蚂蚁与蚁运植物的互惠共生关系

蚁运植物（myrmecochore)即指种子靠蚂蚁携带散布的植物。在长期的协同进化中,蚂蚁与蚁运植物形成了互惠共生关系。由于蚁运植物种子上附生有蚂蚁喜食的油质体,蚂蚁取食油质体后,将种子丢弃在蚁巢附近,从而使植物得以扩散。蚁运植物广布全世界,但主要分布在澳大利亚和南非。蚂蚁主要搬运草本植物和部分灌木植物的种子。对蚂蚁与蚁运植物互惠共生关系的研究表明：蚂蚁的搬运有利于保护和传播植物种子;蚁巢有利于种子萌发,出苗和建群;蚂蚁的搬运是影响某些温带森林群落结构的重要因素之一;蚂蚁与蚁运植物互惠共生对自然群落的恢复有重要作用。     

The Effect of Hill-Building Activities of Ants on the Species Diversity of Plant Communitiesin Songnen Grassland 蚂蚁筑丘活动对松嫩草地植物群落多样性的影响

 吉林省长岭县羊草(Aneurolepidium chinense)草地自然保护区内分布的蚂蚁主要为玉米毛蚁(Lasius alienus)和黄墩蚁(Lasius flavus)。蚂蚁是草地生态系统的一个生物干扰因子。通过分析比较该保护区内4个植物群落中玉米毛蚁和黄墩蚁蚁丘上植物的种类组成、优势种的数量特征及群落多样性变化,探讨了蚂蚁筑丘活动对草地生态系统的影响。主要结论如下：1)蚁丘上的植物种类组成与对照显著不同。在蚁丘上分布的植物主要是羊草种组(Aneurolepidium chinense group     

针毛收获蚁社群密度与分布及社群各品级在自然穴巢中的季节迁移行为

针毛收获蚁Messoraciculatus(F .Smith)是我国北方特别是西北荒漠草原的优势种蚂蚁 ,亦是重要的种子收获性蚁类 ,收获、贮藏和取食 1 0余种荒漠植物种子。本文以沙坡头自然保护区红卫固定沙丘地段为样地 ,对该蚁的社群密度与分布及社群各品级在自然穴巢中的季节迁移行为作了研究。最近邻体法测定表明 ,社群在新生生境中起初随机定居 ,随社群密度的不断定居 ,空间分布型逐渐向均匀六边形过渡 ;社群密度为成熟社群 34 .98巢 hm2 ,发展中社群 2 6 .99巢 hm2 ,新建社群 4 4.98巢 hm2 ,种群密度 2 .6 8工蚁 m2 。社群结构的季节动态总蚁量和幼蚁为双峰型 ,蚁后和雄蚁为单峰型。室内人工蚁巢饲养表明 ,社群结构约 1月后趋于稳定 ,蚁量 5 0～ 70头 ,单蚁后以 4个品级混合越冬。自然社群的挖掘表明 ,各品级在蚁巢中的季节迁移行为明显呈现上迁、前层持续活动、下迁和深层越冬四期。此外 ,讨论了该蚁对荒漠草原环境的适应性。     

