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。     

成都地区居室庭院蚂蚁种类调查

2005～2008年对成都地区居室庭院环境中的蚂蚁种类进行了调查,共发现3个亚科12属的蚂蚁26种,其中,切叶蚁亚科Myrmicinae的蚂蚁无论种类和数量在成都地区都占绝对优势,优势种为印度大头蚁Pheidole indica Mayr和史氏盘腹蚁Aphaenogaster smythiesi Forel.居室庭院蚂蚁在成都地区的分布以印度大头蚁Pheidole indica Mayr、史氏盘腹蚁Aphaenogaster smythiesi Forel和亮立毛蚁Paratrechina vividula Nylander的分布最广.     

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     

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。     

3种生境蚂蚁群落组成和觅食动态调查

蚂蚁是地球上最常见、数量最多的一类昆虫,是指示生物多样性和环境变化的重要物种。大多数蚂蚁由于其社会性而具有群体觅食的特点,然而不同蚂蚁种类由于食性的差异以及种间竞争等原因会产生觅食节律的分化。为研究相同生境中不同种类蚂蚁觅食规律的差异,本研究分别用20%蔗糖水和鸡肉火腿肠以诱饵法诱集湖边、树林、荔枝园3种生境中的蚂蚁,以此确定不同生境中的优势蚂蚁种类及其觅食行为随时间的动态变化。研究结果表明,虽然不同生境诱集到的蚂蚁种类数无显著差异,但诱集到的蚂蚁数量则差异显著。不同生境的优势种也不一样,湖边的最大优树林势种群为小大头蚁(44.21%);树林的优势种群为白跗节狡臭蚁(67.36%)、小大头蚁、宽结大头蚁;荔枝园的最大优势种群为小大头蚁(63.46%)。结果发现,大多数情况下不同调查时间点上觅食工蚁数或同一时间点上不同蚂蚁的数量之间的差异并无统计学意义。研究结果将为不同生境蚂蚁群落多样性的研究提供理论基础。     

两种蚂蚁在橡胶树上的空间分布类型及其竞争

为了探讨黑褐举腹蚁与橡副珠蜡蚧共生优势种黑头酸臭蚁的分布及其竞争关系,本研究采用目光搜寻法调查了橡胶林内黑褐举腹蚁和黑头酸臭蚁的空间分布型及黑褐举腹蚁对黑头酸臭蚁种群数量的影响,并分析了2种蚂蚁在室内人为干扰下的竞争关系。结果表明:2种蚂蚁在橡胶树上均呈聚集分布,并且在有黑褐举腹蚁及其蚁巢区黑头酸臭蚁的种群数量显著低于无黑褐举腹蚁区,可见黑褐举腹蚁对黑头酸臭蚁种群有一定的控制作用;室内1头黑褐举腹蚁与不同密度下黑头酸臭蚁攻击的各处理组合中,无死亡黑褐举腹蚁出现,2种蚂蚁配比在1∶9以下时,黑头酸臭蚁常遭到黑褐举腹蚁的迅猛攻击且死亡率均超过50%;2种蚂蚁配比在1∶9以上时,黑褐举腹蚁攻击行为由主动攻击变为被动防御,此时黑头酸臭蚁死亡率降至26.67%~9.78%;由此可知,1头黑褐举腹蚁最多可与9头黑头酸臭蚁对抗。     

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。     

中国西北地区蚂蚁区系特征

于1997－2000年对宁夏、甘肃、青海及内蒙古西北部地区进行了系统的蚁类标本采集,获得标本1000余号,并对其进行了系统的分类鉴定,获得蚂蚁3亚科16属79种。本调查区蚁类区系组成呈现以下特征：古北界分布的有15属,代表属为蚁属、红蚁属、毛蚁属、原蚁属、箭蚁属、收获蚁属等;东洋界分布的有9属,代表属为火蚁属、细胸蚁属、酸臭蚁属、光胸臭蚁属和弓背蚁属等;在种级水平上,古北界分布的有79种,东洋界分布的仅17种。蒙新区分布的成分有15属,其中以铺道蚁属、原蚁属及箭蚁属为主体,蚁属和心结蚁属次之;区分布的成分有4属,以蚁属和毛蚁属为主体;东北区分布的成分有5属,蚁属和毛蚁属为主体;华北区分布的成分有15属,其中以蚁属、红蚁属和毛蚁属为主体,仅心结蚁属无分布;华中区、华南区和西南区分布的成分均不明显。在种级水平,华北区和蒙新区分布的成分为主体,分别占51和49种,其次为华中区、青藏区和东北区的成分,分别占17、15和15种,华南区和西南区的成分最少,分别为8和5种。在区系分类的基础上,根据优势种、特有种,并结合植被、地形、地貌将调查区划分为6个蚁类区：黄土高原蚁类区、荒漠蚁类区（其下设4个蚁类亚区;荒化草原蚁类亚区、草原化茺蚁类亚区、典型荒蚁类亚区和荒漠绿洲蚁类亚区）、荒漠沼泽蚁类区、高寒灌草丛蚁类区、贺兰山蚁为区和六盘山蚁类区。利用主成分分析对不同草原类型的蚂蚁群落进行了相似性分析,结果表明：荒漠化草原群落、草原化荒漠群落、典型荒漠群落和荒漠绿洲群落明显靠近,构成荒类集团,荒漠森林草原（贺兰山）群落明显远离于荒漠类群,反而与典型草原（黄土高原区）群落靠近,这与蚁类区划结果是十分吻合的。此外,利用主成分分析对79种蚂蚁划分为10个生态种组。     

