affect litter ant communities in natural ecosystems by leveraging museum records and contemporary collections to assemble a large (18,990 occurrences, 6,483 sampled local communities, and 177 species) 54-year (1965-2019) dataset for the entire state of Florida, USA. Nine of ten species that decreased most strongly in relative abundance ("losers") were native, while nine of the top ten "winners" were introduced species. These changes led to shifts in the composition of rare and common species: in 1965, only two of the ten most common ants were introduced, whereas by 2019, six of ten were introduced species. Native losers included seed dispersers and specialist predators, suggesting a potential loss of ecosystem function through time, despite no obvious loss of phylogenetic diversity. We also examined the role of species-level traits as predictors of invasion success. Introduced species were more likely to be polygynous than native species. The tendency to form supercolonies, where workers from separate nests integrate, also differed between native and introduced species and was correlated with the degree to which species increased in their rank abundances over 50 years. In Florida, introduced ants now account for 30% of occurrence records, and up to 70% in southern Florida. If current trends continue, introduced species will account for over half of occurrence records in all Florida's litter ant communities within the next 50 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Booher
- USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, 320 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Entomology and Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Entomology and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | | | - Matthew P Nelsen
- The Field Museum, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, 1400 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Leo Ohyama
- University of Florida Biodiversity Institute, 432 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
| | - Mark Deyrup
- Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL 33960, USA
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Department of Entomology and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Department of Entomology and Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Drager KI, Rivera MD, Gibson JC, Ruzi SA, Hanisch PE, Achury R, Suarez AV. Testing the predictive value of functional traits in diverse ant communities. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10000. [PMID: 37091559 PMCID: PMC10115899 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Associating morphological features with ecological traits is essential for understanding the connection between organisms and their roles in the environment. If applied successfully, functional trait approaches link form and function in an organism. However, functional trait data not associated with natural history information provide an incomplete picture of an organism's role in the ecosystem. Using data on the relative trophic position of 592 ant (Formicidae) samples comprising 393 species from 11 subfamilies and 19 widely distributed communities, we tested the extent to which commonly used functional proxies (i.e., morphometric traits) predict diet/trophic position as estimated from stable isotopes (δ15N). We chose ants as a group due to their ubiquity and abundance, as well as the wealth of available data on species traits and trophic levels. We measured 12 traits that have previously been identified as functionally significant, and corrected trait values for size and evolutionary history by using phylogenetically corrected trait residuals. Estimated trophic positions varied from 0.9 to 4.8 or roughly 4 trophic levels. Morphological data spanned nearly the entire size range seen in ants from the smallest (e.g., Strumigenys mitis total length 1.1 mm) to the largest species (e.g., Dinoponera australis total length 28.3 mm). We found overall body size, relative eye position, and scape length to be informative for predicting diet/trophic position in these communities, albeit with relatively weak predictive values. Specifically, trophic position was negatively correlated with body size and positively correlated with sensory traits (higher eye position and scape length). Our results suggest that functional trait-based approaches can be informative but should be used with caution unless clear links between form and function have been established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim I. Drager
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
| | - Michael D. Rivera
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
| | - Joshua C. Gibson
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 320 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and TechnologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign405 N. Mathews AveUrbanaIllinois61801USA
| | - Selina A. Ruzi
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State University115 David Clark Labs, 100 Eugene Brooks AvenueRaleighNorth Carolina27695USA
| | - Priscila E. Hanisch
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyBiocenterUniversity of WürzburgAm Hubland 97074WürzburgGermany
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” MACN‐CONICETBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Rafael Achury
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 320 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Terrestrial Ecology Research GroupTechnical University of MunichHans‐Carl‐von‐Carlowitz‐Platz 2Freising85354Germany
| | - Andrew V. Suarez
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 515 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of Illinois505 S. Goodwin Ave. 320 Morrill HallUrbanaIllinois61801USA
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Nooten SS, Guénard B. Ant communities in disturbed subtropical landscapes: is climate more important than stochastic processes? Oecologia 2022; 200:441-454. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05276-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Achury R, Clement L, Ebeling A, Meyer S, Voigt W, Weisser WW. Plant diversity and functional identity alter ant occurrence and activity in experimental grasslands. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Achury
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
| | - Lars Clement
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Anne Ebeling
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Sebastian Meyer
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
| | - Winfried Voigt
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
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Müller J, Brandl R, Cadotte MW, Heibl C, Bässler C, Weiß I, Birkhofer K, Thorn S, Seibold S. A replicated study on the response of spider assemblages to regional and local processes. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstraße 5 Rauhenebrach Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2 Grafenau Germany
| | - Roland Brandl
- Department of Ecology ‐ Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg, Karl‐von‐Frisch Str. 8 Marburg Germany
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto–Scarborough Toronto Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Canada
| | - Christoph Heibl
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2 Grafenau Germany
| | - Claus Bässler
- Conservation Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity Goethe‐University Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Ingmar Weiß
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2 Grafenau Germany
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus‐Senftenberg, Konrad‐Wachsmann Allee 6 Cottbus Germany
| | - Simon Thorn
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstraße 5 Rauhenebrach Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden Germany
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Potential of Airborne LiDAR Derived Vegetation Structure for the Prediction of Animal Species Richness at Mount Kilimanjaro. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14030786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The monitoring of species and functional diversity is of increasing relevance for the development of strategies for the conservation and management of biodiversity. Therefore, reliable estimates of the performance of monitoring techniques across taxa become important. Using a unique dataset, this study investigates the potential of airborne LiDAR-derived variables characterizing vegetation structure as predictors for animal species richness at the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. To disentangle the structural LiDAR information from co-factors related to elevational vegetation zones, LiDAR-based models were compared to the predictive power of elevation models. 17 taxa and 4 feeding guilds were modeled and the standardized study design allowed for a comparison across the assemblages. Results show that most taxa (14) and feeding guilds (3) can be predicted best by elevation with normalized RMSE values but only for three of those taxa and two of those feeding guilds the difference to other models is significant. Generally, modeling performances between different models vary only slightly for each assemblage. For the remaining, structural information at most showed little additional contribution to the performance. In summary, LiDAR observations can be used for animal species prediction. However, the effort and cost of aerial surveys are not always in proportion with the prediction quality, especially when the species distribution follows zonal patterns, and elevation information yields similar results.