其它可利用食物对小花宽瓣黄堇(Corydalis giraldii Fedde)种子散布的影响

作为蚁播植物种子的重要传播者,蚂蚁不但取食种子上附着的油质体,也喜食其它富含蛋白质、脂类、糖和维生素等的食物,因此环境中其它可利用食物的存在可能会影响蚂蚁对种子的搬运进而影响种子散布,但目前对于这种影响是如何发生的仍不清楚。在野外研究了蚂蚁对小花宽瓣黄堇(Corydalis giraldii Fedde)种子、肉、蜂蜜、苹果、馒头等食物的趋性和偏好程度,以及添加食物后蚂蚁对种子的拜访频率和搬运效率,以揭示其它可利用食物如何影响蚂蚁觅食和取食偏好,进而影响小花宽瓣黄堇种子散布。结果显示,在所诱捕的8种蚂蚁中,玉米毛蚁(Lasius alienus(Foerster))和丝光蚁(Formica fusca Linnaeus)是小花宽瓣黄堇种子的主要搬运者,不同食物诱捕的玉米毛蚁数量无显著性差异(P0.05),但蜂蜜和苹果诱捕的丝光蚁数量均显著大于种子(P0.05)。玉米毛蚁和丝光蚁均为杂食性,在觅食中分别行使群体募集和简单协作性募集。在仅有种子的对照处理中,玉米毛蚁和丝光蚁对种子的拜访频率分别为(38.73±4.57)头和(30.8±2.87)头(40min,n=15),两种蚂蚁对种子的拜访频率差异不显著(P0.05);玉米毛蚁和丝光蚁搬运种子的效率分别为(33.87±4.22)粒和(16.27±3.35)粒(40min,n=15),玉米毛蚁的搬运效率显著高于丝光蚁(P0.05)。与对照相比,添加馒头、苹果和蜂蜜后丝光蚁对种子的拜访频率显著降低(P0.05),分别为(15.6±3.61)头、(9.07±1.4)头和(7.67±1.58)头(40min,n=15);添加苹果和蜂蜜后丝光蚁对种子的搬运效率显著降低(P0.05),分别为(3.47±1.17)粒和(2.87±0.9)粒(40min,n=15);添加不同食物后玉米毛蚁对种子的拜访频率和搬运效率均无显著变化(P0.05)。研究结果表明行使群体募集的玉米毛蚁比行使简单协作募集的丝光蚁有更高的种子搬运效率,添加食物后影响丝光蚁对种子的拜访频率和搬运效率,这说明其它可利用食物对小花宽瓣黄堇种子散布的影响与搬运蚂蚁的种类及其觅食的募集方式有关。研究结果可为进一步研究蚂蚁与植物(种子)间的互利共生关系及其影响因素提供资料。     

油质体在5种蚁播植物种子散布中的作用

蚁播植物种子上常附着有蚂蚁喜食的油质体,该物体可吸引蚂蚁取食或为蚂蚁提供钳着位点从而影响种子散布。为进一步揭示油质体在种子散布中的作用,在野外研究了4属5种典型蚁播植物包括小花宽瓣黄堇(Corydalis giraldii Fedde)、假刻叶紫堇(C.pseudoincisa C.Y.Wu)、白屈菜(Chelidonium majus L.)、紫花堇菜(Viola grypoceras A.Gray)和柔毛淫羊藿(Epimedium pubescens Maxim.)其相应的搬运蚂蚁即玉米毛蚁(Lasius alienus(Foerster))和尼特纳大头蚁(Pheidole nietneri Emery)对植物完整种子(SE)、去除油质体的种子(S)和粘有人工模拟油质体的种子(S+H)的搬运行为和搬运效率。结果显示,蚂蚁对相同植物3类种子的触碰和检查次数均无显著差异。蚂蚁对种子的尝试搬运次数除玉米毛蚁对小花宽瓣黄堇、假刻叶紫堇和白屈菜去除油质体的种子(S)显著高于完整种子(SE)和粘有人工模拟油质体的种子(S+H)外,其它的均无显著差异。玉米毛蚁对小花宽瓣黄堇、假刻叶紫堇、白屈菜和紫花堇菜以及尼特纳大头蚁对小花宽瓣黄堇、假刻叶紫堇和紫花堇菜完整种子(SE)的搬运效率显著高于粘有人工模拟油质体的种子(S+H)和去除油质体的种子(S),此外,玉米毛蚁对小花宽瓣黄堇粘有人工模拟油质体的种子(S+H)的搬运效率显著高于去除油质体的种子(S)。这说明玉米毛蚁在搬运小花宽瓣黄堇种子过程中油质体不仅起到吸引作用,而且起到钳着位点作用;玉米毛蚁在搬运假刻叶紫堇、白屈菜和紫花堇菜以及尼特纳大头蚁搬运小花宽瓣黄堇、假刻叶紫堇和紫花堇菜种子过程中油质体仅起到吸引作用。研究表明油质体可通过对蚂蚁起吸引作用,或同时起吸引和钳着位点的双重作用等影响种子散布,油质体的影响作用不但取决于植物种类,也与搬运蚂蚁的种类有关。     

