Ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an urban ecosystem near the Atlantic Rainforest

Abstract

The relationships between an urban ecosystem located near the Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil and ant communities were studied with the objective of quantifying the ant richness and abundance in the household environment and its surroundings. Eighty residences were sampled, where 58 species and 28 genera pertaining to 7 subfamilies were found to be present. Inside the residences, the species richness was found to be lower (26), although the abundance was greater (10,670), with the wash area and kitchen being the locales that contributed with the greatest number of hits. The opposite was true in the areas outside the residences, where 54 species and 3,747 ants were observed. Inside houses, the species known as Tramp ants were found, in the following order of importance: Solenopsis saevissima, Tapinoma melanocephalum, Linepithema humile, Paratrechina fulva, Wasmannia auropunctata, P. longicornis, Pheidole megacephala, Monomorium pharaonis and M. floricola. Externally, mainly in the yards and gardens, species such as Octostruma rugifera, Heteroponera dolo, Hypoponera sp.1 and sp.6, Gnamptogenys sp. 4, G. striatula, Odontomachus meinerti, Pachycondyla constricta and P. striata were found. In general, a greater number of species and lower abundance of individuals were observed in the neighborhoods nearer the mountains than in those closer to the urban center.Keywords: Atlantic Rainforest, Tramp ants, species richness, communities, Formicidae, urbanization. Comunidades de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em um ecossistema urbano próximo à Mata Atlântica ResumoA relação entre um ecossistema urbano localizado próximo à Mata Atlântica na região sudeste do Brasil e as comunidades de formigas foi estudada com o objetivo de quantificar a riqueza e a abundância de formigas no interior e no entorno das residências. Oitenta casas foram amostradas, tendo sido encontradas 58 espécies e 28 gêneros pertencentes a 7 subfamílias. No interior das residências foi encontrada uma baixa riqueza de espécies (26) The collection was conducted in 16 neighborhoods in the city, with the northernmost neighborhoods being close to the Serra do Itapety (23° 29' 22" S and 46° 11' 55" W; 800 m above the sea level), and those in the south approximating the Serra do Mar (23° 45' 02" S and 46° 07' 63" W; 720 m above the sea level) (Figure 1). Ant collectionIn each neighborhood, 5 houses were randomly sampled. The collections were conducted every two months for a period of 12 months, always in the same houses. The bait was made from dehydrated beef liver, honey, pineapple cake, and peanut oil, according to the recipe and following the methodology proposed by Bueno and Campos-Farinha (1999). Small amounts of fresh bait were placed inside beverage straws 0.5 cm in diameter and 2 cm long. In the interiors of the houses (household environment), 8 baits were placed: 3 in the kitchen, 2 in the bathroom, and 3 in the wash area. The baits were removed after 24 hours and placed in plastic bags. Manual collections were also conducted around ...

Ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in urban centers of the Alto Tietê, São Paulo, Brazil

“…Despite the presence of typically urban ant communities, the Dense Rain Forest in the vicinity of the sampled cities supports a richer fauna, which is in agreement with Kamura et al (2007). Species recorded in squares or areas outside the houses, such as Gnamptogenys reichenspergeri Santschi, Labidus coecus Latreille, Myrmelachista catharinae Mayr, M. ruszkii Forel, Hypoponera spp.…”

“…Among the 26 species recorded in the inner areas, T. melanocephalum, P. megacephala, S. saevissima Smith, P. longicornis and W. auropunctata may be considered truly associated with human habitats (Delabie et al, 1995), especially T. melanocephalum, which was recorded in the present and in other studies (Delabie et al, 1995;Kamura et al, 2007;Piva;Campos, 2012), more frequently in the domiciliary environment.…”

“…Negative associations were found between P. megacephala and L. humile Mayr, 1868 (Haskins;Haskins, 1965) and between T. melanocephalum (Delabie et al, 1995;Piva;Campos, 2012) and P. longicornis (Delabie et al, 1995;Kamura et al, 2007;Piva;Campos, 2012). Thus, the presence of L. neotropicum in urban centers of the cities in Alto Tietê may represent a difference in the structure of ant communities in comparison with other urban cities in Brazil.…”

“…Samples were collected in three municipalities of the Alto Tietê (Table 1), located next to remnants of Dense Rain Forest (Kamura et al, 2007;Munhae et al, 2009). In the central region of each city, five districts and four squares were chosen.…”

Diversidade e riqueza de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em remanescentes de Mata Atlântica na Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Tietê, SP

“…Determinadas espécies especialistas nidificam nesses locais, como é o caso de Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi (Lacau et al 2004, Delabie et al 2007) registrada na serapilheira das áreas de Floresta Ombrófila Densa da Barragem de Biritiba Mirim e do Parque Estadual Nascentes do (Nafus 1993, Harris & Barker 2007, Vanderwoude et al 2000, Hoffmann 2010). Essas espécies exóticas são frequentes nas áreas urbanas das cidades do Alto Tietê (Kamura et al 2007, Munhae et al 2009. Por outro lado, ocorre uma forte dominância de Solenopsis sp.1 em 86% dos remanescentes.…”