云南紫胶虫种群数量对地表蚂蚁多样性的影响

为了弄清云南紫胶虫种群数量对地表蚂蚁多样性的影响,于2009年12月至2010年5月,采用陷阱法调查了云南省墨江县雅邑乡不同紫胶虫种群数量样地(样地Ⅰ有效枝条寄生率为60%、样地Ⅱ为30%、样地Ⅲ为10%、样地Ⅳ不放养紫胶虫)地表蚂蚁多样性。1)物种组成及相对多度:在样地Ⅰ中采集蚂蚁标本1136头,26种,常见种为棒刺大头蚁(Pheidole spathifera)、伊大头蚁(Pheidole yeensis)和贝卡盘腹蚁(Aphaenogaster beccarii),样地Ⅱ中共采集蚂蚁标本984头,24种,常见种为中华小家蚁(Monomorium chinensis)、棒刺大头蚁、伊大头蚁和皮氏大头蚁(Pheidole pieli),样地Ⅲ中采集蚂蚁标本607头,24种,常见种为粗纹举腹蚁(Crematogaster macaoensis)、中华小家蚁和棒刺大头蚁,样地Ⅳ中采集蚂蚁标本419头,12种,常见种为横纹齿猛蚁(Odontoponera transversa)、中华小家蚁和伊大头蚁;2)多样性:相对多度大小为Ⅰ>Ⅱ>Ⅲ>Ⅳ;蜜露仅提高地表蚂蚁个体数及出现频次,而对物种丰富度无显著影响;3)群落相似性:不同紫胶虫种群数量影响地表蚂蚁群落结构组成;4)指示物种:样地Ⅰ中指示物种为长足光结蚁(Anoplolepis gracilipes)和沃尔什铺道蚁(Tetramorium walshi),样地Ⅲ中指示物种为二色狡臭蚁(Technomyrmex bicolor),样地Ⅱ和Ⅳ中无指示物种。紫胶虫种群通过蜜露资源能维持较高的地表蚂蚁多度,并影响地表蚂蚁活动,改变地表蚂蚁群落结构。     

山东曲阜地区蚂蚁群落结构及物种多样性研究

通过诱捕法和样方调查法获得曲阜地区蚂蚁4亚科15属19种。优势种为菱结大头蚁（Pheidole rhombino-da)、粗面收获蚁（Messor aciculatus)和异色草蚁（Lasius alienus),前2种亦是研究区域的广布种。根据调查数据分析了该地区5种生境中蚂蚁群落的结构及多样性特征,以及人为干扰和生境异质性对蚂蚁群落的影响。结果表明：5种生物中蚂蚁群落种类组成和多样性等指标均不相同。落叶阔叶林中蚂蚁群落种类数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H′）和Pielou均匀度指数（J）最高;人工杨树林中蚂蚁群落Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H′）最低;河滩草丛中蚂蚁巢数、个体数以及种类优势度指数（D）最高。人类干扰越强的生境,蚂蚁群落多样性指数越低;生境质量和异质性越高的生境,蚂蚁群落多样性指数越高。聚类分析与群落结构序列分析结果基本一致,人工杨树林与人居环境中蚂蚁群落相似性最高,其他几个生境蚂蚁群落间相似性很低。同种蚂蚁在不同生境中巢穴和蚁群大小有差异。     

Bottom-up control and co-occurrence in complex communities: honeydew and nectar determine a rainforest ant mosaic