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Yamawo A, Suzuki N, Tagawa J. Species diversity and biological trait function: Effectiveness of ant–plant mutualism decreases as ant species diversity increases. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Yamawo
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture Saga University Saga Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Suzuki
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture Saga University Saga Japan
| | - Jun Tagawa
- Department of Biosphere–Geosphere System Science Faculty of Informatics Okayama University of Science Okayama Japan
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10
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Lee RH, Morgan B, Liu C, Fellowes JR, Guénard B. Secondary forest succession buffers extreme temperature impacts on subtropical Asian ants. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger Ho Lee
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong
| | - Brett Morgan
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutional Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University 26 Oxford Street Cambridge Massachusetts 02138 USA
| | | | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong
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Antoniazzi R, Camarota F, Leponce M, Dáttilo W. Discovery-defense strategy as a mechanism of social foraging of ants in tropical rainforest canopies. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the coexistence of ants sharing similar food resources, including ecological trade-offs, however, these hypotheses have mostly been tested in ground-dwelling ant communities. For instance, the discovery-dominance trade-off hypothesis states that species with overlapping food resources differ in their ability to find and dominate resources. However, ant species may use different strategies to share food resources, including discovery-defense, in which the first species to arrive at a food resource maintains control of it. Here, we evaluated whether the discovery-dominance trade-off hypothesis, or the discovery-defense strategy could be a mechanism that promotes coexistence of ant species in the canopy of highly diverse tropical forest canopies. We evaluated the succession of ant species on 72 baits exposed on 24 trees during 13 observation periods (15–195 min) in the canopy of a tropical rain forest in Mexico. In general, we observed little variation in ant species composition (i.e., low β-diversity values) during the 195 min of bait exposure. Moreover, we found that ant species with the greatest ability to discover new food resources were those that dominated them. These findings empirically show that the discovery-defense strategy can be a social foraging strategy in rain forest canopy ants and reject the discovery-dominance trade-off. In short, our results highlight the importance of the discovery of a food resource in the canopy of a tropical rain forest, allowing it to be dominated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuber Antoniazzi
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Col. El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maurice Leponce
- Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, Belgium
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Col. El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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12
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Lange D, Calixto ES, Del-Claro K, Stefani V. Spatiotemporal niche-based mechanisms support a stable coexistence of ants and spiders in an extrafloral nectary-bearing plant community. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1570-1582. [PMID: 33724464 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms promoting stable coexistence allow multiple species to persist in the same trophic level of a given network of species interactions. One of the most common stabilizing mechanisms of coexistence is niche differentiation, such as temporal and spatial patchiness. To understand the limits of coexistence between species we have to understand the limits of competitive interactions which translate in species exclusion or patterns of non-co-occurrence. We evaluated spatiotemporal niche-based mechanisms that could promote stable coexistence between ants and spiders which forage on extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing plants. We observed co-occurrence and overlapping patterns between ants and spiders in a temporal and spatial scale in nine different EFN-bearing plant species in a Neotropical savanna, using both community and species-level approach. Ants and spiders showed asynchrony of their abundances over the year with low temporal overlapping patterns between them (temporal niche specialization). Greater abundance of ants occurred between September and March, whereas greater abundance of spiders occurred between March and August, exactly at the time when the abundance of ants decreases on plants. However, there might also be some levels of temporal overlapping, but then individual ants and spiders occupy different branches (spatial segregation). Finally, we also observed a spatial negative effect of the abundance of ants on the presence of spiders. Our results suggest that spatiotemporal partitioning between ants and spiders may be one of the potential mechanisms behind a stable coexistence between these two groups of organisms that forage on EFN-bearing plants in the Brazilian savanna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Lange
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Santa Helena, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, PR, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia, LECI/Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento e Interações, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, PR, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Stefani
- Instituto de Biologia, LHINRA/Laboratório de História Natural e Reprodutiva de Artrópodes, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, PR, Brazil
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Probert AF, Ward DF, Beggs JR, Bury SJ, Hermans SM, Lear G, Stanley MC. High Dietary Niche Overlap Between Non-native and Native Ant Species in Natural Ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:86-96. [PMID: 33269804 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ants represent a highly diverse and ecologically important group of insects found in almost all terrestrial ecosystems. A subset of ant species have been widely transported around the globe and invade many natural ecosystems, often out-competing native counterparts and causing varying impacts on recipient ecosystems. Decisions to control non-native ant populations require an understanding of their interactions and related impacts on native communities. We employed stable isotope analysis and metabarcoding techniques to identify potential dietary niche overlap and identify gut contents of 10 ant species found in natural ecosystems in Aotearoa New Zealand. Additionally, we looked at co-occurrence to identify potential competitive interactions among native and non-native ant species. Ants fed mainly across two trophic levels, with high dietary overlap. Relative to other ant species sampled, two non-native ant species, Linepithema humile and Technomyrmex jocosus, were found to feed at the lowest trophic level. The largest isotopic niche overlap was observed between the native Monomorium antarcticum and the invasive Ochetellus glaber, with analyses revealing a negative co-occurrence pattern. Sequence data of ant gut content identified 51 molecular operational taxonomic units, representing 22 orders and 34 families, and primarily consisting of arthropod DNA. Although we generally found high dietary overlap among species, negative occurrence between a dominant, non-native species and a ubiquitous native species indicates that species-specific interactions could be negatively impacting native ecosystems. Our research progresses and informs the currently limited knowledge around establishing protocols for metabarcoding to investigate ant diet and interactions between native and non-native ant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna F Probert
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Ch. Du Musée, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Darren F Ward
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacqueline R Beggs
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah J Bury
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Science (NIWA), 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Syrie M Hermans
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gavin Lear
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Margaret C Stanley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Distance–decay patterns differ between canopy and ground ant assemblages in a tropical rainforest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467420000188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBoth decreases in compositional similarity with increasing geographic distances between sites (i.e. distance–decay relationship) and vertical stratification of species composition are key issues in ecology. However, the intersection between these two trends has scarcely been investigated. Here we use identical sampling methods in the canopy and at ground level in a tropical rainforest remnant on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to evaluate, for the first time, a distance–decay relationship within vertical strata in insect assemblages. We found that the ant assemblage was vertically stratified; ant species richness was higher at ground level than in the canopy, and the species composition differed between the two vertical strata. Moreover, we observed that β-diversity increased with geographic distance at ground level, but not in the canopy strata. However, contrary to our prediction, there was less species turnover (lower β-diversity) between vertical strata than between trees. These findings may reflect differences in the dispersal capacity and nest habit of ants from each vertical stratum, and also habitat heterogeneity on the horizontal scale, e.g. the species of sampled trees. Our results illustrate the importance of sampling more than one vertical stratum to understand the spatial distribution patterns of biological diversity in tropical rainforests.
