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Wilfried A. König - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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communication in the migratory termite hunting ant pachycondyla termitopone marginata formicidae Ponerinae
Journal of Comparative Physiology A-neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 1996Co-Authors: Bert Holldobler, Paulo S. Oliveira, Inara R. Leal, Edelgard Janssen, Hans‐jürgen Bestmann, F. Kern, Wilfried A. KönigAbstract:The Neotropical species Pachycondyla marginata conducts well-organized predatory raids on the termite species Neocapritermes opacus and frequently emigrates to new nest sites. During both activities the ants employ chemical trail communication. The trail pheromone orginates from the pygidial gland. Among the substances identified in the pygidial gland secretions, only citronellal was effective as a trail pheromone. Isopulegol elicited an increase in locomotory activity in the ants and may function as a synergist recruitment signal. The chemical signal is enhanced by a shaking display performed by the recruiting ant.
Ps Oliveira - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Ants affect the distribution and performance of seedlings of Clusia criuva, a primarily bird-dispersed rain forest tree
Inglaterra, 2015Co-Authors: Passos L, Ps OliveiraAbstract:1 We studied the dispersal system of the tree Clusia criuva (Clusiaceae) in a tropical rain forest in south-east Brazil. An observational/experimental approach was adopted to estimate the probability of transitions between consecutive stages in the recruitment process (i.e. fruit production and removal by birds, ant-seed interactions on the forest floor, seed germination, and establishment and early survival of seedlings). 2 Clusia trees produce hundreds of capsules with small lipid-rich arillate seeds. Crop size ranges from 393 to 3709 capsules per tree. Birds (14 species) eat 83% of the diaspores on the tree, while the remaining 17% fall to the ground and are removed by ants (16 species). 3 Ants remove 89% of the fallen diaspores and 98% of the seeds found in bird faeces. Ponerine ants (Odontomachus, Pachycondyla) carry the diaspores to their nests, while small myrmicines (Pheidole, Crematogaster) remove the aril where found. Aril removal by ants and removal of seeds from bird defecations increase germination success in C. criuva. 4 Seedlings are more frequent close to ponerine nests than in control areas without such nests. Early seedling survival (I year) in nests of Pachycondyla striata is greater than in control areas. Soil samples from nests of P. striata also had higher concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus than random soil samples. 5 This is the first study to demonstrate the combined effects of ants on the distribution and survival of seedlings of a primarily vertebrate-dispersed plant in a tropical forest.90351752
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Interactions between ants, fruits and seeds in a restinga forest in south-eastern Brazil
EUA, 2015Co-Authors: Passos L, Ps OliveiraAbstract:Fleshy diaspores (fruits, seeds) comprise a large portion of the litter on the floor of tropical forests, and interactions involving litter-foraging ants and diaspores are common in these areas. In this study, the interactions between ants and non-myrmecochorous diaspores (i.e. not adapted to dispersal by ants) were surveyed along a 1.4-km transect in a restinga forest (sandy soil) on the coast of south-eastern Brazil. During 2 y of monthly samplings, 562 interactions involving 48 ant species and 44 species of diaspore (0.02-11.10 g) were recorded. Ant-diaspore associations involved a considerable part of the ground-dwelling ant community. Large ponerine ants individually removed the diaspores up to 13 m, whereas small ants (myrmicines) normally recruited workers and consumed the diaspore on the spot. Ant-derived benefits to diaspores of non-myrmecochorous plants included secondary dispersal (small to medium-sized diaspores), and increased germination success after seed cleaning by ants. Large ponerine ants such as Odontomachus chelifer and Pachycondyla striata were the main seed vectors. Seedlings of three species were associated with nests of O. chelifer. The results indicate that ants play an important role in fruit/seed biology in the restinga forest.o TEXTO COMPLETO DESTE ARTIGO, ESTARÁ DISPONÍVEL À PARTIR DE AGOSTO DE 2015.19326127
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Seasonal Patterns in Activity Rhythm and Foraging Ecology in the Neotropical Forest-Dwelling Ant, Odontomachus chelifer (Formicidae: Ponerinae)
Entomological Soc Amer, 2015Co-Authors: Raimundo Rlg, Freitas Avl, Ps OliveiraAbstract:We provide qualitative and quantitative data on the natural history and foraging behavior of the ground-dwelling ant Odontomachus chelifer (Latreille) (Formicidae: Ponerinae) ill a forest reserve in southeastern Brazil, with emphasis on colony activity rhythms and diet preferences in relation to seasonal availability of potential food items in the leaf litter. Ant colonies exhibited nocturnal activity throughout the year, and they foraged significantly more intensively in the wet/warm (November-March) than in the cold/dry season (April-October). As the night begins, small groups of workers disperse and hunt individually on a wide diversity of litter arthropods of variable sizes. At dusk, encounters with foragers of the diurnal ponerine Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith were conspicuously avoided by O.chelifer, which occasionally had their prey robbed by the former or were even taken as prey themselves. Termites were the preferred prey of O. chelifer, making up 40% of the food items captured in each season. Seasonal comparisons of prey organisms captured by O. chelifer, and of litter-dwelling arthropods sampled in pitfall traps, revealed that the frequency distribution Of retrieved prey in each taxonomic group did not differ seasonally, despite the 2.7-fold increase in the overall availability of litter arthropods in the warm/wet period. This result supports foraging theory by showing that preference for certain animal prey types (i.e., taxonomic groups) persists through time despite seasonal fluctuations in the overall availability of potential prey oil the forest floor. This study points out to the importance of studying ant foraging ecology and diet preferences in a natural context
