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"Insectes Sociaux", Международный союз исследователей общественных насекомых (International Union for the Study of Social Insects - IUSSI) 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, Pages 303-411 №4

Статьи о муравьях

S. S. Verza, L. C. Forti, J. F. S. Lopes, W. O. H. Hughes
Nest architecture of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex rugosus rugosus
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (303-309)

The prominent nests mounds of many ant species are one of the most obvious signs of their presence, yet the subterranean architecture of nests is often poorly known. The present work aimed to establish the external and internal structure of nests of a species of leaf-cutting ant, Acromyrmex rugosus rugosus, by either marking the interior of nests with talcum powder, or forming casts with cement. Twelve nests were excavated and surveyed, with eight being marked with talcum powder and four cast with cement. The external and internal structure of the nests was highly variable. The largest and smallest nests had mound areas of 9.89 m2 and 0.01 m2 respectively. The number of chambers found ranged from 1 to 26, with maximum dimensions of between 6 and 70 cm. Chambers were found close to the soil surface (6 cm) down to a maximum depth of 3.75 m. In addition to chambers containing fungus garden, some chambers were found to be empty, filled with soil or filled with waste, the first time this has been recorded in a species of Acromyrmex. The nests of A. rugosus rugosus appear to be unusually complex for the genus, containing a diversity of irregular chambers and tunnels.

Keywords: Attini - waste management - nest cast - myrmecophiles

S. S. Verza^{1, 2} , L. C. Forti² , J. F. S. Lopes³ and W. O. H. Hughes⁴

(1) Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociencias, UNESP-Sao Paulo State University, Distrito de Rubiao Junior, 18618-000 Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
(2) Laboratorio de Insetos Sociais-Praga, Departamento de Producao Vegetal-Defesa Fitossanitaria, Faculdade de Ciencias Agronomicas, UNESP-Sao Paulo State University, Fazenda Experimental Lageado, Rua Jose Barbosa de Barros, 1780, 18610-307, P.O. Box 237, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
(3) Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Biologicas: Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, UFJF-Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitario Martelos, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
(4) Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

S. S. Verza (Corresponding author) Email: sandraverza@yahoo.com

L. C. Forti Email: luizforti@fca.unesp.br

J. F. S. Lopes Email: julianeflopes@yahoo.com.br

W. O. H. Hughes Email: w.o.h.hughes@leeds.ac.uk

T. L. Pitts-Singer, K. E. Espelie
Nest demographics and foraging behavior of Apterostigma collare Emery (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) provide evidence of colony independence
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (310-318)

Apterostigma collare Emery is a highly derived fungus-growing ant within the Tribe Attini whose small, fungal nests are found in tropical rain forests. This study focuses on determining the colony structure of A. collare, specifically searching for evidence of polydomy or independence. We surveyed and observed nests in the field, and performed foraging bioassays and dissected nests in the laboratory. We determined the size and contents of nests in field populations. Nests found near other nests were not statistically different in size compared to nests found alone. There was also no statistical difference between near and lone nests regarding the presence of a queen in the nest. Most nests contained one queen with brood and workers, regardless of their proximity to other nests. Observations also were made of foraging and trail-marking behaviors. Foraging activity observed in the field revealed that workers left the nest area and followed trails upwards into the canopy, but they did not interact with foragers from other nearby nests. In a laboratory foraging arena, foragers marked a trail to a food source by dragging the gaster. Bioassays showed that A. collare workers preferred their own foraging trails, but not those of other conspecific colonies. All results suggest that each nest represents an independent colony, supporting a previous report that nests found in close proximity do not constitute a polydomous colony.

Keywords: Apterostigma collare - Attini - foraging - trail-marking

T. L. Pitts-Singer¹ and K. E. Espelie²

(1) U.S.D.A.-A.R.S. Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, U.S.A
(2) Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, U.S.A

T. L. Pitts-Singer (Corresponding author) Email: tsinger@biology.usu.edu

K. E. Espelie Email: espelie@uga.edu

S. Daly-Schveitzer, G. Beugnon, J.-P. Lachaud
Prey weight and overwhelming difficulty impact the choice of retrieval strategy in the Neotropical ant Gnamptogenys sulcata (F. Smith)
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (319-328)