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Mohseni MR, Pashaei Rad S. The effect of edaphic factors on the distribution and abundance of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Iran. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e54843. [PMID: 33519259 PMCID: PMC7822805 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e54843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study is aimed at investigating the effect of edaphic factors on the distribution and abundance of ants in different habitats of the central areas of Iran, while considering the vegetation. During 2018 to 2019, 20 stations from four habitats, including deserts, mountainous and submontane, plains and rural areas and urban areas, were selected. In general, a total of 311 sample units were collected from all the stations, out of which, 32 species belonging to 13 genera, nine tribes and three subfamilies were identified. The biological distribution and abundance of species were argued by computing the physical and chemical parameters of the soil, such as salinity, pH, total nitrogen, organic carbon, calcium and vegetation. The present study has demonstrated that the calcium content significantly affects the species richness of ants, although the impact of this element on various genera is different. We found that increasing in the abundance and richness of plant species has a positive impact on the abundance and richness of ants. Our results also show that some genera are meaningfully adaptable to a variety of habitats. In Kahak station, which is an urban habitat, with enormous diversity, 14 species were found, while in Sadrabad Historic Karvansara, a desert habitat, only Cataglyphis lividus (André, 1881) was collected. Cataglyphis bellicosus (Karavaiev, 1924), as the most abundant species, collected from 12 stations, was the most dominant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Mohseni
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran , Postal address: Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Daneshgah Blvd, Simon Bulivar Blvd, Tehran, Iran, Post Code: 1477893855 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2996-2601, Tehran, Iran Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran , Postal address: Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Daneshgah Blvd, Simon Bulivar Blvd, Tehran, Iran, Post Code: 1477893855 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2996-2601 Tehran Iran
| | - Shahrokh Pashaei Rad
- Department of Animal Science and Marine biology, Faculty of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran , Postal address: Shahid Beheshti University, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran, Postal code: 1983969411 ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9387-3166, Tehran, Iran Department of Animal Science and Marine biology, Faculty of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran , Postal address: Shahid Beheshti University, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran, Postal code: 1983969411 ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9387-3166 Tehran Iran
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Muluvhahothe MM, Joseph GS, Seymour CL, Munyai TC, Foord SH. Repeated surveying over 6 years reveals that fine-scale habitat variables are key to tropical mountain ant assemblage composition and functional diversity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:56. [PMID: 33420160 PMCID: PMC7794360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80077-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
High-altitude-adapted ectotherms can escape competition from dominant species by tolerating low temperatures at cooler elevations, but climate change is eroding such advantages. Studies evaluating broad-scale impacts of global change for high-altitude organisms often overlook the mitigating role of biotic factors. Yet, at fine spatial-scales, vegetation-associated microclimates provide refuges from climatic extremes. Using one of the largest standardised data sets collected to date, we tested how ant species composition and functional diversity (i.e., the range and value of species traits found within assemblages) respond to large-scale abiotic factors (altitude, aspect), and fine-scale factors (vegetation, soil structure) along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa. Altitude emerged as the principal factor explaining species composition. Analysis of nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity indicated that ant assemblages are specific to each elevation, so species are not filtered out but replaced with new species as elevation increases. Similarity of assemblages over time (assessed using beta decay) did not change significantly at low and mid elevations but declined at the highest elevations. Assemblages also differed between northern and southern mountain aspects, although at highest elevations, composition was restricted to a set of species found on both aspects. Functional diversity was not explained by large scale variables like elevation, but by factors associated with elevation that operate at fine scales (i.e., temperature and habitat structure). Our findings highlight the significance of fine-scale variables in predicting organisms' responses to changing temperature, offering management possibilities that might dilute climate change impacts, and caution when predicting assemblage responses using climate models, alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mulalo M Muluvhahothe
- SARChI-Chair On Biodiversity Value and Change, Department of Zoology and Centre for Invasion Biology, School of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
| | - Grant S Joseph
- SARChI-Chair On Biodiversity Value and Change, Department of Zoology and Centre for Invasion Biology, School of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa.
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Colleen L Seymour
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont, 7735, South Africa
| | - Thinandavha C Munyai
- School of Life Science, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Stefan H Foord
- SARChI-Chair On Biodiversity Value and Change, Department of Zoology and Centre for Invasion Biology, School of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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17
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Dolabela BM, Antonini Y, Pinto VD, Onésimo C, Brito MF, Costa FV. The Importance of Forest Simplification and Litter Disturbance in Defining the Assembly of Ground-Foraging Ants. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:832-839. [PMID: 32902827 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-020-00815-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Currently, we are facing many ecosystem changes derived from years of anthropogenic disturbances. Habitat simplification stands out among human-derived impacts, due to its detrimental effects on vegetation structure and associated biota. Here, we assessed the effects of litter disturbance and forest simplification on a tropical ground-foraging ant community. To do that, we tested whether ant richness will be negatively affected by litter disturbance and habitat simplification. Additionally, we tested whether litter disturbance affects the time of resource discovery and dominance, and if so, whether its effects are intensified by forest simplification. This study occurred at Rio Doce State Park, a preserved area of Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil. We experimentally simulated litter disturbance by removing the leaf litter and superficial soil layer in a mahogany monoculture forest and preserved Atlantic Forest. We sampled ants using paired-mixed baits of protein and carbohydrate in 12 points, half of them in each forest type. As expected, we found higher richness in the preserved and non-disturbed forest. Moreover, resource discovery was faster in disturbed monoculture, but bait dominance was higher in the undisturbed preserved forest. Litter heterogeneity seems to play an important role in determining ant dispersion and intra-specific communication, as we observed that litter disturbance impacts were strengthened by forest simplification. Our results highlight the efficiency of ground-foraging ants as bioindicators of disturbance and habitat quality. Moreover, our study indicates how distinct types of disturbances can act synergistically, changing the assembly of associated biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Dolabela
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Univ Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
| | - Y Antonini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Univ Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - V D Pinto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Univ Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - C Onésimo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Univ Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - M F Brito
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Univ Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - F V Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Univ Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
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18
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Behavioral responses to numerical differences when two invasive ants meet: the case of Lasius neglectus and Linepithema humile. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02412-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTwo of the world’s most invasive ants, Linepithema humile and Lasius neglectus, are destined to overlap in range as they continue to spread throughout Europe. Although L. humile arrived first, and is therefore more numerically abundant, L. neglectus is the more behaviorally dominant of the two. We performed lab trials to determine whether L. humile could use numerical abundance to overcome the behavioral dominance of L. neglectus and whether the ants’ behavioral patterns shifted when the species co-occurred. We found that L. neglectus was more aggressive when less abundant, whereas the opposite was true of L. humile. When L. neglectus was outnumbered, it employed aggressive behaviors, such as biting or chemical attacks, more frequently than L. humile; it also utilized a behavioral sequence that included mandible opening and biting. Our results for these species support the hypothesis that species modulate their behavior towards competitors, which facilitates the understanding of how multiple invasive ant species can co-occur in a given area. Moreover, our study shows that the co-occurrence of invasive species could result from the use of two strategies: (1) the Bourgeois strategy, in which aggressiveness changes based on numerical dominance and (2) the dear-enemy strategy, in which aggressiveness is reduced when competitors co-occur. Since these strategies may lead to territory partitioning, we suggest that the behavioral flexibility displayed by both species when they overlap may allow local co-occurrence and increase their likelihood of co-occurrence during their range expansion in Europe, which could have a negative cumulative impact on invaded areas.