Complex distribution patterns of species-rich insect communities in tropical rainforests have been intensively studied, and yet we know very little about processes that generate these patterns. We provide evidence for the key role of homopteran honeydew and plant nectar in structuring ant communities in an Australian tropical rainforest canopy and understorey. We also test the ant visitation of these resources against predictions derived from the 'ant-mosaic' hypothesis. Two ant species were highly dominant in terms of territorial behaviour and abundance: Oecophylla smaragdina and Anonychomyrma gilberti . Both dominant ant species monopolised large aggregations of honeydew-producing homopterans. Attended homopteran species were highly segregated between these two ant species. For the use of extrafloral and floral nectar (involving 43 ant species on 48 plant species), partitioning of ant species among plant species and between canopy and understorey was also significant, but less pronounced. In contrast to trophobioses, simultaneous co-occurrence of different nectar foraging ant species on the same plant individuals was frequent (23% of all surveys). While both dominant ant species were mutually exclusive on honeydew and nectar sources, co-occurrence with non-dominant ant species on nectaries was common. The proportion of visits with co-occurrences was low for dominant ants and high for many sub-ordinate species. These findings support the ant mosaic theory. The differential role of honeydew (as a specialised resource for dominant ants) and nectar (as an opportunistic resource for all ants including the co-occurring non-dominant species) provides a plausible structuring mechanism for the Australian canopy ant community studied.     

Short-term dynamics of an acacia ant community in Laikipia,Kenya

In monospecific stands of Acacia drepanolobium in Laikipia, Kenya, virtually all but the smallest trees are occupied by one of four species of ants. Although trees are a limiting resource, all four ant species are maintained in this system. Three separate lines of evidence confirm a linear dominance hierarchy among these four ants: (1) experimentally staged conflicts, (2) natural transitions among 1773 tagged trees over a 6-month period, and (3) the average sizes of trees occupied by ants of different species. Short-term dynamics during a drying period reveal that many smaller trees (<1 m) occupied by dominant ants were subsequently abandoned, and that abandoned trees had grown more slowly than those that were not abandoned. Height growth increments over 6 months were generally independent of ant occupant, but increased with tree height. Among taller trees (>1 m), changes in ant occupation congruent with the dominance hierarchy (i.e., transitions from more subordinate ant species to more dominant ant species) occurred on trees that grew faster than average. In contrast, the (less frequent) changes in ant occupation ”against” the direction of the dominance hierarchy occurred on trees that grew more slowly than average. Observed correlations between tree vigor and takeover direction suggest that colony growth of dominant ant species is either favored in more productive microhabitats, or that such colonies differentially seek out healthier trees for conquest. Colonies of dominant species may differentially abandon more slowly growing trees during (dry) periods of retrenchment, or suffer higher mortality on these trees. Subordinate ant species appear to move onto these abandoned trees and, to a lesser extent, colonize new recruits in the sapling class. These data reveal that within a simple linear dominance hierarchy, short-term variations exist that may reveal underlying mechanisms associated with coexistence. Received: 24 June 1999 / Accepted: 3 December 1999     

Structure of multi-species ant assemblages (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) in the Mountain Crimea

The multi-species ant assemblages were studied in the Crimea Mountains, in 9 types of plant associations in the plateau pastures as well as on the southern and northern slopes of the Main Range. A list of 18 ant species with data on their distribution in biotopes and also layers and the structure of their foraging territories is given. The hierarchical organization of multi-species ant assemblages and different strategies of nest location of the influents depending on the dominant species and its territoriality were investigated. Territoriality of each dominant species was determined by the frequency of foraging areas without nests of other species. Depending on dominant territoriality and the number of dominant species, the following classification of multi-species assemblages is proposed. (1) Monodominant assemblages with weakly expressed territoriality of the dominant species. Low density of the workers of Camponotus aethiops in the foraging territory determines weak interactions with influent species. The settling pattern of the influents shows no evident dependence on the dominant. Weakly expressed territoriality of the dominant allows non-territorial species to exist on the dominant’s territory. Such species were not found in other types of ant assemblages. (2) Monodominant assemblages with strongly expressed territoriality of the dominant species. The settling pattern of the influents shows the subordinate species to avoid those of higher ranks in the hierarchy, thus decreasing the probability of conflicts. The influents settle in the neutral zones as well as in the foraging territory of the dominant, so as to reduce competition with the subdominant species Formica cunicularia. Such a strategy reduces the probability of interspecific conflicts in biotopes with fewer vegetation layers than in the forests. (3) Bidominant assemblages with a variable dendrobiont dominant are typical among forest assemblages. Coexistence of two dominant species is possible when foraging of one of them is completely or partly restricted to one vegetation layer. The subdominant species avoid settling in the foraging territory of the dominant that occupies the same layer. When the dendrobiont dominant Crematogaster schmidti drops out of the assemblage, it (and its role in the assemblage) is replaced by other dendrobiont species Lasius emarginatus which otherwise acts as the 1st order subdominant in C. schmidti assemblages. (4) Polydominant assemblages are characterized by the presence of as many as 3 dominant species, namely Crematogaster schmidti, Camponotus aethiops, and Plagiolepis tauricus. The coexistence of the dominants is possible due to use of different layers (one species is a dendrobiont, the other two are herpeto-hortobionts), different activity periods (round-the-clock in Crematogaster schmidti, night in Camponotus aethiops, and daytime in P. tauricus), and different size classes of the workers (3rd, 5th, and 1st, respectively). The different size classes of workers reduce competition for food. Thus, when the number of dominant species in the assemblage increases, so does the number of mechanisms facilitating their coexistence.     