By regulating both the choice between solitary or collective retrieval and the level of nestmate investment for heavy prey transport, individual hunters of the ant Gnamptogenys sulcata are able to increase the foraging efficiency of the whole society, despite the extremely small size of this elite group (1 –4 hunters per colony). Their predatory behavior changes according to the static (weight, size, shape) and dynamic (mobility, escape behaviors) characteristics of the prey. The behavioral sequences resemble those of other poneromorph ants, but palpation after the approach phase is absent, probably because of the swiftness of the attack. Hunting is always performed by solitary workers but, independently of prey type and mobility, small, light prey trigger solitary retrieval whereas large, heavy prey trigger collective retrieval. For intermediate prey weights (8.5 to 21 times the hunter’s weight), some variability in the strategy choice is encountered. Both static and dynamic factors are involved in assessing the difficulty of handling living prey as shown by the number of stings delivered by the hunter for prey immobilization. However, the lack of any stinging against already dead prey indicates that these factors must be uncoupled when selecting retrieval strategies. Prey weight has a major role in this choice. For a given prey size always triggering solitary retrieval, a two-fold increase in prey weight is sufficient to trigger collective transport. Conversely, for a given prey size always triggering collective retrieval, a decrease in prey weight can trigger solitary transport. Moreover, presenting hunters with prey of “infinite” weight triggers several waves of recruitment, so that the number of recruited workers compensates for the “apparent” prey weight. Despite the inability to finely match the number of recruits to the weight of retrieved prey, recruitment strategies adopted by G. sulcata may reflect an evolutionary primitive step towards the finely graded recruitment behavior observed in closely related poneromorph species.

Keywords: Predatory behavior - graded recruitment - prey weight effect - decision-making - Ectatomminae

S. Daly-Schveitzer¹, G. Beugnon¹ and J.-P. Lachaud^{1, 2}

(1) Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (UMR 5169), CNRS–Universite Paul-Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 09, France
(2) El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Depto., Entomologia Tropical, Apdo Postal 36, Tapachula, 30700, Chiapas, Mexico

J.-P. Lachaud Email: lachaud@cict.fr

R. J. Brightwell, J. Silverman
Argentine ant foraging activity and interspecific competition in complete vs. queenless and broodless colonies
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (329-333)

Introduction experiments may prove useful in understanding the mechanisms underlying the successful establishment of invasive ant species into new areas. These manipulative introductions could be particularly helpful in exploring the interactions between invasive species and the local fauna and flora. However, the inherent risk of accidental establishment in such experiments poses unacceptable ethical concerns. Some of the worst invasive species are tramp ant species, which can adversely affect biodiversity and community structure after establishment. We conducted laboratory and field experiments investigating a safe methodology for carrying out introduction experiments using the sterile workers of the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, as a model. We found no difference in foraging rate between worker-only colonies of L. humile and complete colonies, containing queens, workers and brood. Worker-only L. humile colonies showed the same exploitative and interference ability as complete colonies in bait dominance trials with the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile, in both laboratory and field trials. We suggest that for those invasive ant species with sterile workers, worker-only colonies may be substituted for complete colonies in short-term field experiments in new areas.

Keywords: Linepithema humile - Argentine ants - interspecific competition - introduction experiments - invasive species

R. J. Brightwell and J. Silverman

(1) Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, U.S.A.

J. Silverman - Email: jules_silverman@ncsu.edu

I. Deblauwe, W. Dekoninck
Diversity and distribution of ground-dwelling ants in a lowland rainforest in southeast Cameroon
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (334-342)

Detailed information on the ground-dwelling ant diversity and distribution in the rainforests of the Congo Basin is lacking so far. A new ant species list from a continuous mixed secondary lowland rainforest on the northern periphery of the Dja Biosphere Reserve in southeast Cameroon is presented. We investigated the effect of vegetation type on ant species density, activity and composition. Ants were collected by pitfall trapping in seven vegetation types in each of three seasons during 12 months in 2003 and 2004–2005. Our site in Cameroon had a total observed ant diversity of 145 species. Vegetation type significantly influenced the ground-dwelling and -foraging (arboreal) ant assemblages. Differences in species density, activity and composition between vegetation types were explained not only by soil type (hydromorphous – terra firme), but also by developmental stage of vegetation types. The highly inundated Raphia-swamp had the lowest ant species density and activity. Older secondary forests still had a different species composition than near primary forest even after 25 years of recovery after anthropogenic disturbance. Finally, the high ant species number captured by our pitfalls, the absence of the invasive exotic ant Wasmannia auropunctata and the high Dorylus (Anomma) army ant diversity confirm the importance of the Cameroonian rainforest for biodiversity conservation programs.