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19
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Stark AY, Yanoviak SP. Adhesion and Running Speed of a Tropical Arboreal Ant (Cephalotes atratus) on Rough, Narrow, and Inclined Substrates. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:829-839. [PMID: 32533841 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arboreal ants must navigate variably sized and inclined linear structures across a range of substrate roughness when foraging tens of meters above the ground. To achieve this, arboreal ants use specialized adhesive pads and claws to maintain effective attachment to canopy substrates. Here, we explored the effect of substrate structure, including small and large-scale substrate roughness, substrate diameter, and substrate orientation (inclination), on adhesion and running speed of workers of one common, intermediately-sized, arboreal ant species. Normal (orthogonal) and shear (parallel) adhesive performance varied on sandpaper and natural leaf substrates, particularly at small size scales, but running speed on these substrates remained relatively constant. Running speed also varied minimally when running up and down inclined substrates, except when the substrate was positioned completely vertical. On vertical surfaces, ants ran significantly faster down than up. Ant running speed was slower on relatively narrow substrates. The results of this study show that variation in the physical properties of tree surfaces differentially affects arboreal ant adhesive and locomotor performance. Specifically, locomotor performance was much more robust to surface roughness than was adhesive performance. The results provide a basis for understanding how performance correlates of functional morphology contribute to determining local ant distributions and foraging decisions in the tropical rainforest canopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Y Stark
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Stephen P Yanoviak
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, 139 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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20
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Lee RH, Wang CL, Guénard B. The ecological implications of rubber‐based agroforestry: Insect conservation and invasion control. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger Ho Lee
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong City Hong Kong
| | - Chase Liu‐Wei Wang
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong City Hong Kong
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong City Hong Kong
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21
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Neves K, Moura MR, Maravalhas J, Pacheco R, Pie MR, Schultz TR, Vasconcelos HL. Functional richness shows spatial scale dependency in Pheidole ant assemblages from Neotropical savannas. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11734-11741. [PMID: 31695883 PMCID: PMC6822040 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing recognition that spatial scale is important for understanding ecological processes shaping community membership, but empirical evidence on this topic is still scarce. Ecological processes such as environmental filtering can decrease functional differences among species and promote functional clustering of species assemblages, whereas interspecific competition can do the opposite. These different ecological processes are expected to take place at different spatial scales, with competition being more likely at finer scales and environmental filtering most likely at coarser scales. We used a comprehensive dataset on species assemblages of a dominant ant genus, Pheidole, in the Cerrado (savanna) biodiversity hotspot to ask how functional richness relates to species richness gradients and whether such relationships vary across spatial scales. Functional richness of Pheidole assemblages decreased with increasing species richness, but such relationship did not vary across different spatial scales. Species were more functionally dissimilar at finer spatial scales, and functional richness increased less than expected with increasing species richness. Our results indicate a tighter packing of the functional volume as richness increases and point out to a primary role for environmental filtering in shaping membership of Pheidole assemblages in Neotropical savannas. OPEN RESEARCH BADGES This article has been awarded Open Materials, Open Data, Preregistered Research Designs Badges. All materials and data are publicly accessible via the Open Science Framework at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.31201jg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Neves
- Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Federal UberlândiaUberlândiaMGBrazil
| | - Mario R. Moura
- Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Federal UberlândiaUberlândiaMGBrazil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Jonas Maravalhas
- Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Federal UberlândiaUberlândiaMGBrazil
| | - Renata Pacheco
- Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Federal UberlândiaUberlândiaMGBrazil
| | - Marcio R. Pie
- Departamento de ZoologiaUniversidade Federal do ParanáCuritibaPRBrazil
| | - Ted R. Schultz
- Department of EntomologyNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
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22
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Bega D, Samocha Y, Yitzhak N, Saar M, Subach A, Scharf I. The effect of maze complexity on maze-solving time in a desert ant. Behav Processes 2019; 166:103893. [PMID: 31252072 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
One neglected aspect of research on foraging behavior is that of the effect of obstacles that increase habitat complexity on foraging efficiency. Here, we explored how long it takes individually foraging desert ant workers (Cataglyphis niger) to reach a food reward in a maze, and examined whether maze complexity affects maze-solving time (the time elapsed till the first worker reached the food reward). The test mazes differed in their complexity level, or the relative number of correct paths leading to the food reward, vs. wrong paths leading to dead-ends. Maze-solving time steeply increased with maze complexity, but was unaffected by colony size, despite the positive correlation between colony size and the number of workers that searched for food. The number of workers observed feeding on the food reward 10 min after its discovery decreased with complexity level but not colony size. We compared our experimental results to three simulation models, applying different search methods, ranked them according to their fit to the data and found the self-avoiding random search to fit the best. We suggest possible reasons for the model deviations from the observational findings. Our data emphasize the necessity to refer to habitat complexity when studying foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darar Bega
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yehonatan Samocha
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nitzan Yitzhak
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Saar
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aziz Subach
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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23
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Leonetti D, Centorame M, Fanfani A. Differences in exploitation and interference ability between two dominant ants: the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and Tapinoma magnum. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1620341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Massimiliano Centorame
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies ‘Charles Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Alberto Fanfani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies ‘Charles Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
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24
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Adams BJ, Schnitzer SA, Yanoviak SP. Connectivity explains local ant community structure in a Neotropical forest canopy: a large‐scale experimental approach. Ecology 2019; 100:e02673. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Adams
- Urban Nature Research Center Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Los Angeles California 90007 USA
- Department of Biology University of Louisville Louisville Kentucky 40292 USA
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Republic of Panama
| | - Stephen P. Yanoviak
- Department of Biology University of Louisville Louisville Kentucky 40292 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Republic of Panama
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25
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Effects of park size, peri-urban forest spillover, and environmental filtering on diversity, structure, and morphology of ant assemblages in urban park. Urban Ecosyst 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-019-00851-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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26