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Seasonal Patterns in Activity Rhythm and Foraging Ecology in the Neotropical Forest-Dwelling Ant, Odontomachus chelifer (Formicidae: Ponerinae)
EUA, 2015Co-Authors: Raimundo Rlg, Freitas Avl, Ps OliveiraAbstract:Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)We provide qualitative and quantitative data on the natural history and foraging behavior of the ground-dwelling ant Odontomachus chelifer (Latreille) (Formicidae: Ponerinae) ill a forest reserve in southeastern Brazil, with emphasis on colony activity rhythms and diet preferences in relation to seasonal availability of potential food items in the leaf litter. Ant colonies exhibited nocturnal activity throughout the year, and they foraged significantly more intensively in the wet/warm (November-March) than in the cold/dry season (April-October). As the night begins, small groups of workers disperse and hunt individually on a wide diversity of litter arthropods of variable sizes. At dusk, encounters with foragers of the diurnal ponerine Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith were conspicuously avoided by O.chelifer, which occasionally had their prey robbed by the former or were even taken as prey themselves. Termites were the preferred prey of O. chelifer, making up 40% of the food items captured in each season. Seasonal comparisons of prey organisms captured by O. chelifer, and of litter-dwelling arthropods sampled in pitfall traps, revealed that the frequency distribution Of retrieved prey in each taxonomic group did not differ seasonally, despite the 2.7-fold increase in the overall availability of litter arthropods in the warm/wet period. This result supports foraging theory by showing that preference for certain animal prey types (i.e., taxonomic groups) persists through time despite seasonal fluctuations in the overall availability of potential prey oil the forest floor. This study points out to the importance of studying ant foraging ecology and diet preferences in a natural context.o TEXTO COMPLETO DESTE ARTIGO, ESTARÁ DISPONÍVEL À PARTIR DE AGOSTO DE 2015.102611511157Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)National Science Foundation [DEB-0527441]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [99/06919-7, 00/01484-1, 04/05269-9, 98/05101-8, 08/54058-1]CNPq [300282/2008-7, 304521/2006-0]National Science Foundation [DEB-0527441
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Interaction between ants and seeds of a nonmyrmecochorous neotropical tree, Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae), in the Atlantic forest of southeast Brazil
EUA, 2015Co-Authors: Ps OliveiraAbstract:On the forest floor of two Atlantic forest sites in southeast Brazil, we recorded 26 ant species (12 genera) interacting with the seeds of Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae), a typical ornithochorous tree whose seeds are covered by a lipid-rich aril. The ants treat the arillate seeds in three different ways: (1) the large ponerine ants Pachycondyla striata and Odontomachus chelifer individually remove the seeds to their nests, (2) many species (Pheidole spp.) recruit workers to remove the aril on the spot, or (3) Solenopsis spp, recruit nestmates and cover the seeds with soil before removing the aril on the spot. The ants remove the aril exceptionally rapidly, and removal greatly facilitates seed germination. Seed predation by insects below fruiting trees is severe, and field experiments using vertebrate exclosures showed that rodents also prey heavily upon seeds found near parent trees. Ponerine ants actively remove seeds from this predation-prone zone. By removing bird-manipulated and naturally fallen seeds, ants can play a key role in the fate of medium-sized seeds like those of C. canjerana.85566967
Bert Holldobler - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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communication in the migratory termite hunting ant pachycondyla termitopone marginata formicidae Ponerinae
Journal of Comparative Physiology A-neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 1996Co-Authors: Bert Holldobler, Paulo S. Oliveira, Inara R. Leal, Edelgard Janssen, Hans‐jürgen Bestmann, F. Kern, Wilfried A. KönigAbstract:The Neotropical species Pachycondyla marginata conducts well-organized predatory raids on the termite species Neocapritermes opacus and frequently emigrates to new nest sites. During both activities the ants employ chemical trail communication. The trail pheromone orginates from the pygidial gland. Among the substances identified in the pygidial gland secretions, only citronellal was effective as a trail pheromone. Isopulegol elicited an increase in locomotory activity in the ants and may function as a synergist recruitment signal. The chemical signal is enhanced by a shaking display performed by the recruiting ant.