蚂蚁觅食与搬运行为对阜平黄堇和小花黄堇种子散布的影响

蚂蚁是无脊椎动物中重要的种子传播者,蚂蚁散布影响植物种子的传播和扩散,进而会影响种苗的空间分布格局。在野外研究了蚂蚁觅食及搬运行为对阜平黄堇(Corydalis wilfordii Regel)和小花黄堇(C.racemosa(Thunb.)Pers.)种子散布的影响。结果显示,双针棱胸蚁和束胸平结蚁是两种植物种子的共同搬运者,前者行使群体募集,后者行使简单协作募集。在搬运阜平黄堇种子时,双针棱胸蚁在原地或搬运途中取食油质体后抛弃的种子约占种子总数的56%,而拖至蚁巢的种子约占种子总数的44%,平均搬运距离为(1.85±0.24)m,搬运效率为(43.8±7.5)粒/h;而束胸平结蚁将完整种子全部直接搬运至蚁巢,平均搬运距离为0.45 m,搬运效率为(7.3±2.2)粒/h。在搬运小花黄堇种子时,双针棱胸蚁和束胸平结蚁均将完整种子全部直接搬运至蚁巢,平均搬运距离分别为(6.27±4.40)m和(6.65±1.64)m,搬运效率分别为(34.2±6.5)粒/h和(10.6±3.2)粒/h。这说明行使群体募集的蚂蚁比行使简单协作募集的蚂蚁有较高的搬运效率,蚂蚁散布导致阜平黄堇和小花黄堇种子到达蚁巢的数量和搬运距离不同,而这种不同与相应搬运蚂蚁的觅食对策、搬运行为和种子特征有关。阜平黄堇种子比小花黄堇种子大,但阜平黄堇的油质体质量比小于小花黄堇的油质体质量比,讨论了种子特征对蚂蚁散布的影响。     

红火蚁对蚁运植物种子影响的研究概况

自然界中蚂蚁与蚁运植物的互惠关系是一种普遍的现象。蚁运植物种子的油质体是两者发生联系的纽带,它能为蚂蚁提供营养物质,且蚂蚁在消耗油质体的同时,搬运并散布了种子。红火蚁是近年来在华南地区严重发生的一种入侵性蚂蚁,能在短时间内迅速发展成为优势种,造成入侵地生物多样性降低和生态单一化,是世界范围内最具危险的社会性昆虫之一。由于该入侵蚂蚁极具侵略性、觅食能力强、种群庞大等特点,对蚁运植物具有深远的影响。为了深入、全面地了解红火蚁对蚁运植物种子的影响,本文综述了红火蚁对蚁运植物种子油质体的喜好及搬运行为,以及对蚁运植物种子的直接影响(搬运、取食、划痕或毁坏)及间接影响(排挤本地蚂蚁),最后展望了未来红火蚁对蚁运植物影响的研究方向。     

河南开封地区的蚂蚁资源

蚂蚁是河南开封地区大型土壤动物的优势类群,其种群数量庞大,分布较广。通过调查获得开封地区蚂蚁的基本资料:包括5亚科,18属,43种。优势种为铺道蚁、粗面收获蚁和日本弓背蚁,且不同生境、不同地域内的蚂蚁种类和分布都有差异。     

吉林西部草原地区蚂蚁种类及分布

在吉林西部草原地区蚂蚁是大型土壤动物的优势类群,数量巨大,但种类少,仅发现3亚科9属14种。放牧场、撂荒地、农田、人工林、乡间土路、院落6种生境中分布最多的蚂蚁是红林蚁和铺道蚁,撂荒地和人工林的蚂蚁种类和巢口密度最大。在割草场分布的蚂蚁主要是玉米毛蚁、黄墩蚁和铺道蚁,它们均修建明显的地上蚁丘,蚁丘呈环带状分布,即主要分布在草地与碱斑的交界处,并且从草场边缘向中心,蚁丘的数量逐渐减少。利用拥挤度指数对蚁丘的分布格局进行分析,表明蚁丘呈聚集分布,并对可能影响蚁巢分布的因素进行了探讨。     

