Here, we assessed the role of the harvester ant Messor barbarus, an ecological engineer, in a Mediterranean dry grassland under restoration by characterising its nest environment, particularly the soil and vegetation.
They also provide a suitable place for the ants to safely rear their brood and to keep their queens protected. Observations https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108547. Though most of the nests did not show vegetation growth within their areas, some of the nests were completely covered with grasses. Keywords: Harvester ants, nests, soil, seeds. Increase in the number of nests indicated that these Harvester ants are efficiently using the available food resources, resulting in the rapid increase in the members of the colony. Harvester Ant Control. Capability, Shape, Texture/Pattern, Benefits, Dangers. Observations with respect to Harvester ant nests were recorded from 2014 to 2016. Their nests are located outside around door steps, paths, yards, and especially in open fields. Zoology Department, R. Jhunjhunwala College, Ghatkopar, Mumbai- 400 086 Location of Repository Western harvester ant . As biological filters, M. barbarus has driven plant communities towards a new trajectory in the restored site. The number slowly increased and reached 30 at the end of monsoon in 2016. The distribution of soil nutrients in deserts is heterogeneous, with high concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients occurring under shrubs and near animal dwellings. Diane Wagner, Jeremy B. Jones, The Contribution of Harvester Ant Nests, Pogonomyrmex rugosus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), to Soil Nutrient Stocks and Microbial Biomass in the Mojave Desert, Environmental Entomology, Volume 33, Issue 3, 1 June 2004, Pages 599–607, https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X-33.3.599. Without their nests most ant colonies would die out very quickly. 22.10). If you originally registered with a username please use that to sign in. © Copyright - 2019 by Seth Hirachand Mutha Shaikshanik Trust’s, International Business (Export Management), Preliminary observations on Harvester ant nests near Mulshi, Maharashtra (India), Kolivali, Umbardegaon, Adharwadi, Jail Road, Kalyan – 421301, Thane, Maharashtra, India, An online meeting conducted by an examination committee, Our staffs conducted online virtual classes of M.com part – 2, Seasonal trends of common water-borne diseases in the slum areas of Bhiwandi, Celebration of Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam Jayanti, - Seth Hirachand Mutha College of Arts, Commerce & Science, Distance from the neighbouring nest (in m). Such type of nests are recorded in other regions of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Tansa Wild life Sanctuary (personal observations by the authors), Radhanagari (http://www.myrmecos.net/2015). Harvester ants feed on seeds and vegetation, often resulting in desolate surroundings up to 20 feet away from the nest. The authors are thankful to The Principal and Staff members of Zoology Department, R. Jhunjhunwala College and MaharshiDayanand College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai for their continuous support. Nests are made underground (up to 2.5 m deep) in exposed areas. The distance between the neighbouring nests varied from 2.2 meters to 11.6 meters. (2006) On a Trail with Ants.A Handbook of the Ants of Peninsular India. Factors Associated With Diversity and Distribution of Buprestid Prey Captured by Foraging, The Reliability of Genitalia Morphology to Monitor the Spread of the Invasive Winter Moth (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Eastern North America, Attractiveness of Male and Female Adults of, Changes in the Summer Wild Bee Community Following a Bark Beetle Outbreak in a Douglas-fir Forest, Ovipositional Behavior of the Egg Parasitoid, About the Entomological Society of America, https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X-33.3.599, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic, Copyright © 2020 Entomological Society of America.
Ants ( Hymenoptera, Family- Formicidae) are social insects forming large societies. They can form colonies of up to 3,000 workers that are often active and visible around … Nearest neighbor distances averaged 12.8 m (SD = 4.6), and nests were dispersed regularly (index of aggregation = 1.4, Z = 6.7, P < 0.001). The observation of such nests gives an idea about the peculiar feeding habits and territoriality. Females have wings and swarm during the summer season. You could not be signed in. Kashmira Khot, Goldin Quadros and Vaishali Somani (2013) Ant Diversity in an urban garden at Mumbai, Maharashtra, in proceedings of National Conference on Biodiversity : Status and Challenges in Conservation – FAVEO, Pp 121-125.
