Two new Australian Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), including a highly distinctive species

Abstract Two new Australian ants of the genus Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are described. The most distinctive of the two species, Monomorium sublamellatum sp. n., pushes back the diagnostic boundaries of the genus Monomorium , and can not be placed at present in existing Australian species-groups of Monomorium . Monomorium punctulatum sp. n. belongs to the Monomorium rubriceps species-group.     

Reproductive strategies of the exotic Pharaoh's ant,Monomorium pharaonis (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Brazil

Summary

The production of sexual forms in laboratory colonies of Monomorium pharaonis was followed over a 19-month period. Cycles of production occurred at intervals of 4 months, with male investment inversely proportional to the number of gynes produced. There was a tendency for colonies to produce only males or females as total sexual production increased. Sperm counts of known-aged males suggest that they mate twice, in contrast to European populations. Sex-ratio was heavily female-biased, contrary to predictions for polygynous ant species.     

The ant community response to the arrival of Monomorium sydneyense forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at sulphur point,Tauranga, New Zealand

Abstract

Impacts of highly invasive ants in new ecosystems are well documented, but many more ant species are establishing in new ranges for which there is little or no information. We studied the effects of the recently discovered Australian ant, Monomorium sydneyense Forel, on the ant community of Sulphur Point in Tauranga, New Zealand. At the community scale, the species composition in invaded areas was significantly different from that in areas free of M. sydneyense. However, no single ant species was significantly more or less abundant in the presence of M. sydneyense. Some resident ant species categorised in the same functional group as the invader appeared to be scarcer when sympatric with M. sydneyense, but the local abundances of these species were always spatially variable, so the effects were not statistically significant Patchy distribution of M. sydneyense, and other aspects of its behaviour, such as poor foraging abilities and a lack of unicoloniality (where there is little or no aggression between conspecific ants from spatially separate nests), appear to allow resident ant species to coexist with M. sydneyense at Sulphur Point.     

Histological study of the spermatheca in three thelytokous parthenogenetic ant species,Pristomyrmex punctatus,Pyramica membranifera and Monomorium triviale (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Gotoh, A., Billen, J., Tsuji, K., Sasaki, T. and Ito, F. 2011. Histological study of the spermatheca in three thelytokous parthenogenetic ant species, Pristomyrmex punctatus, Pyramica membranifera and Monomorium triviale (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00 :1–8. The evolution of obligate parthenogenesis may induce the degeneration of female mating ability and subsequently affect the morphology of the female reproductive organs related to mating and/or sperm storage. Here, we investigated the size and structure of the sperm storage organ, the spermatheca, in three thelytokous parthenogenetic myrmicine ant species, Pristomyrmex punctatus, Pyramica membranifera and Monomorium triviale, and compared it with that of their related sexually reproducing species. So far, mated individuals have never been found in these three species, which appears to be in line with their parthenogenetic status. Although the spermatheca appears to be useless in these species, we could not find any evidence on the degeneration in size and morphology of their spermathecae. The spermathecal reservoir still has the columnar hilar epithelium, which is one of the major features for a functional spermatheca in ants.     

Foraging characteristics and intraspecific behaviour of the exotic species Monomorium sydneyense (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in New Zealand,with implications for its management

Abstract

We attempt to evaluate the biosecurity risk posed by the newly established exotic ant species Monomorium sydneyense Forel, in New Zealand. Aggression was observed between workers from different M. sydneyense nests, indicating that unicoloniality is unlikely. Nests had multiple queens, and nest foundation is apparently via winged queens. The foraging behaviour corresponded to multicoloniality, with workers foraging in close proximity to the nest. In trials during December (2003) and March (2004), workers had a >50% probability of finding food at a distance of 0.8–1 m from their nest, but on cooler study dates (October 2004) our logistic regression model indicated that they would not reach this threshold irrespective of how close the food was to the nest. Although M. sydneyense forage during both night and day, they appeared to be relatively inefficient at locating food. We conclude that under the conditions assessed here, the environmental damage likely to be caused by M. sydneyense is modest compared with other invasive ant species.     