Keywords. Activity - pitfall traps - southeast Cameroon - species richness - vegetation type

I. Deblauwe^{1, 2} and W. Dekoninck³

(1) Center for Research and Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
(2) Department of Biology, University of Antwerp (UA), Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
(3) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

I. Deblauwe - Email: isra.deblauwe@gmail.com

I. Deblauwe, W. Dekoninck
Spatio-temporal patterns of ground-dwelling ant assemblages in a lowland rainforest in southeast Cameroon
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (343-350)

We studied the spatio-temporal patterns of ground-dwelling and -foraging ant assemblages in a continuous mixed secondary lowland rainforest on the northern periphery of the Dja Biosphere Reserve in southeast Cameroon. The effect of season and of the interaction of season with vegetation type on ant species density, activity and composition were investigated. We also checked for a possible impact of army ant activity on the ant assemblage. Ants were collected by pitfall trapping in seven vegetation types in each of three seasons during 12 months in 2003 and 2004–2005. Season significantly influenced the ground-dwelling ant assemblage. The late wet season had the lowest ant species density and a different species composition than the early wet and the dry season. Also inter-annual variation in ant species density and composition was detected and could partly be explained by an influence of Dorylus activity. In general, vegetation type and inter-annual variation had a larger influence on the ground-ant assemblage than season. Significant effects of interactions between season, year, vegetation type and army ants on the ant assemblage confirm that also in African rainforests ant assemblages are extremely dynamic and depend on a complex combination of availability of food resources, nest sites and predators.

Keywords. Activity - pitfall traps - southeast Cameroon - species richness - vegetation type

I. Deblauwe^{1, 2} and W. Dekoninck³

(1) Center for Research and Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
(2) Department of Biology, University of Antwerp (UA), Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
(3) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

I. Deblauwe - Email: isra.deblauwe@gmail.com

C. W. Torres, M. Brandt, N. D. Tsutsui
The role of cuticular hydrocarbons as chemical cues for nestmate recognition in the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile)
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (363-373)

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) in their native South American range, like most other ant species, form spatially restricted colonies that display high levels of aggression toward other such colonies. In their introduced range, Argentine ants are unicolonial and form massive supercolonies composed of numerous nests among which territorial boundaries are absent. Here we examine the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in nestmate recognition of this highly damaging invasive ant using three supercolonies from its introduced range. We conducted behavioral assays to test the response of Argentine ants to workers treated with colonymate or non-colonymate CHCs. Additionally, we quantified the amount of hydrocarbons transferred to individual ants and performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to qualitatively characterize our manipulation of CHC profiles. The GC/MS data revealed marked differences in the hydrocarbon profiles across supercolonies and indicated that our treatment effectively masked the original chemical profile of the treated ants with the profile belonging to the foreign individuals. We found that individual workers treated with foreign CHCs were aggressively rejected by their colonymates and this behavior appears to be concentration-dependent: larger quantities of foreign CHCs triggered higher levels of aggression. Moreover, this response was not simply due to an increase in the amount of CHCs applied to the cuticle since treatment with high concentrations of nestmate CHCs did not trigger aggression.The results of this study bolster the findings of previous studies on social insects that have implicated CHCs as nestmate recognition cues and provide insight into the mechanisms of nestmate recognition in the invasive Argentine ant.

Keywords: Nestmate recognition - cuticular hydrocarbons - Linepithema humile - invasive species - biological invasions

C. W. Torres¹ , M. Brandt¹ and N. D. Tsutsui¹ (1) Department of Environmental Sciences Policy and Management, University of California, 137 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94602, USA

C. W. Torres (Corresponding author) Email: cwtorres@nature.berkeley.edu

M. Brandt Email: mbrandt@uci.edu

N. D. Tsutsui Email: ntsutsui@nature.berkeley.edu

K. Fiedler, F. Kuhlmann, B. C. Schlick-Steiner, F. M. Steinerand G. Gebauer
Stable N-isotope signatures of central European ants – assessing positions in a trophic gradient
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (393-402)