Figueiredo R. A. - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Formigas visitam nectáreos de Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) em uma área de Mata Atlântica: efeitos sobre herbivoria e polinização
Instituto Internacional de Ecologia, 2015Co-Authors: Almeida A. M., Figueiredo R. A.Abstract:Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) produces nectar on the petioles of buds, flowers, and fruits (extrafloral nectaries) but no nectar is found on its flowers, and it is probably a deceptive species. In the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, some aspects of both the ecology and behavior of Camponotus sericeiventris (Formicinae) and Ectatomma tuberculatum (Ponerinae), two ant species foraging on E. denticulatum extrafloral nectaries, were investigated. Both experiments, using termites as baits and field observations, suggest that these ant species are able to prevent reproductive organ herbivory, without affecting pollinator behaviour. Since a low fruit set is often cited as a characteristic of the family, especially for deceptive species, ants attracted to orchid inflorescences protect reproductive structures and increase the probability of pollination success. Epidendrum denticulatum flowers were visited and probably pollinated by Heliconius erato (Nymphalidae) and Euphyes leptosema (Hesperiidae).Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) produz néctar nos pecíolos de botões florais, flores e frutos (nectáreos extraflorais), mas não em suas flores, e provavelmente engana seus polinizadores. Numa área de Mata Atlântica, investigamos alguns aspectos da ecologia e comportamento das formigas Camponotus sericeiventris (Formicinae) e Ectatomma tuberculatum (Ponerinae), ambas encontradas forrageando em nectáreos extraflorais de E. denticulatum. Tanto experimentos usando cupins como iscas quanto observações de campo sugerem que ambas as espécies de formiga têm a dupla capacidade de limitar a herbivoria dos órgãos reprodutivos da espécie estudada, sem interferir no comportamento dos polinizadores. Uma vez que baixa taxa de frutificação é característica das orquídeas, principalmente de espécies sem néctar floral, as formigas atraídas para suas inflorescências estão protegendo as estruturas reprodutivas e aumentando a probabilidade de sucesso de polinização. As flores de E. denticulatum são visitadas e provavelmente polinizadas por Heliconius erato (Nymphalidae) e Euphyes leptosema (Hesperiidae).551558Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq
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Formigas visitam nectáreos de Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) em uma área de Mata Atlântica: efeitos sobre herbivoria e polinização
Instituto Internacional de Ecologia, 2015Co-Authors: Almeida A. M., Figueiredo R. A.Abstract:Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) produces nectar on the petioles of buds, flowers, and fruits (extrafloral nectaries) but no nectar is found on its flowers, and it is probably a deceptive species. In the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, some aspects of both the ecology and behavior of Camponotus sericeiventris (Formicinae) and Ectatomma tuberculatum (Ponerinae), two ant species foraging on E. denticulatum extrafloral nectaries, were investigated. Both experiments, using termites as baits and field observations, suggest that these ant species are able to prevent reproductive organ herbivory, without affecting pollinator behaviour. Since a low fruit set is often cited as a characteristic of the family, especially for deceptive species, ants attracted to orchid inflorescences protect reproductive structures and increase the probability of pollination success. Epidendrum denticulatum flowers were visited and probably pollinated by Heliconius erato (Nymphalidae) and Euphyes leptosema (Hesperiidae).Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) produz néctar nos pecíolos de botões florais, flores e frutos (nectáreos extraflorais), mas não em suas flores, e provavelmente engana seus polinizadores. Numa área de Mata Atlântica, investigamos alguns aspectos da ecologia e comportamento das formigas Camponotus sericeiventris (Formicinae) e Ectatomma tuberculatum (Ponerinae), ambas encontradas forrageando em nectáreos extraflorais de E. denticulatum. Tanto experimentos usando cupins como iscas quanto observações de campo sugerem que ambas as espécies de formiga têm a dupla capacidade de limitar a herbivoria dos órgãos reprodutivos da espécie estudada, sem interferir no comportamento dos polinizadores. Uma vez que baixa taxa de frutificação é característica das orquídeas, principalmente de espécies sem néctar floral, as formigas atraídas para suas inflorescências estão protegendo as estruturas reprodutivas e aumentando a probabilidade de sucesso de polinização. As flores de E. denticulatum são visitadas e provavelmente polinizadas por Heliconius erato (Nymphalidae) e Euphyes leptosema (Hesperiidae)
F. Kern - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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communication in the migratory termite hunting ant pachycondyla termitopone marginata formicidae Ponerinae
Journal of Comparative Physiology A-neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 1996Co-Authors: Bert Holldobler, Paulo S. Oliveira, Inara R. Leal, Edelgard Janssen, Hans‐jürgen Bestmann, F. Kern, Wilfried A. KönigAbstract:The Neotropical species Pachycondyla marginata conducts well-organized predatory raids on the termite species Neocapritermes opacus and frequently emigrates to new nest sites. During both activities the ants employ chemical trail communication. The trail pheromone orginates from the pygidial gland. Among the substances identified in the pygidial gland secretions, only citronellal was effective as a trail pheromone. Isopulegol elicited an increase in locomotory activity in the ants and may function as a synergist recruitment signal. The chemical signal is enhanced by a shaking display performed by the recruiting ant.