香茅醛缩醛类化合物的合成及其对小黄家蚁的驱避活性

【目的】香茅醛类化合物具有较好的蚂蚁驱避活性,本研究旨在筛选具有良好驱避活性的新的萜类蚂蚁驱避剂。【方法】以香茅醛为原料合成了香茅醛二甲缩醛、香茅醛二乙缩醛、香茅醛二正丙缩醛、香茅醛二异丁缩醛、香茅醛乙二缩醛、香茅醛1,2-丙二缩醛和香茅醛1,3-丙二缩醛等化合物。所得产品经纯化后,用IR, MS, ¹H NMR及¹³C NMR进行结构表征,并在不同浓度下对小黄家蚁Monomorium pharaonis进行驱避活性测试。【结果】各化合物对小黄家蚁具有一定的驱避活性：在10 mg/mL的浓度下,除香茅醛二甲缩醛以外,其他化合物的驱避率均达到70%以上,其中香茅醛二乙缩醛、香茅醛乙二缩醛和香茅醛1,3-丙二缩醛对小黄家蚁的驱避率分别为87.47%,100%和97.53%。浓度为2.5 mg/mL时,其中5个化合物的驱避效果明显下降,但香茅醛乙二缩醛和香茅醛1,3-丙二缩醛仍然表现出很好的驱避活性,驱避率分别为85.33%和97.10%。方差分析也表明,香茅醛1,3-丙二缩醛在同一浓度下驱避效果最佳,其次是香茅醛乙二缩醛。【结论】结果说明,香茅醛二乙缩醛、香茅醛乙二缩醛和香茅醛1,3 丙二缩醛可以用作小黄家蚁驱避剂,而香茅醛乙二缩醛和香茅醛1,3-丙二缩醛可以达到更好的驱避效果,使用浓度为2.5 mg/mL即可。本研究为良好萜类蚂蚁驱避剂的筛选提供了参考依据。     

Chemical interference competition by Monomorium minimum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Summary Workers of Monomorium minimum forage above-ground for dead arthropods. Small particles (<1 mg) are retrieved individually, but larger particles stimulate recruitment and are dissected by groups of workers. The recruitment pheromone originates in the Dufour's gland and the number of ants responding to a trail varies with pheromone concentration. When ants of other species are encountered at food resources, workers of M. minimum gaster-flag and extrude an irritating poison gland secretion from the sting. This chemical interference delays invasion by competitors and prolongs the period during which the colony can dissect and retrieve pieces of the food resource. M. minimum recruits at higher temperatures than sympatric ant species. The probability of interference at food baits rises from 5% to 100% when they become too large for a single worker to carry. The probability of food resource loss is higher for baits of intermediate weight (x=18.1 mg) than for those of low weight (x=0.1 mg) or high weight (x=403.1 mg).     

Effect of a highway on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species composition and abundance, with a recommendation for roadside verge width

Species composition and relative abundances of ground-dwelling ants at various distances from a major urban highway in South Africa were sampled using pitfall trapping. Diversity, richness and evenness indices indicated differences between ant assemblages, with samples near to the highway (<4 m) having the highest species diversity, and farthest ones (32 m) having the lowest. As measured environmental variables did not explain much of the variation in the species spatial pattern, it appears that the ants were influenced mostly by interspecific competition and/or distribution of food resources, especially road kills. Pheidole megacephala was highly dominant at all sites and was negatively associated with several other species. This and other dominant species appeared to be influencing the abundance of the rarer ones. Dominance and high abundances of species in the genera Pheidole, Monomorium, Tetramorium and Paratrechina, along with the occurrence of certain grasses, indicated that the whole sampling area was disturbed. In a suburban setting, a narrow roadside verge (<4m) is probably adequate. However, for maximum diversity in rural areas, roadsides should be as wide as possible and also rich and heterogenous in native vegetation.     

Respiratory physiology and water relations of three species of Pogonomyrmex harvester ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The respiratory physiology and water relations of three harvester ant species (Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery, P. occidentalis[Cresson] and P. californicus[Buckley]) were examined at three temperatures (15, 25 and 35°C) using a flow-through respirometry system. As intact ants tended to be active during testing, we performed a parallel set of experiments on individuals rendered motionless by decapitation. Both intact and decapitated ants exhibited discontinuous ventilation. Decapitation caused metabolic rate (V˙CO₂) and burst frequency to decrease in all three species. Burst volume either remained constant or increased after removal of the head, though mass-specific V˙CO₂ was unaffected except in P. rugosus. Mass-specific V˙CO₂s of headless harvesters were comparable with published values derived from motionless specimens of other ant species. The mean Q₁₀ for intact ants of all three species was 2.37; for decapitated insects the mean was 2.32. Respiratory water constituted a small (< 5%) fraction of total loss, and we believe that discontinuous ventilation does not act to conserve water in these organisms, although it may serve other functions.     

The army ant Aenictus silvestrii and its related species in Southeast Asia,with a description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae)

Three species of Aenictus with reduced numbers of antennal segments (8–9) occur in Southeast Asia: A. jarujini sp. nov., A. latifemoratus and A. silvestrii. Aenictus latifemoratus is new to Java and Borneo, while A. silvestrii is recorded for the first time from Borneo.     

A new species of the Aenictus wroughtonii group (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) from South-East China

A new species of army ant from the Aenictus wroughtonii group is described and illustrated based on the worker caste. Aenictus gutianshanensis Staab, sp. n. is known form a single colony collected in the subtropical mixed evergreen broad-leaved forest of the Gutianshan National Nature Reserve, South-East China. The new species is probably most closely related to A. vieti Jaitrong & Yamane, 2010 known from North Vietnam and Taiwan. It is suggested that the abundant records of A. camposi Wheeler & Chapman, 1925 from East and South-East China should be reevaluated, as they are probably A. gutianshanensis or A. vieti and not A. camposi, which is distributed in Sundaland, the Philippines, and the southernmost part of continental South-East Asia.     