As a result of ant activities, ant nests accumulated surface materials at an average rate 3.5 mm/yr faster than the surrounding soil. Result and Discussion By continuing you agree to the use of cookies. The entrance to the nest is often marked by a crater or a cone in the center of a slight mound, usually surrounded by a pile of small stones (Fig. In grassland ecosystems, a few invertebrates that engineer soils have been identified as key species regulating soil nutrients and plant communities' diversity and dynamics. Materials and method Register, Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. We found profound differences in soil physical and chemical variables and plant community structure between nests and ant-free patches in the restored grassland. This article is also available for rental through DeepDyve. Harvester ants are also quite aggressive and will bite, hang on, and inflict a painful, venomous sting when disturbed. We conclude that P. rugosus nests impact arid ecosystems by creating highly concentrated patches of soil nutrients and microflora on the landscape that could affect biogeochemical cycling rates and plant community dynamics. These results illustrate the potential key role of ants as ecological engineers for the conservation and restoration of Mediterranean grasslands. Ants have accelerated the ecological recovery of Mediterranean dry grasslands plants.
As the name suggests, harvester ants diligently harvest grass seeds that they grind up for food. The underground nests show the entrance on the soil surface, sometimes protected by leaf litter or aggregation of soil particles around it. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. (Khotet al, 2013) Harvester ants (Fig 1) are known to have elaborate underground nests facilitating seed storage. They also provide a suitable place for the ants to safely rear their brood and to keep their queens protected. Here, we assessed the role of the harvester ant Messor barbarus, an ecological engineer, in a Mediterranean dry grassland under restoration by characterising its nest environment, particularly the soil and vegetation. This polydomy could increase the size of the colony efficiently as more and more nests were added. Western harvester antnest entranceHAP 11 Topics: Pogonomyrmex occidentalis . Such colonies may in turn influence the soil characteristics and other biota of the area, linked to these ants through the food web. Some ants are considered as generalist feeders (Narendra Ajay and Kumar Sunil, 2006) whereas harvester are known to store the seeds.
Don't already have an Oxford Academic account? They can form colonies of up to 3,000 workers that are often active and visible around the opening of the underground nest. The average number of workers in four representative nests are shown in Graph 1.
The insects build nests in the soil and prefer to live in open areas, such as plains.
Updated: 8/23/2019; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org Auburn red Western Harvester Ants are large ants compared to common urban species. Their nests typically have a single opening surrounded by an area stripped of …
Fire ants do not specialize in harvesting every possible seed in the sight and so their nests are not as easy to spot as harvester ant nests.
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Re… It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. Abstract The nests were located not far from each other and were not recorded on the other side of the paddy field. Easy access to the paddy field and other grasses in the area must be a favorable condition for this harvester ant colony. The present study was carried out in an agricultural area in Mulshi Tehsil of Pune District, Maharashtra. Messor barbarus has improved soil fertility, driven the seed bank towards the reference grassland and significantly increased plant biomass, species richness and micro-local-heterogeneity. Attention has focused on shrubs in creating “fertile islands.” In this study, we compare the effects of the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and shrubs on soil composition in the Mojave Desert. Asian Myrmecology Volume 3, 9-20. Less anthropogenic activity and availability of food from surrounding agricultural fields appear to be favorable factors for the establishment of this colony.
ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. Harvester ants as ecological engineers for Mediterranean grassland restoration: Impacts on soil and vegetation. Harvester Ant Facts. Found throughout the United States, certain species of harvester ants also live in Canada, including the red harvester ant. There is a presence of termite mound near the harvester ant nestings. Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org. Acknowledgement The intensity was lower during the period of direct sunlight. Organisms such as shrubs and animals that forage from a central location tend to aggregate organic materials in space, ... Harvester ant nests occurred at a density of 28.3 nests/ha at Boulder City. Where Do Harvester Ant Live. (Table-1). They prefer the dry, desert-like conditions found across the American southwest and Mexico. Although not widely used, ecosystem engineers represent a promising and sustainable tool in nature-based ecosystem management and restoration. Some species wield stingers with reverse barbs that actually break off in the sting site, like honeybee stingers. However these observations about territoriality were opportunistic and not of regular nature. Amarasinghe Harindra.E and Edirisinghe, JP.
This area is near village Male (18.500 N, 73.510 E)and is characterized with paddy cultivation. Ecosystem engineers may increase restoration success. Impacts of ants were studied seven years after soil replacement. The raised walls of the nests are acting as protection against the heavy rainfall of the region with average 2841 mm.The Western Ghats are known for such rainfalls and this is an excellent adaptation displayed through nest architecture. These included bodies of Camponotus sp., also recorded in the study area. In view of the enormous size range of the predators, which include minute… complexity: Emergence in an ant colony. No territorial conflicts were recorded among the workers of different nests.