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2. A novel relationship between ants and a leafhopper (Hymenoptera: Formicidae; Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)
- Creator:
- Steiner, Florian M., Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C., Holzinger, Werner, Komposch, Christian , Pazoutova, Sylvie, Santera, Matthias, and Christian , Erhard
- Type:
- article, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Araneae, Auchenorrhyncha, ant-leafhopper relationship, honeydew, insect-insect interactions, mutualism, Cicadellidae, Formicidae, Balclutha punctata, and Calamagrostis epigejos
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Ten ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from three subfamilies feed on honeydew excreted by nymphs of the leafhopper Balclutha punctata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). This relationship is facultative for the partners. Preliminary field observations suggest a mutualistic interaction that represents an intermediate stage in the spectrum of formicid-hemipteran mutualisms. Behavioural adaptations of the leafhopper (no escape reaction) and the ants (no predation of leafhoppers, protection from spiders) are evident, but characters of advanced facultative mutualism such as physical contact between the partners or ant-triggered excretion of honeydew were not observed.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
3. Acceptance of two native myrmecophilous species, Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii (Isopoda: Oniscidea) and Cyphoderus albinus (Collembola: Cyphoderidae) by the introduced invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Belgium
- Creator:
- Dekoninck, Wouter, Lock, Koen, and Janssens, Frans
- Type:
- article, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Isopoda, Oniscidea, Collembola, Cyphoderidae, Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Lasius neglectus, myrmecophilous species, invasive species, acceptance, Cyphoderus albinus, and Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- The myrmecophilous isopod Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii Brandt, 1833 and the myrmecophilous springtail Cyphoderus albinus Nicolet, 1842 are commonly found in nests of a wide range of ant species in Belgium. Here we report the first record of both myrmecophiles in nests of the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus in the Citadelpark of Ghent, Belgium. Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii was found in two of the Lasius neglectus nests studied. In one of the two C. albinus was also discovered. In the localities where the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus was introduced, as is also the case in the Citadelpark in Ghent, it out-competes all native ant species. This ant has a dramatic effect on the local native ant fauna. However, some of the myrmecophilous species associated with the native ant-fauna are less threatened as they are accepted by this invasive garden ant.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
4. Ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Flemish (north Belgium) wet heathlands, a declining habitat in Europe
- Creator:
- Maes, Dirk, Van Dyck, Hans, Vanreusel, Wouter, and Cortens, Joeri
- Type:
- article, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Hymenoptera, Formicidae, ants, wet heathland, diversity, between year fluctuation, conservation, sampling methodology, and Belgium
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- During a survey of 23 wet heathland sites in Flanders (north Belgium) in 1999 and 2000, using both manual nest searching and pitfall traps as sampling techniques, we found 28 ant species. One species (Myrmica lonae) was new to the Belgian fauna and several rare species were encountered. Three ecological groups could be distinguished based on soil preference: the first group of species was characteristic of sandy soil, the second contained species that were more numerous on peat soil (with Sphagnum spp.), and the third group of species had no soil preference. Ant nest numbers increased strongly between 1999 and 2000, especially on the plots that were inundated during the winter of 1999-2000, but the number of ant species did not differ significantly between years. Ant nest density showed an optimum at a Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) cover of about 45%; the number of species did not show such an optimum. Pitfall traps yielded more species than manual nest searching; in particular temporary social parasites, species with a large foraging range and winged females from the surrounding habitats were missed by the latter technique. Finally, we give some recommendations for the conservation of, and suitable management measures for, ants on wet heathland.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