针毛收获蚁贮食行为及贮藏对种子活力的影响

针毛收获蚁Messoraciculatus(F .Smith)是我国西北荒漠草原生态系统中的种子收获性优势蚁类 ,收获、贮藏和取食多种 1年生荒漠植物种子 ,其中狗尾草、地锦、猪毛菜、雾冰藜最为典型 ,冬贮量分别为 1 92 ,1 1 2 ,0 5 1和 0 2 5g 1 0 0工蚁 ,分别占土壤种子库总量的 5 4 3 5 %～ 78 2 6% ,1 6 85 % ,1 1 7%和1 0 0 % ,占种子年产量的 79 5 6% ,1 6 73 % ,4 91 %和 3 1 49%。嗜于收获和贮藏的种子大小为 1 2～ 2 7mm ,重量为 0 8～ 2 0g 千粒。贮藏格局表现在不同穴巢深度所贮藏的种子种类和贮量不同 ;不同类型种子在贮藏小室中的堆放和混合方式不同 ;总贮量与社群总蚁量和蚁后数正相关。贮藏引起种子萌发能力显著降低。此外 ,对贮藏格局与种子形态特征的关系及该蚁在荒漠草原生态系统中的功能与地位进行了讨论。     

Intercontinental union of Argentine ants: behavioral relationships among introduced populations in Europe, North America, and Asia

Many invasive ants, including the Argentine ant Linepithema humile, form expansive supercolonies, within which intraspecific aggression is absent. The behavioral relationships among introduced Argentine ant populations at within-country or within-continent scales have been studied previously, but the behavioral relationships among intercontinental populations have not been examined. The present study investigated the levels of aggression among intercontinental Argentine ant populations by transporting live ants from Europe and California to Japan and conducting aggression tests against Japanese populations. Workers from the dominant supercolonies of Europe and California did not show aggressive behavior toward workers from the dominant supercolony of Japan, whereas they fought vigorously against workers from minor supercolonies. The three massive supercolonies, together with Argentine ants from Macaronesia, may be the largest non-aggressive unit formed by a social insect species in which intraspecific aggression exists. Absence or low levels of aggression at transcontinental scale, which may have derived from low genetic variation, may help introduced Argentine ants maintain expansive supercolonies. The lack of aggression implies possible frequent exchanges of individuals among the intercontinental populations mediated by human activities.     

Ant assemblage structure on cocoa trees in smallholder farms in the Centre Region of Cameroon

We investigated the ant community structure in cocoa farms in the Centre Region of Cameroon. Ants were collected on the cocoa trees during the years 2006 and 2007 using chemical knock‐down. We tested the hypothesis of the existence of deterministic factor in the structuration of ant mosaic using C‐Score; we assessed the relationship between the numerical dominant and subdominant ant species using Spearman correlation test and discussed on the influence of vegetation structure and farm management on the ant community structure. A total of 53 ant species belonging to 20 genera and five subfamilies were identified from a set of 51,525 workers collected. C‐score analysis supported the hypothesis that ant community were structured by competition. Negative relationships were found between dominant ant species. Farming practices which were mainly pruning, chemical treatment and habitat structure appeared to influence the ecological status and distribution of dominant ant species.     