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Purdon J, Parr CL, Somers MJ. Grazing by large savanna herbivores indirectly alters ant diversity and promotes resource monopolisation. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6226. [PMID: 30648021 PMCID: PMC6330944 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In savannas, grazing is an important disturbance that modifies the grass layer structure and composition. Habitat structural complexity influences species diversity and assemblage functioning. By using a combination of natural sites and manipulated experiments, we explored how habitat structure (grazing lawns and adjacent bunch grass) affects ant diversity and foraging behaviour, specifically the efficiency of resource acquisition, resource monopolisation and ant body size. We found that in the natural sites there was no difference in the amount of time ants took to locate resources, but in the manipulated experiments, ants were faster at locating resources and were more abundant in the simple treatments than in the more complex treatments. Ant body size was only affected by the manipulated experiments, with smaller ants found in the more complex treatments. In both the grazing lawn and bunch grass habitats there were differences in assemblage patterns of ants discovering resources and those dominating them. Seasonality, which was predicted to affect the speed at which ants discovered resources and the intensity of resource monopolisation, also played a role. We show that ants in winter monopolised more baits and discovered resources at a slower rate, but only at certain times within the experiment. Grazing in conjunction with season thus had a significant effect on ant diversity and foraging behaviour, with dominant ants promoted where habitat complexity was simplified when temperatures were low. Our results indicate that structural complexity plays a major role in determining ant assemblage structure and function in African savannas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Purdon
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Centre for Invasion Biology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Somers
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Centre for Invasion Biology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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27
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Grevé ME, Hager J, Weisser WW, Schall P, Gossner MM, Feldhaar H. Effect of forest management on temperate ant communities. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Grevé
- Animal Population Ecology; Animal Ecology I; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; Universitätsstrasse 30 95440 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Jörg Hager
- Animal Population Ecology; Animal Ecology I; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; Universitätsstrasse 30 95440 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group; Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management; Center for Food and Life Sciences Weihenstephan; Technische Universität München; Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan Germany
| | - Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones; Faculty of Forest Sciences; University of Göttingen; D-37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Martin M. Gossner
- Forest Entomology; Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf CH-8903 Switzerland
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Population Ecology; Animal Ecology I; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; Universitätsstrasse 30 95440 Bayreuth Germany
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28
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Camarota F, Vasconcelos HL, Koch EBA, Powell S. Discovery and defense define the social foraging strategy of Neotropical arboreal ants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2519-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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29
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De La Riva DG, Trumble JT. Selenium exposure results in reduced reproduction in an invasive ant species and altered competitive behavior for a native ant species. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 213:888-894. [PMID: 27038576 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Competitive ability and numerical dominance are important factors contributing to the ability of invasive ant species to establish and expand their ranges in new habitats. However, few studies have investigated the impact of environmental contamination on competitive behavior in ants as a potential factor influencing dynamics between invasive and native ant species. Here we investigated the widespread contaminant selenium to investigate its potential influence on invasion by the exotic Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, through effects on reproduction and competitive behavior. For the fecundity experiment, treatments were provided to Argentine ant colonies via to sugar water solutions containing one of three concentrations of selenium (0, 5 and 10 μg Se mL(-1)) that fall within the range found in soil and plants growing in contaminated areas. Competition experiments included both the Argentine ant and the native Dorymyrmex bicolor to determine the impact of selenium exposure (0 or 15 μg Se mL(-1)) on exploitation- and interference-competition between ant species. The results of the fecundity experiment revealed that selenium negatively impacted queen survival and brood production of Argentine ants. Viability of the developing brood was also affected in that offspring reached adulthood only in colonies that were not given selenium, whereas those in treated colonies died in their larval stages. Selenium exposure did not alter direct competitive behaviors for either species, but selenium exposure contributed to an increased bait discovery time for D. bicolor. Our results suggest that environmental toxins may not only pose problems for native ant species, but may also serve as a potential obstacle for establishment among exotic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah G De La Riva
- Department of Entomology, University of California, 900 University Ave., Riverside CA 92521, USA.
| | - John T Trumble
- Department of Entomology, University of California, 900 University Ave., Riverside CA 92521, USA
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30
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Gibb H, Andersson J, Johansson T. Foraging loads of red wood ants: Formica aquilonia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in relation to tree characteristics and stand age. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2049. [PMID: 27231664 PMCID: PMC4878371 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Foraging efficiency is critical in determining the success of organisms and may be affected by a range of factors, including resource distance and quality. For social insects such as ants, outcomes must be considered at the level of both the individual and the colony. It is important to understand whether anthropogenic disturbances, such as forestry, affect foraging loads, independent of effects on the quality and distribution of resources. We asked if ants harvest greater loads from more distant and higher quality resources, how individual efforts scale to the colony level, and whether worker loads are affected by stand age. Methods. First, we performed a fine-scale study examining the effect of distance and resource quality (tree diameter and species) on harvesting of honeydew by red wood ants, Formica aquilonia, in terms of crop load per worker ant and numbers of workers walking up and down each tree (ant activity) (study 1). Second, we modelled what the combination of load and worker number responses meant for colony-level foraging loads. Third, at a larger scale, we asked whether the relationship between worker load and resource quality and distance depended on stand age (study 2). Results. Study 1 revealed that seventy percent of ants descending trees carried honeydew, and the percentage of workers that were honeydew harvesters was not related to tree species or diameter, but increased weakly with distance. Distance positively affected load mass in both studies 1 and 2, while diameter had weak negative effects on load. Relationships between load and distance and diameter did not differ among stands of different ages. Our model showed that colony-level loads declined much more rapidly with distance for small diameter than large diameter trees. Discussion. We suggest that a negative relationship between diameter and honeydew load detected in study 1 might be a result of crowding on large diameter trees close to nests, while the increase in honeydew load with distance may result from resource depletion close to nests. At the colony level, our model suggests that very little honeydew was harvested from more distant trees if they were small, but that more distant larger trees continued to contribute substantially to colony harvest. Although forestry alters the activity and foraging success of red wood ants, study 2 showed that it does not alter the fundamental rules determining the allocation of foraging effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloise Gibb