Distinctive life traits and distribution along environmental gradients of dominant and subordinate Mediterranean ant species

For most animal and plant species, life traits strongly affect their species-specific role, function or position within ecological communities. Previous studies on ant communities have mostly focused on the role of dominant species and the outcome of interspecific interactions. However, life traits of ant species have seldom been considered within a community framework. This study (1) analyses life traits related to ecological and behavioural characteristics of dominant and subordinate ant species from 13 sites distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, (2) determines how similar the ant species are within each of the two levels of the dominance hierarchy, and (3) establishes the distribution patterns of these different groups of species along environmental gradients. Our results showed that the differences between dominants and subordinates fall into two main categories: resource exploitation and thermal tolerance. Dominant species have more populated colonies and defend food resources more fiercely than subordinates, but they display low tolerance to high temperatures. We have identified different assemblages of species included within each of these two levels in the dominance hierarchy. The distribution of these assemblages varied along the environmental gradient, shifting from dominant Dolichoderinae and cryptic species in moist areas, to dominant Myrmicinae and hot climate specialists mainly in open and hot sites. We have been able to identify a set of life traits of the most common Iberian ant species that has enabled us to characterise groups of dominant and subordinate species. Although certain common features within the groups of both dominants and subordinates always emerge, other different features allow for differentiating subgroups within each of these groups. These different traits allow the different subgroups coping with particular conditions across environmental gradients.     

An Ant Mosaic Revisited: Dominant Ant Species Disassemble Arboreal Ant Communities but Co-Occur Randomly

The spatial distributions of many tropical arboreal ant species are often arranged in a mosaic such that dominant species have mutually exclusive distributions among trees. These dominant species can also mediate the structure of the rest of the arboreal ant community. Little attention has been paid to how diet might shape the effects of dominant species on one another and the rest of the ant community. Here, we take advantage of new information on the diets of many tropical arboreal ant species to examine the intra- and inter-guild effects of dominant species on the spatial distribution of one another and the rest of the tropical arboreal ant community in a cocoa farm in Bahia, Brazil. Using null model analyses, we found that all ant species, regardless of dominance status or guild membership, co-occur much less than expected by chance. Surprisingly, the suite of five dominant species showed random co-occurrence patterns, suggesting that interspecific competition did not shape their distribution among cocoa trees. Across all species, there was no evidence that competition shaped co-occurrence patterns within guilds. Co-occurrence patterns of subordinant species were random on trees with dominant species, but highly nonrandom on trees without dominant species, suggesting that dominant species disassemble tropical arboreal ant communities. Taken together, our results highlight the often complex nature of interactions that structure species-rich tropical arboreal ant assemblages.     

Colonisation by a dominant ant facilitated by anthropogenic disturbance: effects on ant assemblage composition, biomass and resource use

Dominant species are thought to regulate species composition and assemblage structure. Invasion by a dominant species is thus likely to alter assemblages and anthropogenic disturbance often facilitates such invasions. In this study we examined the association of a dominant ant, Iridomyrmex purpureus , native to south-eastern Australia, with fire trails in national parks and its effects on ant assemblages. Association with fire trails was examined by comparing the numbers of I. purpureus nests on transects along fire trails with those in transects through surrounding vegetation. Ant assemblages and habitat characteristics of eight sandstone outcrops that supported colonies of I. purpureus were compared with those on eight that did not in summer and autumn 2000. We examined ant species richness, abundance, composition and biomass using quadrats, and resource use with Acacia botrycephalus seeds placed on rock and in vegetation. I. purpureus nests were considerably more common along fire trails than in surrounding vegetation. Sites with I. purpureus had similar species richness to those without, but a lower abundance and biomass of other ants and a different assemblage composition. These differences could not be attributed to any differences in measured habitat characteristics. Ecologically similar species, particularly other species of Iridomyrmex , were less abundant in areas with I. purpureus . While the biomass of other species was suppressed in areas with I. purpureus , the biomass of the dominant was several times that of the assemblage of other ants, a pattern shared with assemblages invaded by exotic species. In areas with I. purpureus , seeds were removed more rapidly from rock, but not vegetation, indicating that resources on rock may be under-exploited by other species. Regulation of invaded ant assemblages by this dominant ant is thus limited to functionally similar species, and this may be due to its use of resources that are unexploited in its absence.     