A stochastic model of seed dispersal pattern to assess seed predation by ants in annual dry grasslands

A combined field experiment and modelling approach has been used to provide evidence that ants may be responsible for an observed lower patchiness and higher plant diversity in the neighbourhood of ant nests, within Mediterranean dry grasslands belonging to the phytosociological class Tuberarietea guttatae. The hypothesis was that seeds occurring in clumps may have a higher probability to be harvested than seeds having a scattered distribution. In order to test this hypothesis, four analysis steps were performed. First, pattern of seed production and dispersal of four species was recorded; two of them were more abundant next to ant nests (Tuberaria guttata, Euphorbia exigua), whereas the other two were more abundant away from ant nests (Bromus scoparius and Plantago bellardi). Second, a stochastic model was developed to simulate the observed dispersal patterns of each studied species. Third, 10 seed spatial arrangements in accordance to the distribution patterns created by the model were offered to ants and the location of predated seeds was recorded. Finally, the observed pattern of seed predation was matched to models performed by different distributions of probability. Results showed that the probability of being predated decreased as distance among seeds increased. This preference of ants for high concentration of food items holds down the dominant species sufficiently to allow the subordinates to survive, thus increasing diversity near nests. The observed higher frequency of small-seeded, small-sized, or creeping therophytes close to the ant nests can be therefore seen as an example of indirect myrmecophily.     

Ant benefits in a seed dispersal mutualism

Myrmecochorous plant seeds have nutrient rich appendages, elaiosomes, which induce some ant species to carry the seeds back to their nest where the elaiosome is consumed and the seed is discarded unharmed. The benefits to plants of dispersal of their seeds in this way have been well documented, but the benefits to the ants from consuming the elaiosomes have rarely been measured and are less clear. Ant benefits from myrmecochory were investigated in a laboratory experiment using the ant Myrmica ruginodis and seeds of Ulex species. To separate the effects of elaiosome consumption on the development of newly produced larvae versus existing larvae, ten ‘Queenright’ colonies containing a queen were compared to ten ‘Queenless’ colonies. Six measures of colony fitness over a complete annual cycle were taken: sexual production, larval weight and number, pupal weight and number, and worker survival. Queenless colonies fed with elaiosomes produced 100.0±29.3 (mean ± SE) of larvae compared to non-elaiosome fed colonies which produced 49.6±19.0; an increase of 102%. Larval weight increased in both Queenright and Queenless colonies. In colonies fed with elaiosomes, larvae weighed 1.02±0.1 mg, but in non-elaiosome fed colonies larvae weighed 0.69±0.1 mg; an increase of 48%. The food supplement provided by Ulex elaiosomes was trivial in energetic terms, under the conditions of an ample diet, suggesting that these effects might be due to the presence of essential nutrients. Chemical analysis of Ulex elaiosomes showed the presence of four essential fatty acids and four essential sterols for ants.     

The interaction between Cistaceae and a highly specific seed-harvester ant in a Mediterranean scrubland

We studied the interaction between the ant Goniomma kugleri and Cistaceae in a Cistus ladanifer -dominated scrubland, in southwestern Spain. We monitored seed harvesting, and studied ant preferences among Cistaceae seeds and their capture efficiencies for preferred seeds. For the stand of C. ladanifer , we estimated seed losses due to the ants. Harvesting was restricted to two seasons: mid-autumn to late winter, and late spring. Ant diet relied on Cistaceae seeds: during autumn and winter 90% of seeds returned to nests were of C. ladanifer , and the remaining fraction also comprised Cistaceae seeds. At this time, the ants harvested seeds directly from the plants. In late spring, the ant diet consisted of Tuberaria guttata s.l. seeds. Goniomma kugleri selectively collected Cistaceae seeds. For preferred species, seed removal rates at the colony level and seed capture times invested by individual workers were correlated with seed size. Because of shorter capture time and higher success frequency, capture efficiency in terms of number of seeds captured per unit time was higher for small-seeded species. Although each ant colony collected large numbers (up to 10⁵) of C. ladanifer seeds over the autumn–winter season, the impact of ant removal on the annual seed output was moderate, at around 20%. It is likely that, in C. ladanifer , the staggered seed release period, and the pulsed exposure of seed clumps in capsules through progressive locule dehiscence, effectively minimise seed losses to the ants.     