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea, Sweden; Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jon Andersson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , Umea , Sweden
| | - Therese Johansson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , Umea , Sweden
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31
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Szewczyk T, McCain CM. A Systematic Review of Global Drivers of Ant Elevational Diversity. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155404. [PMID: 27175999 PMCID: PMC4866765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ant diversity shows a variety of patterns across elevational gradients, though the patterns and drivers have not been evaluated comprehensively. In this systematic review and reanalysis, we use published data on ant elevational diversity to detail the observed patterns and to test the predictions and interactions of four major diversity hypotheses: thermal energy, the mid-domain effect, area, and the elevational climate model. Of sixty-seven published datasets from the literature, only those with standardized, comprehensive sampling were used. Datasets included both local and regional ant diversity and spanned 80° in latitude across six biogeographical provinces. We used a combination of simulations, linear regressions, and non-parametric statistics to test multiple quantitative predictions of each hypothesis. We used an environmentally and geometrically constrained model as well as multiple regression to test their interactions. Ant diversity showed three distinct patterns across elevations: most common were hump-shaped mid-elevation peaks in diversity, followed by low-elevation plateaus and monotonic decreases in the number of ant species. The elevational climate model, which proposes that temperature and precipitation jointly drive diversity, and area were partially supported as independent drivers. Thermal energy and the mid-domain effect were not supported as primary drivers of ant diversity globally. The interaction models supported the influence of multiple drivers, though not a consistent set. In contrast to many vertebrate taxa, global ant elevational diversity patterns appear more complex, with the best environmental model contingent on precipitation levels. Differences in ecology and natural history among taxa may be crucial to the processes influencing broad-scale diversity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Szewczyk
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christy M. McCain
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
- University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
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Kaspari M, Clay NA, Lucas J, Revzen S, Kay A, Yanoviak SP. Thermal adaptation and phosphorus shape thermal performance in an assemblage of rainforest ants. Ecology 2016; 97:1038-47. [DOI: 10.1890/15-1225.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaspari
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK 73019 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Republic of Panama
| | - Natalie A. Clay
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK 73019 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Republic of Panama
| | - Jane Lucas
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK 73019 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Republic of Panama
| | - Shai Revzen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Adam Kay
- Department of Biology University of St. Thomas St. Paul MN 55105 USA
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Bertelsmeier C, Ollier S, Avril A, Blight O, Jourdan H, Courchamp F. Colony–colony interactions between highly invasive ants. Basic Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Ossola A, Nash MA, Christie FJ, Hahs AK, Livesley SJ. Urban habitat complexity affects species richness but not environmental filtering of morphologically-diverse ants. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1356. [PMID: 26528416 PMCID: PMC4627909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat complexity is a major determinant of structure and diversity of ant assemblages. Following the size-grain hypothesis, smaller ant species are likely to be advantaged in more complex habitats compared to larger species. Habitat complexity can act as an environmental filter based on species size and morphological traits, therefore affecting the overall structure and diversity of ant assemblages. In natural and semi-natural ecosystems, habitat complexity is principally regulated by ecological successions or disturbance such as fire and grazing. Urban ecosystems provide an opportunity to test relationships between habitat, ant assemblage structure and ant traits using novel combinations of habitat complexity generated and sustained by human management. We sampled ant assemblages in low-complexity and high-complexity parks, and high-complexity woodland remnants, hypothesizing that (i) ant abundance and species richness would be higher in high-complexity urban habitats, (ii) ant assemblages would differ between low- and high-complexity habitats and (iii) ants living in high-complexity habitats would be smaller than those living in low-complexity habitats. Contrary to our hypothesis, ant species richness was higher in low-complexity habitats compared to high-complexity habitats. Overall, ant assemblages were significantly different among the habitat complexity types investigated, although ant size and morphology remained the same. Habitat complexity appears to affect the structure of ant assemblages in urban ecosystems as previously observed in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. However, the habitat complexity filter does not seem to be linked to ant morphological traits related to body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ossola
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
| | - Michael A Nash
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Campus , Urrbrae, SA , Australia ; School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia ; School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide , Urrbrae, SA , Australia
| | - Fiona J Christie
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
| | - Amy K Hahs
- Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, c/o School of BioSciences, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria , Parkville, VIC , Australia
| | - Stephen J Livesley
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
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Bertelsmeier C, Avril A, Blight O, Jourdan H, Courchamp F. Discovery-dominance trade-off among widespread invasive ant species. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:2673-83. [PMID: 26257879 PMCID: PMC4523362 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants are among the most problematic invasive species. They displace numerous native species, alter ecosystem processes, and can have negative impacts on agriculture and human health. In part, their success might stem from a departure from the discovery–dominance trade-off that can promote co-existence in native ant communities, that is, invasive ants are thought to be at the same time behaviorally dominant and faster discoverers of resources, compared to native species. However, it has not yet been tested whether similar asymmetries in behavioral dominance, exploration, and recruitment abilities also exist among invasive species. Here, we establish a dominance hierarchy among four of the most problematic invasive ants (Linepithema humile, Lasius neglectus, Wasmannia auropunctata, Pheidole megacephala) that may be able to arrive and establish in the same areas in the future. To assess behavioral dominance, we used confrontation experiments, testing the aggressiveness in individual and group interactions between all species pairs. In addition, to compare discovery efficiency, we tested the species’ capacity to locate a food resource in a maze, and the capacity to recruit nestmates to exploit a food resource. The four species differed greatly in their capacity to discover resources and to recruit nestmates and to dominate the other species. Our results are consistent with a discovery–dominance trade-off. The species that showed the highest level of interspecific aggressiveness and dominance during dyadic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleo Bertelsmeier
- Ecologie, Systématique & Evolution, UMR CNRS 8079, Univ. Paris Sud Orsay Cedex 91405, France
| | - Amaury Avril
- Ecologie, Systématique & Evolution, UMR CNRS 8079, Univ. Paris Sud Orsay Cedex 91405, France ; Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Blight
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix-Marseille Université, UMR CNRS IRD Avignon Université, UMR 237 IRD, Centre IRD Nouméa BP A5, 98848, Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Ecologie, Systématique & Evolution, UMR CNRS 8079, Univ. Paris Sud Orsay Cedex 91405, France