Habitat disturbance modifies dominance,coexistence, and competitive interactions in tropical ant communities

1. Interspecific competition is a major structuring principle in ecological communities. Despite their prevalence, the outcome of competitive interactions is hard to predict, highly context-dependent, and multiple factors can modulate such interactions. 2. We tested predictions concerning how competitive interactions are modified by anthropogenic habitat disturbance in ground-foraging ant assemblages inhabiting fragmented Inter-Andean tropical dry forests in southwestern Colombia, and investigated ant assemblages recruiting to baits in 10 forest fragments exposed to varying level of human disturbance. 3. Specifically, we evaluated how different components of competitive interactions (patterns of species co-occurrence, resource partitioning, numerical dominance, and interspecific trade-offs between discovery and dominance competition) varied with level of habitat disturbance in a human-dominated ecosystem. 4. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the role of competitive interactions in structuring ground-foraging ant communities at baits varied with respect to habitat disturbance. As disturbance increased, community structure was more likely to exhibit random co-occurrence patterns, higher levels of monopolization of food resources by dominant ants, and disproportionate dominance of a single species, the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata). At a regional scale, we found evidence for a trade-off between dominance and discovery abilities of the 15 most common species at baits. 5. Together, these results suggest that human disturbance modifies the outcome of competitive interactions in ground-foraging ant assemblages and may promote dominant species that reduce diversity and coexistence in tropical ecosystems.     

Competitive dominance in the organisation of Mediterranean ant communities

1. Competition by dominant species is thought to be key to structuring ant communities. However, recent findings suggest that the effect of dominant species on communities is less pronounced than previously assumed. 2. The aim of the present study was to identify the role of dominant ants in the organisation of Mediterranean communities, particularly the role of competition in invaded and uninvaded communities. The effects on ant assemblages of two dominant ants, the invasive Argentine ant and the native ant, Tapinoma nigerrimum Nylander, were assessed. 3. The abundances of both dominant ants were significantly correlated with a decrease in native ant richness at traps. However, only the invasive ant was associated with a reduction in diversity and abundance of other ant species at site scale. In the presence of T. nigerrimum, species co‐occurrence patterns were segregated or random. Community structure in both the dominant‐free and the Argentine ant sites showed random patterns of species co‐occurrence. 4. The present findings indicate that dominant ants regulate small‐scale diversity by competition. However, at the broader scale of the assemblage, T. nigerrimum may only affect species distribution, having no apparent effect on community composition. Moreover, we find no evidence that inter‐specific competition shapes species distribution in coastal Mediterranean communities free of dominant ants. 5. These results show that dominant species may affect ant assemblages but that the nature and the intensity of such effects are species and scale dependent. This confirms the hypothesis that competitive dominance may be only one of a range of factors that structure ant communities.     

紫胶园异质性栖境下的蚂蚁共存机制

为了弄清紫胶园中蚂蚁群落共存的机制,在云南省墨江县雅邑乡紫胶园中调查了蚂蚁群落组成、蚂蚁发现及掌握食物资源的能力,并探讨了蚂蚁身体大小与其在不同栖境类型中发现食物能力的相关性.紫胶园中共存的6种主要蚂蚁类群为飘细长蚁、粗纹举腹蚁、立毛举腹蚁、黑可可臭蚁、邻居多刺蚁和巴瑞弓背蚁.6种蚂蚁头宽(x)与后足长(y)呈异速生长关系,其回归方程为y=0.56+1.02x+5.97x²-10.85x³.不同种类蚂蚁在不同的栖境中发现食物资源的实际次数和相对次数均存在显著差异,但其实际掌握食物资源的次数无显著差异.头宽、身体大小指数大的蚂蚁发现简单栖境中食物资源的能力强,头窄、后足短、身体大小指数小的蚂蚁发现复杂栖境中食物资源的能力强.栖境的异质性使蚂蚁共存,身体较小的蚂蚁生活于复杂栖境中,身体较大者则生活于简单栖境中;数量占优势的蚂蚁类群不能占据所有资源,从而给其他种类蚂蚁获得资源的机会,实现共存.