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Selective seed consumption by harvester ants may be affected by several seed attributes, amongst which seed size and environmental availability play a prominent role. In the present study, we considered the effects of seed size and seed availability on the coexistence and diet preference of two Messor species (Messor wasmanni and Messor minor). M. wasmanni colonies collected the most abundant resource in the environment, grass seeds (Poaceae), according to their availability whilst M. minor showed a nonselective process. In addition, the two ant species showed a different seed size preference, with M. wasmanni adopting a selective strategy and M. minor a generalist strategy. However, competition for foraging resources between the two ant species (assessed by null model algorithms) seems not to affect their foraging behaviour. The lack of a competitive structure within the ant assemblage suggests, in fact, that resources are not a limiting factor for species coexistence.

Abstract:The EVSItalia Database HABITAT OF ITALY (GIVD ID EU-DIT-018) contains 5,441 relevés (including 2,422 taxon names). 58% of the relevés come from the scientific literature; the remaining 42% have been collected by the authors during several field campaigns carried out between 2001 and 2011. Phytosociological investigation followed the methods described by Westhoff and van der Maarel and Braun-Blanquet. The location of the relevés was selected in relation to the homogeneity of the physical features, vegetation structure and species distribution. According to these criteria different kinds of habitats were sampled in the Italian territory: sand dunes, wetlands, woodlands, shrublands and grassland (from the coast to the Alpine belt) etc. The main focus of the database is to collect and store bibliographic relevés of Italian forest vegetation. The database was created using TURBOVEG.Keywords: Italian vegetation; phytosociology; TURBOVEG. GIVD Database ID: EU-IT-018Last