基于线粒体COI、COII和Cyt b基因的蚁属13种的分子系统学研究（膜翅目：蚁科：蚁亚科）

以线粒体mtDNA中的COI、COII及Cyt b基因序列为分子标记,对蚁属13种进行分析研究。结果表明,蚁属线粒体基因组成具有昆虫基因的普遍特征,如有明显的A+T偏向性,A、T密码子使用频率高等特点。基于蚁属线粒体基因进行遗传距离分析,并结合构建系统发育树,结果表明蚁属内各物种间遗传距离相差较小,遗传距离值基本在0.1以内,遗传距离较远的种发生在北京凹头蚁和掘穴蚁之间,蚁属内各种间分化与形态学研究结果基本一致。     

Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria

The present catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria is made on a base of critical reconsideration of literature (covering the period from 1892 till 2009 and part of 2010) as well as on examination of the authors' and several museum's collections. A lot of data were omitted in the previous Bulgarian monograph on ants, lots of new data were recently added and many important additions and alterations were made due to taxonomic revisions of Eurasian Formicidae during the last three decades. Two new species are reported for the country [Temnothorax graecus (Forel, 1911) and Temnothorax cf. korbi (Emery, 1924)].This catalogue contains a list of 163 ant species belonging to 40 genera of 6 subfamilies now known from Bulgaria. Synonyms and information on the previously reported names in relevant publications are given. Known localities of the species are grouped by geographic regions. Maps with concrete localities or regions for each species were prepared. The conservation status of 13 ant species is given as they are included in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Bulgarian Biodiversity Act. In comparison with adjacent Balkan regions the ant fauna of Bulgaria is quite rich and its core is composed of South European elements.     

Characterization of 24 microsatellite markers in 11 species of fire ants in the genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The social parasite ant Solenopsis daguerrei infests colonies of several mound-building fire ant species. Twenty-four microsatellite markers were isolated from a repeat-enriched genomic library of S. daguerrei. Eleven loci were polymorphic in this ant with two to six alleles per locus. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.0222 to 0.7940 among loci. Most microsatellites amplified successfully across the 11 Solenopsis species tested and will be useful for evolutionary genetic studies in this diverse ant group.     

Relative risk of invasive ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) establishing in New Zealand

Abstract

Human‐assisted spread of species poses a major challenge to border security agencies. Ideally, limited resources need to be targeted at species posing the most risk. Climate matching is an important component of assessing risk but often little or no biological information is available to enable detailed modelling. To assess if distribution records alone provide useful establishment predictions we compare the climate in New Zealand and its outlying islands to that found in the current native and introduced ranges of 12 tramp ant species, three of which are already established in New Zealand, using the climate module of BIOSECURE, a risk assessment tool. Eleven species showed a similar general pattern, with mean annual temperature being the climatic variable with the least overlap between the estimated realised niche and the predicted New Zealand niche. The twelfth species, of temperate origin, is less restricted by temperature, but much of New Zealand may have too high a rainfall. The present and future threats posed by tramp ants are discussed in relation to climate limitations.     

Longitudinal observation of attine (Atta cephalotes isthmicola) ants (Hymenoptera; Formicidae)

A colony of the leaf-cutting Attine (Atta cephalotes isthmicola) ants was cultured and observed in the laboratory. During the 114 month life of the colony, a maximum garden volume of 54 L. was attained. The colony used a total of 139,902 g of substrate at a maximum rate of 2,660 g per month and occupied one hundred forty-four 1.25 L. chambers. Observations on the colony ranged from behavior of the castes to biochemistry and the absence of cholesterol. The dramatic display quality of Attine colonies for zoological exhibit is discussed.     

External and internal structure of Atta bisphaerica Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nests

Abstract:  This work was carried out to determine the internal and external structures of Atta bisphaerica (Forel) nests. Six nests were excavated and during excavation, all data referring to chambers and tunnels were recorded. Three nests had been internally cement-moulded, which enabled a better view of the chamber and tunnel structures. Atta bisphaerica nests presented a similar structural pattern, varying only in the number of chambers as a function of external mound area. Chambers were spherical with two communication tunnels. Internal tunnels had an elliptical section, sometimes circular, indirectly linked to chambers through ramifications and directly through short tunnels. Entrance holes were linked to the area of highest chamber concentration by tunnels from the elliptical section, which led to the nest in a radial manner. Knowledge of the colony's three-dimensional architecture permits successful application of chemical control processes, reduces the quantity of product applied, and consequently diminishes costs and environmental damage.