5. Ant diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and predation by ants on the different stages of the sugarcane borer life cycle Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
- Creator:
- Oliveira, R.D.F, Almeida, L.C.D., Souza, D.R.D., Munhae, C.B., Bueno, O.C., and Morini, M.S.C
- Type:
- article, články, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Zoologie, zoologie, entomologie, Hymenoptera, Formicidae, biological control, Diatraea saccharalis, mechanical cultivation, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- The sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis is an important pest of sugarcane and ants are one of its main predators. The practice of burning sugarcane straw in situ after harvest has been gradually replaced in Brazil by other practices. However, it is unknown whether ants can control the abundance of this borer in the presence of straw. In this study, we assessed the diversity and species composition of ants attacking different stages of the pest’s life cycle. Specifically, we asked whether the species richness and abundance of ants varies during the course of day and a year. We established one-hectare plots at random locations in a sugarcane plantation. Once a month, we collected 20 samples of each stage of the D. saccharalis life cycle and randomly distributed these samples as bait on plants spaced 20 m apart within a plot. Ants were collected daily in the morning and afternoon over a period of 12 months. We identified several aspects of ant feeding behaviour that may affect their biological control of the borer: (1) the greatest number of ants were collected from baits consisting of the immature stages of the sugarcane borer, (2) ants were most active in the morning and (3) their activity varied from month to month. Solenopsis saevissima and morphotypes of Crematogaster sp.7 and Pheidole sp.35 are potentially important predators of borers in sugarcane crops in which the straw is not burnt., Roseli de Fatima de Oliveira ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
6. Ants of the genus Protalaridris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), more than just deadly mandibles
- Creator:
- Lattke, John E, Delsinne, Thibaut, Gary D Alpert, and Guerrero, Roberto J
- Format:
- print, počítač, and online zdroj
- Type:
- model:article and TEXT
- Subject:
- mravencovití, morfologie (biologie), dolní čelist, ants, morphology (biology), mandible, Formicidae, Attini, Protalaridris, taxonomy, distribution, predation, Haidomyrmecini, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- The ants of the genus Protalaridris are revised based upon their morphology. Seven species are recognized; the type species (P. armata Brown, 1980) and six species described as new: P. aculeata Lattke & Alpert, sp. n., P. arhuaca Guerrero, Lattke & Alpert, sp. n., P. bordoni Lattke, sp. n., P. leponcei Delsinne & Lattke, sp. n., P. loxanensis Lattke, sp. n., and P. punctata Lattke, sp. n. The genus is patchily distributed in mesic forested areas from western Panama to northern Venezuela and along the Andes to the Amazon watershed of southwestern Peru. The generic description is modified to accommodate a short-mandibulate species. Sporadic biological observations of one long-mandibulate species suggest they are sit-and-wait ambush predators that open their jaws to approximately 180° when stalking. All species are described and imaged, an identification key and a distribution map is provided. Comparing the mandibular morphology of long-mandibulate Protalaridris with other extant and extinct ants bearing elongate, dorsoanterior arching mandibles suggests the supposed mandibular apex in these taxa is actually a hypertrophied, preapical tooth and their supposed basal mandibular tooth is the main mandibular shaft., John E. Lattke, Thibaut Delsinne, Gary D. Alpert, Roberto J. Guerrero., and Obsahuje bibliografii
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
7. Bait visitation by Formica lemani (Hymenoptera: Fomicidae) indicates shortage of carbohydrates in alpine grasslands
- Creator:
- Guariento, Elia, Martini, Jan, and Konrad Fiedler
- Format:
- print, počítač, and online zdroj
- Type:
- model:article and TEXT
- Subject:
- blanokřídlí, Formica, mravencovití, Hymenoptera, ants, Formicidae, nutritional ecology, baits, nutrient limitation, alpine ecology, trophic position, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Insights can be gained by analysing the feeding decisions of animals in terms of nutrient demands at a species or community level. Using carbohydrate and protein food baits, resource use and food preferences of Formica (Serviformica) lemani were determined at nine locations situated at different altitudes (1875 to 2400 m a.s.l.) in the alpine grassland belt above the tree line in Austria and northern Italy. F. lemani is the most common species of ant in this habitat. Sucrose baits placed around ant colonies were visited by significantly (3.9 times) more workers than protein baits. This indicates that sources of sugar (carbohydrate) are in short supply in the alpine zone, whereas availability of prey items appears to be less constraining. Overall, we recorded a decrease in the incidence of visits to baits from low (31.9% baits attracting ants at least once) to high altitudes (16.7%). Foraging ants never visited 51.5% of the baits exposed for periods of 75 min. This indicates that with increasing altitude competition for food among ant colonies becomes less intense in alpine grassland ant communities., Elia Guariento, Jan Martini, Konrad Fiedler., and Obsahuje bibliografii
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
8. Characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the neotropical plant-ant Allomerus decemarticulatus (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) and multiplexing with other microsatellites from the ant subfamily Myrmicinae
- Creator:
- Malé, Pierre-Jean , Loiseau, Anne, Estoup, Arnaud, Quilichini, Angélique, and Orivel, Jérôme
- Type:
- article, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae, Allomerus, ant-plant mutualism, microsatellites, and plant-ant
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Five polymorphic microsatellite loci of the arboreal ant Allomerus decemarticulatus (Myrmicinae) were isolated and characterized. The amplification and polymorphism of seven additional microsatellite loci, previously developed for the ant species A. octoarticulatus and Wasmannia auropunctata, were also tested and the amplification conditions necessary for genotyping the complete set of 12 multiplexed markers in A. decemarticulatus determined. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 15 and observed heterozygosity varied from 0.09 to 0.95. Cross-species amplification of these loci was also successfully achieved in additional species of the same ant subfamily, Myrmicinae. This set of microsatellite markers will be used in studies on the mating system and population genetic structure of Myrmicinae in general and A. decemarticulatus in particular.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
9. Cost to the cavity-nest ant Temnothorax crassispinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of overwintering aboveground
- Creator:
- Mitrus, Slawomir
- Type:
- article, články, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Zoologie, zoologie, entomologie, Formicidae, Temnothorax crassispinus, percentage survival, overwintering, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Most species of ants inhabiting the temperate zone overwinter underground, whereas those of the genus Temnothorax remain in nests aboveground. I studied the cost of aboveground overwintering. Workers of Temnothorax crassispinus survived in higher numbers (median = 88%) in artificial nests experimentally buried at a depth of 5 cm than those in nests on the surface (48%) of the soil. The results support the hypothesis that overwintering aboveground could be a consequence of a limited supply of nests and/or the advantage of being able to respond quickly to warm temperatures in spring. Address, Slawomir Mitrus., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
10. Determining the season of death from the family composition of insects infesting carrion
- Creator:
- Moretti, Thiago De Carvalho, Bonato, Vinícius, and Godoy, Wesley Augusto Conde
- Type:
- article, články, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Zoologie, entomologie, forensic science, forensic entomology, necrophagous insects, seasonal dating, seasonality, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Fanniidae, Formicidae, baseline-category logit model, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Determining the season of death by means of the composition of the families of insects infesting carrion is rarely attempted in forensic studies and has never been statistically modelled. For this reason, a baseline-category logit model is proposed for predicting the season of death as a function of whether the area where the carcass was exposed is sunlit or shaded and of the relative abundance of particular families of carrion insects (Calliphoridae, Fanniidae, Sarcophagidae, and Formicidae). The field study was conducted using rodent carcasses (20-252 g) in an urban forest in southeastern Brazil. Four carcasses (2 in a sunlit and 2 in a shaded area) were placed simultaneously at the study site, twice during each season from August 2003 through June 2004. The feasibility of the model, measured in terms of overall accuracy, is 64 ± 14%. It is likely the proposed model will assist forensic teams in predicting the season of death in tropical ecosystems, without the need of identifying the species of specimens or the remains of carrion insects. and Thiago de Carvalho Moretti, Vinícius Bonato, Wesley Augusto Conde Godoy.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public