Ecology and field biology of two dominant Camponotus ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Brazilian savannah

Author(s)

Ronque, Mariane U. V. ^[1] ; Fourcassie, Vincent ^[2] ; Oliveira, Paulo S. ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Programa Posgrad Ecol, Inst Biol, CP 6109, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Toulouse, Ctr Rech Cognit Anim, CNRS, UMR 5169, Ctr Biol Integrat, UPS, Toulouse - France

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Anim, CP 6109, Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Natural History; v. 52, n. 3-4, p. 237-252, 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Camponotus renggeri and C. rufipes are very abundant in Brazilian cerrado savannah, where they feed extensively on liquid rewards and commonly associate with plants bearing extrafloral nectaries and honeydew-producing insects. Here, we provide a qualitative and quantitative field account on the natural history and ecology of these two ant species. The study was carried out in a cerrado reserve in south-eastern Brazil across a rainy/hot season (summer) and a dry/cold season (winter). The ants were found in two vegetation physiognomies: all nests of C. rufipes were located in the cerrado sensu stricto (scrub of shrubs and trees, 3-8 m tall), whereas C. renggeri occurred mostly in the cerradao (forest with more or less merging canopy, 10-12 m tall). Both species nested in fallen or erect dead trunks, as well as underground. In addition, C. rufipes built nests using dead plant material arranged or not around shrub bases. Colonies of C. rufipes were generally more populous than those of C. renggeri, and both species had colonies with more than one dealated queen. Both species were active mainly at night and foraged for resources near their nests, mainly extrafloral nectar and hemipteran honeydew (aphids and mealybugs). The average size of the home ranges of C. renggeri in cerrado sensu stricto and cerradao varied from approximate to 2.8 to 4.0 m(2) and apparently were not affected by season. In C. rufipes, however, foraging grounds in cerrado sensu stricto showed a twofold increase from dry/cold (approximate to 4.5 m(2)) to rainy/hot season (approximate to 9.8 m(2)). Our study highlights the importance of natural history data to understand the foraging ecology and role of these ants in cerrado savannah. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/04667-4 - Natural history, behavior and ecology of Camponotus rufipes and Camponotus renggeri (Formicidae: Formicinae): a comparative study
• Grantee: Mariane Ueda Vaz Ronque
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 14/23141-1 - Ecology of interactions, behavioral ecology, and genetics of neotropical ant populations
• Grantee: Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants