Influence of Cave Size and Presence of Bat Guano on Ant Visitation

Autor(es)

Dattilo, Wesley ^[1] ; Vicente, Ricardo E. ^[1] ; Nunes, Rafael V. ^[2] ; Feitosa, Rodrigo M. ^[3]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Fed Mato Grosso, Dept Ecol & Bot, Insect Plant Interact Lab, BR-78060900 Cuiaba, Mato Grosso - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Mato Grosso, Dept Biol & Zool, BR-78060900 Cuiaba, MT - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Museu Zool, Dept Entomol, BR-04263000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Sociobiology; v. 59, n. 2, p. 549-559, 2012.
• Citações Web of Science: 4

Resumo

This is the first study which evaluated the influence of cave size and presence of bat guano in ant visitation in Brazilian caves. We provide a list of the ants associated with 27 caves in northeastern Brazil, an area situated in the transition between Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) and Amazon Domain. The study was conducted between January and August 2010. We recorded 24 ant species inserted into 12 genera, 10 tribes, and six subfamilies. The size of the cave and the presence of guano did not influence the richness of ants, and most of the caves had single species. Camponotus atriceps was the species with the larger distribution, being collected in five caves. In addition, we discuss geographic distribution of records and possible ecological roles of ants in cave environments. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 11/24160-1 - Filogenia, datação molecular e biogeografia histórica das formigas Heteroponerinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
• Beneficiário: Rodrigo dos Santos Machado Feitosa
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado