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2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. Diversity of ant assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an urban environment in Cameroon during and after colonization of the area by Wasmannia auropunctata
- Creator:
- Mbenoun Masse, Paul Serge, Tindo, Maurice , Djiéto-Lordon, Champlain, Mony, Ruth , and Kenne, Martin
- Format:
- počítač and online zdroj
- Type:
- model:article and TEXT
- Subject:
- Hymenoptera, Formicidae, ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, Pheidole megacephala, diversity, colonization, urban environment, and Cameroon
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Invasive species disrupt the organization and functioning of many ant communities. Little is known about ant assemblages formerly in areas invaded by the little fire ant. In this study, we surveyed the same areas and compared the ant communities there when an invasive species first colonized the areas and 10 years later, using the same methodology (quadrat and baiting). A total of 83,299 worker ants from 17 species or morphospecies, in 4 subfamilies and 10 genera were recorded in the two periods sampled. Seven ant species were found to co-occur with W. auropunctata while 12 species were collected in the same area 10 years later, with no W. auropunctata recorded in any of the traps. In the absence of W. auropunctata, the number and diversity of ant species increased and the ant communities were dominated by the African big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala. Our findings indicate that the disappearance of W. auropunctata is probably related to population increases in P. megacephala associated with dramatic changes in landscape. Further studies at other invaded locations should be carried out in order to reveal the generality of these patterns throughout this country.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public
8. Effect of ant attendance on aphid population growth and above ground biomass of the aphid's host plant
- Creator:
- Hosseini, Afsane, Hosseini, Mojtaba, Katayama, Noboru, and Mehrparvar, Mohsen
- Format:
- print, počítač, and online zdroj
- Type:
- article, články, journal articles, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Zoologie, polokřídlí, mšicovití, blanokřídlí, populační růst, Hemiptera, Aphididae, Hymenoptera, population growth, Formicidae, ant-aphid interaction, aphid performance, developmental stage, plant yield, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Ant-aphid mutualism is considered to be a beneficial association for the individuals concerned. The population and fitness of aphids affected by ant attendance and the outcome of this relationship affects the host plant of the aphid. The main hypothesis of the current study is that ant tending decreases aphid developmental time and/or increases reproduction per capita, which seriously reduces host plant fitness. The effect of attendance by the ant Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on population growth and duration of different developmental stages of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were determined along with the consequences for the fitness of the host plant of the aphid, Vicia faba L., in greenhouse conditions. The initial aphid density was manipulated in order to study aphid performance due to density-dependent changes in ant attendance. The population growth rate of ant attended aphids was more than that of unattended aphids. However, the ratio of 1st-2nd nymphs to adults in aphid populations attended by ants was lower. The yields of bean plants on which the aphids were attended by ants were significantly greater than those of unattended plants. This study indicates that ants not only increase aphid fitness in terms of their population growth rate, but also benefit the host plant., Afsane Hosseini, Mojtaba Hosseini, Noboru Katayama, Mohsen Mehrparvar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ and policy:public
9. Identification of microsatellite markers for a worldwide distributed, highly invasive ant species Tapinoma melanocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
- Creator:
- Jan Zima, Lebrasseur, Ophélie, Michaela Borovanská, and Janda, Milan
- Format:
- print, počítač, and online zdroj
- Type:
- article, články, journal articles, model:article, and TEXT
- Subject:
- Zoologie, blanokřídlí, Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Tapinoma melanocephalum, microsatellites, invasive species, homozygosity excess, 2, and 59
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- Tapinoma melanocephalum is a worldwide distributed, highly invasive ant species. It lives in close association with human societies and its distribution is human-mediated in large measure. The geographical origin of this ant species is unknown, but its introduction in areas previously devoided of its presence can represent a threat to the native biota, act as an agricultural pest or as a pathogen vector. To investigate the genetic structure and phylogeography of this species we identified 12 new polymorphic microsatellite markers, and in addition, we tested and selected 12 ant-universal microsatellites polymorphic in T. melanocephalum. We genotyped 30 individuals from several islands of Micronesia and Papua-New Guinea. All 24 loci exhibited strong homozygosity excess (45-100%, mean = 86%), while the number of alleles per locus reached usual values (2-18, mean = 6.5), resulting in levels of expected heterozygosity much higher than observed. Based on several robust tests, we were able to exclude artefacts such as null alleles and allelic dropout as a possible cause of the observed pattern. Homozygosity excess might be a consequence of founder effect, bottleneck and/or inbreeding. As our sample population was composed of individuals from several distinct localities, the Wahlund effect might have contributed to the increased homozygosity as well. Despite the provisionally observed deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the newly developed microsatellites will provide an effective tool for future genetic investigations of population structure as well as for the phylogeographic study of T. melanocephalum., Jan Zima Jr., Ophélie Lebrasseur, Michaela Borovanská, Milan Janda., and Obsahuje bibliografii
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ and policy:public
10. Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for a globally distributed invasive ant Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
- Creator:
- Tseng, Shu-Ping, Darras, Hugo , Lee, Chow-Yang, Yoshimura, Tsuyoshi , Keller, Laurent , and Yang, Chin-Cheng Scotty
- Format:
- počítač and online zdroj
- Type:
- model:article and TEXT
- Subject:
- Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Paratrechina longicornis, genetic diversity, invasive species, microsatellites, and reproduction mode
- Language:
- English
- Description:
- The longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille), is a ubiquitous agricultural and urban pest that has invaded most tropical and subtropical regions. Although P. longicornis has been found worldwide for more than a century, the genetic structure, origin, and invasion history of this species have not yet been extensively studied, partially because of the limited number of genetic markers currently available. In the present study, we developed 36 polymorphic microsatellite markers for P. longicornis and characterized these markers by genotyping P. longicornis workers from 74 colonies in East and Southeast Asia. All loci were polymorphic, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 3 to 18 (8.5 on average). Extremely high levels of heterozygosity were found in all populations, suggesting that workers are invariably produced from the mating of divergent queen and male lineages. Queens and males possess non-overlapping allele size ranges at 18 loci, indicating the potential resolving power of the subset of markers in inferring the history of queen and male lineages. Genetic differentiation among three studied populations was low yet significant and may likely reflect their close association with human activities. Overall, the new microsatellite markers developed in the present study serve as a practical tool to reconstruct routes of invasion and assess the population genetics of this invasive ant.
- Rights:
- http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ and policy:public