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Bertelsmeier C, Avril A, Blight O, Confais A, Diez L, Jourdan H, Orivel J, Saint Germès N, Courchamp F. Different behavioural strategies among seven highly invasive ant species. Biol Invasions 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-015-0892-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Maravalhas J, Vasconcelos HL. Revisiting the pyrodiversity-biodiversity hypothesis: long-term fire regimes and the structure of ant communities in a Neotropical savanna hotspot. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Maravalhas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU); Av. Pará 1720 38400-902 Uberlândia MG Brazil
| | - Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU); Av. Pará 1720 38400-902 Uberlândia MG Brazil
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Gibb H, Muscat D, Binns MR, Silvey CJ, Peters RA, Warton DI, Andrew NR. Responses of foliage-living spider assemblage composition and traits to a climatic gradient inThemedagrasslands. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Gibb
- Department of Zoology; La Trobe University; Melbourne Vic. 3068 Australia
| | - D. Muscat
- Department of Zoology; La Trobe University; Melbourne Vic. 3068 Australia
| | - M. R. Binns
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology; Discipline of Zoology; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - C. J. Silvey
- Department of Zoology; La Trobe University; Melbourne Vic. 3068 Australia
| | - R. A. Peters
- Department of Zoology; La Trobe University; Melbourne Vic. 3068 Australia
| | - D. I. Warton
- School of Mathematics and Statistics and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - N. R. Andrew
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology; Discipline of Zoology; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
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40
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Does morphology predict trophic position and habitat use of ant species and assemblages? Oecologia 2014; 177:519-31. [PMID: 25288056 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3101-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
A functional traits-based theory of organismal communities is critical for understanding the principles underlying community assembly, and predicting responses to environmental change. This is particularly true for terrestrial arthropods, of which only 20% are described. Using epigaeic ant assemblages, we asked: (1) can we use morphological variation among species to predict trophic position or preferred microhabitat; (2) does the strength of morphological associations suggest recent trait divergence; (3) do environmental variables at site scale predict trait sets for whole assemblages? We pitfall-trapped ants from a revegetation chronosequence and measured their morphology, trophic position [using C:N stoichiometry and stable isotope ratios (δ)] and characteristics of microhabitat and macrohabitat. We found strong associations between high trophic position (low C:N and high δ(15)N) in body tissue and morphological traits: predators were larger, had more laterally positioned eyes, more physical protection and tended to be monomorphic. In addition, morphological traits were associated with certain microhabitat features, e.g. smaller heads were associated with the bare ground microhabitat. Trait-microhabitat relationships were more pronounced when phylogenetic adjustments were used, indicating a strong influence of recent trait divergences. At the assemblage level, our fourth corner analysis revealed associations between the prevalence of traits and macrohabitat, although these associations were not the same as those based on microhabitat associations. This study shows direct links between species-level traits and both diet and habitat preference. Trait-based prediction of ecological roles and community structure is thus achievable when integrating stoichiometry, morphology and phylogeny, but scale is an important consideration in such predictions.
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Bewick S, Stuble KL, Lessard JP, Dunn RR, Adler FR, Sanders NJ. Predicting future coexistence in a North American ant community. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:1804-19. [PMID: 24963378 PMCID: PMC4063477 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2013] [Revised: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Global climate change will remodel ecological communities worldwide. However, as a consequence of biotic interactions, communities may respond to climate change in idiosyncratic ways. This makes predictive models that incorporate biotic interactions necessary. We show how such models can be constructed based on empirical studies in combination with predictions or assumptions regarding the abiotic consequences of climate change. Specifically, we consider a well-studied ant community in North America. First, we use historical data to parameterize a basic model for species coexistence. Using this model, we determine the importance of various factors, including thermal niches, food discovery rates, and food removal rates, to historical species coexistence. We then extend the model to predict how the community will restructure in response to several climate-related changes, such as increased temperature, shifts in species phenology, and altered resource availability. Interestingly, our mechanistic model suggests that increased temperature and shifts in species phenology can have contrasting effects. Nevertheless, for almost all scenarios considered, we find that the most subordinate ant species suffers most as a result of climate change. More generally, our analysis shows that community composition can respond to climate warming in nonintuitive ways. For example, in the context of a community, it is not necessarily the most heat-sensitive species that are most at risk. Our results demonstrate how models that account for niche partitioning and interspecific trade-offs among species can be used to predict the likely idiosyncratic responses of local communities to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Bewick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
| | - Katharine L Stuble
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
| | - Jean-Phillipe Lessard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Department of Biology, McGill UniversityMontreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert R Dunn
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina
| | - Frederick R Adler
- Department of Mathematics, University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
- Department of Biology, University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
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Targeted research to improve invasive species management: yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes in Samoa. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95301. [PMID: 24736559 PMCID: PMC3988179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lack of biological knowledge of invasive species is recognised as a major factor contributing to eradication failure. Management needs to be informed by a site-specific understanding of the invasion system. Here, we describe targeted research designed to inform the potential eradication of the invasive yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes on Nu’utele island, Samoa. First, we assessed the ant’s impacts on invertebrate biodiversity by comparing invertebrate communities between infested and uninfested sites. Second, we investigated the timing of production of sexuals and seasonal variation of worker abundance and nest density. Third, we investigated whether an association existed between A. gracilipes and carbohydrate sources. Within the infested area there were few other ants larger than A. gracilipes, as well as fewer spiders and crabs, indicating that A. gracilipes is indeed a significant conservation concern. The timing of male reproduction appears to be consistent with places elsewhere in the world, but queen reproduction was outside of the known reproductive period for this species in the region, indicating that the timing of treatment regimes used elsewhere are not appropriate for Samoa. Worker abundance and nest density were among the highest recorded in the world, being greater in May than in October. These abundance and nest density data form baselines for quantifying treatment efficacy and set sampling densities for post-treatment assessments. The number of plants and insects capable of providing a carbohydrate supply to ants were greatest where A. gracilipes was present, but it is not clear if this association is causal. Regardless, indirectly controlling ant abundance by controlling carbohydrate supply appears to be promising avenue for research. The type of targeted, site-specific research such as that described here should be an integral part of any eradication program for invasive species to design knowledge-based treatment protocols and determine assessment benchmarks to achieve eradication.