Studies employing stable isotope technology have greatly contributed to understanding trophic relationships of tropical ants, but temperate-zone ants remain under-explored. We studied 15N values of 43 ant species from three subfamilies sampled across central Europe. After statistically accounting for the effects of elevation and geographical location of habitats, which alter the isotopic composition of nitrogen in ecosystems, significant patterns in N-isotope signatures were detected. These signatures hint at differences across ants in the contribution of plant-derived nitrogen obtained via trophobiosis and nectarivory relative to nitrogen obtained via predation and scavenging. In general, Myrmicinae had higher 15N values than Formicinae, in line with a greater relative importance of trophobiosis in the latter. The genus Myrmica scored especially high, indicating predominantly predacious nitrogen sources. Remarkably, also the granivore Messor cf. structor had high 15N values. This suggests that, despite the major portion of food uptake being made up by plant seeds, this ant could derive substantial fractions of its nitrogen budget from feeding on arthropod corpses or vertebrate faeces. Moreover, this highlights that deductions from observed quantities of ingested food on its relative contribution to ants’ matter balance should be accompanied by isotope analyses. At the other end of the spectrum, Camponotus and Plagiolepis had low 15N values. In line with multiple field observations, this suggests a contribution of trophobiosis not only to their energy, but also to their nitrogen budget. Formica and Lasius had intermediate 15N values, which is in agreement with the current view that these ants have mixed diets with a balance between trophobiosis and predation. A possible influence of endosymbiotic bacteria on the isotope signatures of several genera is discussed. This study provides a first application of stable isotope technology to estimate the role of plant-derived nutrients to the nitrogen budget of a larger range of central European ants. Furthermore, it shows that N-isotope analysis is applicable across extended ecological and geographical gradients. Future studies along this line are promising to complement our current understanding of the nutritional ecology of temperate-zone ants.

Keywords: Ants - Europe - N-isotope signatures - macroecology - trophic relationships

K. Fiedler¹ , F. Kuhlmann², B. C. Schlick-Steiner^{3, 4, 5}, F. M. Steiner^{3, 4, 5} and G. Gebauer⁶

(1) Department of Population Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
(2) Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
(3) Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
(4) Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Boku, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Hasenauerstr. 38, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
(5) School of Marine and Tropical Biology, DB23, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
(6) Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany

K. Fiedler Email: konrad.fiedler@univie.ac.at

J.-L. Mercier, J.-C. Lenoir, A. Eberhardt, S. Frohschammer, C. Williams and J. Heinze
Hammering, mauling, and kissing: stereotyped courtship behavior in Cardiocondyla ants
"Insectes Sociaux", 2007, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. (403-411)

Hammering (постукивания), mauling (поколачивания) и kissing (целование): стереотипное поведение ухаживания у Cardiocondyla
Секс в жизни большинства социальных перепончатокрылых насекомых (Hymenoptera) проявляется довольно прозаически и случайным образом. Напротив, спариванию у муравьев рода Cardiocondyla регулярно предшествует длительный и стереотипный показ ухаживания. Pummeling (постукивание) по голове самки челюстями (мандибулами) и / или антеннами и колебания брюшка, возможно стридуляция, являются существенными частями мужского ухаживания. Полная структура спаривающегося образца сохранена всюду по разновидностям и между крылатыми и бескрылыми “ergatoid” самцами, но показывает определенные видоспецифичные особенности. Например, самцы вида C. elegans регулярно заканчивают взаимодействие с самкой с коротким контактом рта-к-рту. Изменение в продолжительности прекопуляторной стадии и самой копуляции могло бы отразить различные степени меж - и внутрисексуального отбора. Больше информации относительно динамики передачи спермы и риска и интенсивности соревнования спермы необходимо, чтобы лучше понять развитие всего комплекса поведения спаривания в этом роде.

Sex appears to be a rather prosaic and casual event in the life of most social Hymenoptera. In contrast, mating in the ant genus Cardiocondyla is regularly preceded by a prolonged and stereotypic courtship display. Pummeling the head of the female with mandibles and / or antennae and vibrations of the gaster, presumably stridulation, are essential parts of male courtship. The overall structure of the mating pattern is conserved throughout species and between winged and wingless, “ergatoid” males, but exhibits species-specific idiosyncrasies. For example, C. elegans males regularly end the interaction with a female with a short mouth-to-mouth contact. Variation in the duration of the precopulatory phase and the copulation itself might reflect different degrees of inter- and intrasexual selection. More information on the dynamics of sperm transfer and the risk and intensity of sperm competition are needed to better understand the evolution of the complex mating behavior in this genus.

Keywords: Cardiocondyla - mating behavior - male polymorphism - sexual selection

J.-L. Mercier¹ , J.-C. Lenoir¹, A. Eberhardt², S. Frohschammer², C. Williams^{2, 3} and J. Heinze²

(1) Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, Universite Francois Rabelais, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 6035, 37200 Tours, France
(2) Biologie I, Universitat Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany
(3) Present address: Centre for Environmental Science, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

J.-L. Mercier - Email: jean-luc.mercier@univ-tours.fr

J. Heinze (Corresponding author) - Email: juergen.heinze@biologie.uni-regensburg.de

©2008, Vladislav Krasilnikov (translation & supplement) 

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