Worker dominance and policing in the ant Temnothorax unifasciatus

In many species of eusocial Hymenoptera, conflict about the production of males is resolved through “policing.” Recent studies in wasps and the ant Temnothorax unifasciatus suggest that in these species policing workers are dominant themselves and selfishly increase their own chances of later becoming fertile. Policing may therefore to some extent be associated with dominance and selfishness, and dominance and policing behaviour are indeed difficult to distinguish and often not mutually exclusive. Moreover, selfish policing requires that workers form rank orders already in the presence of the queen. Here, we try to allocate aggressiveness by workers towards policing and/or dominance behaviour and investigate whether hierarchies based on subtle, non-aggressive interactions exist in queenright colonies of the ant T. unifasciatus. We either split colonies into a queenright and queenless halve or temporarily removed the queen from complete colonies, which in both cases allows a few dominant workers to lay eggs in the queenless colony. Reunification of colony halves and return of the queen to orphaned colonies led to aggression against those workers that had become fertile during the absence of the queen. Dominant workers in reunited, split colonies were more severely attacked than those in orphaned colonies after return of the queen. Furthermore, we observed that workers, which later became dominant egg layers under queenless conditions, have more contact with the queen than other workers. Both results corroborate the existence of rank relationships among workers in queenright colonies and show that results from policing experiments may be affected by the disturbance of pre-existing hierarchies through colony splitting.     

Effect of three mound-building ant species on the formation of soil seed bank in mountain grassland

The effect of three ant species (Lasius flavus, Formica spp., Tetramorium caespitum) on soil seed bank formation was studied in temperate mountain grassland. Seed removal experiments, analysis of soil seed content and seed survival experiments were carried out to evaluate the influence of ground ants on the seed fate. In the seed removal experiment seeds of 16 species, including 5 species with elaiosome-bearing seeds (myrmecochores), were exposed and their removal followed for 39 h. On average, ants removed 63.8% of myrmecochorous seeds and 10.9% of seeds without adaptation to ant dispersal. Analysis of soil seed content revealed that myrmecochores, in spite of expectations that they would accumulate in nests of seed dispersing ants, were most abundant in the soil of control plots. Evidence on seed relocation to the ant nests was obtained from a comparison of mounds of seed dispersing and seed non-dispersing ant species, as more seeds were found in the mounds of Formica spp. and Tetramorium caespitum (seed dispersers) in comparison with the mounds of Lasius favus (non-disperser).The soil seed bank of the compared microhabitats (control plots and mounds of 3 ant species) differed in their species composition, seed abundance and vertical distribution. The most distinct qualitative differences were between seed flora of control plots and mounds of Tetramorium caespitum. Control plots had approximately 30,000 propagules per m², which was double the number of seeds found in the ant mounds. In control plots, abundance and diversity of seeds steeply declined with depth; this trend was not observed in the mounds probably due to bioturbation. In the seed survival experiment, more seeds (2 out of 3 species) survived in control plots, which may also contribute to the higher seed abundance in this microhabitat.This study showed that seed relocation by ants does not contribute significantly to seed bank build-up at this study site. Ants may, however, increase the regeneration success of myrmecochores, mainly by dispersal for distance and placement in a larger spectrum of microsites, in contrast to species not adapted for myrmecochory.     

Acceptance and intake of gel and liquid sucrose compositions by the Argentine ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Liquids and gels are common delivery forms used in commercial ant baits, but the relative effectiveness of each is unknown. We compared the feeding responses of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), to liquid and gel compositions of sucrose. In choice assays, more workers were counted on gel than liquid; however, substantially more liquid was consumed. Because workers could stand on the gel, more workers could feed simultaneously on the gel. The feeding bouts of individual workers, however, were much less efficient at extracting sucrose in gel form. Workers fed eightfold longer on the gel, yet removed fivefold less sucrose than workers feeding on liquid. This potential bias should be considered during attraction and palatability studies that use physically different bait compositions. When the toxicant fipronil was added to the compositions, a greater proportion of the colony died after workers had fed on liquid than gel baits. This finding suggests that liquid formulations may provide more effective control of Argentine ants due to the greater speed and abundance in which it is ingested.