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Yates ML, Andrew NR, Binns M, Gibb H. Morphological traits: predictable responses to macrohabitats across a 300 km scale. PeerJ 2014; 2:e271. [PMID: 24688850 PMCID: PMC3961160 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Species traits may provide a short-cut to predicting generalities in species turnover in response to environmental change, particularly for poorly known taxa. We ask if morphological traits of assemblages respond predictably to macrohabitats across a large scale. Ant assemblages were collected at nine paired pasture and remnant sites from within three areas along a 300 km distance. We measured ten functional morphological traits for replicate individuals of each species. We used a fourth corner model to test associations between microhabitat variables, macrohabitats (pastures and remnants) and traits. In addition, we tested the phylogenetic independence of traits, to determine if responses were likely to be due to filtering by morphology or phylogeny. Nine of ten traits were predicted by macrohabitat and the majority of these traits were independent of phylogeny. Surprisingly, microhabitat variables were not associated with morphological traits. Traits which were associated with macrohabitats were involved in locomotion, feeding behaviour and sensory ability. Ants in remnants had more maxillary palp segments, longer scapes and wider eyes, while having shorter femurs, smaller apical mandibular teeth and shorter Weber's lengths. A clear relationship between traits and macrohabitats across a large scale suggests that species are filtered by coarse environmental differences. In contrast to the findings of previous studies, fine-scale filtering of morphological traits was not apparent. If such generalities in morphological trait responses to habitat hold across even larger scales, traits may prove critical in predicting the response of species assemblages to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. Yates
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Nigel R. Andrew
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew Binns
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Heloise Gibb
- Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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44
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Spicer Rice E, Silverman J. Submissive behaviour and habituation facilitate entry into habitat occupied by an invasive ant. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Bednar DM, Shik JZ, Silverman J. Prey handling performance facilitates competitive dominance of an invasive over native keystone ant. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Does structural complexity determine the morphology of assemblages? An experimental test on three continents. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64005. [PMID: 23691137 PMCID: PMC3656910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how species will respond to global change depends on our ability to distinguish generalities from idiosyncrasies. For diverse, but poorly known taxa, such as insects, species traits may provide a short-cut to predicting species turnover. We tested whether ant traits respond consistently to habitat complexity across geographically independent ant assemblages, using an experimental approach and baits. We repeated our study in six paired simple and complex habitats on three continents with distinct ant faunas. We also compared traits amongst ants with different foraging strategies. We hypothesised that ants would be larger, broader, have longer legs and more dorsally positioned eyes in simpler habitats. In agreement with predictions, ants had longer femurs and dorsally positioned eyes in simple habitats. This pattern was most pronounced for ants that discovered resources. Body size and pronotum width responded as predicted for experimental treatments, but were inconsistent across continents. Monopolising ants were smaller, with shorter femurs than those that occupied or discovered resources. Consistent responses for several traits suggest that many, but not all, aspects of morphology respond predictably to habitat complexity, and that foraging strategy is linked with morphology. Some traits thus have the potential to be used to predict the direction of species turnover, changes in foraging strategy and, potentially, evolution in response to changes in habitat structure.
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Rice ES, Silverman J. Propagule pressure and climate contribute to the displacement of Linepithema humile by Pachycondyla chinensis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56281. [PMID: 23409164 PMCID: PMC3568039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying mechanisms governing the establishment and spread of invasive species is a fundamental challenge in invasion biology. Because species invasions are frequently observed only after the species presents an environmental threat, research identifying the contributing agents to dispersal and subsequent spread are confined to retrograde observations. Here, we use a combination of seasonal surveys and experimental approaches to test the relative importance of behavioral and abiotic factors in determining the local co-occurrence of two invasive ant species, the established Argentine ant (Linepithema humile Mayr) and the newly invasive Asian needle ant (Pachycondyla chinensis Emery). We show that the broader climatic envelope of P. chinensis enables it to establish earlier in the year than L. humile. We also demonstrate that increased P. chinensis propagule pressure during periods of L. humile scarcity contributes to successful P. chinensis early season establishment. Furthermore, we show that, although L. humile is the numerically superior and behaviorally dominant species at baits, P. chinensis is currently displacing L. humile across the invaded landscape. By identifying the features promoting the displacement of one invasive ant by another we can better understand both early determinants in the invasion process and factors limiting colony expansion and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Spicer Rice
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jules Silverman
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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Species traits predict assemblage dynamics at ephemeral resource patches created by carrion. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53961. [PMID: 23326549 PMCID: PMC3543354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Carrion is an ephemeral and spatially patchy resource that supports a diverse subset of species linked to nutrient cycling and the decomposition process. A number of studies have separately documented changes in the diversity of plants, arthropods and vertebrates at individual carcasses, but there are few studies that have examined how functional traits of different groups of organisms underpin their responses to carrion patches. We used a carrion addition experiment to compare changes in composition and functional traits of insect and plant assemblages at carcasses compared with control sites. We found that significant changes in insect assemblage evenness and heterogeneity was associated with species’ dispersal traits, and that plant assemblage responses to subsequent soil nitrogen changes was most apparent among graminoids and exotic species. Beetles at carcasses were twice as large as their counterparts at control sites during the first week of carrion decomposition, and also had higher wing loadings. Plants with high specific leaf area responded faster to the carcass addition, and twice as many species recolonised the centre of carcasses in exotic-dominated grassland compared with carcasses in native-dominated grassland. These results provide an example of how traits of opportunist species enable them to exploit patchy and dynamic resources. This increases our understanding of how carcasses can drive biodiversity dynamics, and has implications for the way carrion might be managed in ecosystems, such as appropriate consideration of spatial and temporal continuity in carrion resources to promote heterogeneity in nutrient cycling and species diversity within landscapes.
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Wiescher PT, Pearce-Duvet JMC, Feener DH. Assembling an ant community: species functional traits reflect environmental filtering. Oecologia 2012; 169:1063-74. [PMID: 22294027 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2262-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Species should only persist in local communities if they have functional traits that are compatible with habitat-specific environmental conditions. Consequently, pronounced regional environmental gradients should produce environmental filtering, or a trait-based spatial segregation of species. It is critical to quantify the links between species' functional traits and their environment in order to reveal the relative importance of this process to community assembly and promote understanding of the impacts of ongoing environmental changes. We investigated this relationship using epigaeic ants in an environmentally heterogeneous region of Florida. We found evidence for environmental filtering as environmental conditions such as groundcover, surface temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and plant diversity were strongly correlated with assemblage composition. Certain species traits appeared particularly important to persistence: (1) ants in environments with less groundcover have relatively longer legs but do not differ in size, (2) ants in hotter environments exhibit greater thermal tolerances, and (3) ants in hotter and drier environments do not exhibit greater desiccation resistance. These findings show surface complexity and temperature may interact with morphology and physiology to impact the spatial distribution of ants and underscore the importance of climate change. Climate warming is predicted to alter assemblage composition, competitive dynamics, and consequently impact ecosystem processes. We suggest environmental filters acting at regional scales, as shown here, act in tandem with more frequently studied local-scale competitive interactions to delimit ant community assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp T Wiescher
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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50
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Toscano BJ, Griffen BD. Predator size interacts with habitat structure to determine the allometric scaling of the functional response. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20690.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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