Novel reusable canopy trap for sampling arboreal populations of electric ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nastassja A Cox ◽  
Gary J Morton ◽  
Melinda K McNaught ◽  
Ross Wylie
Keyword(s):  
Wasmannia Auropunctata

Complex diversity in a mainly tropical group of ant parasitoids: Revision of the Orasema stramineipes species group (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eucharitidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4401 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROGER A. BURKS ◽  
JOHN M. HERATY ◽  
CHRYSALYN DOMINGUEZ ◽  
JASON L. MOTTERN
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Secondary Infections ◽  
Tropical America ◽  
Morphological And Molecular Data ◽  
The Tropics

Twenty-nine species are recognized in the Orasema stramineipes species group, including 22 new species in what is now the most diverse species group of the New World ant-parasitoid genus Orasema Cameron. Orasema aenea Gahan syn. n. is synonymized with O. freychei (Gemignani), the holotype of which has been rediscovered. Orasema smithi Howard syn. n. is synonymized with Orasema minutissima Howard. Orasema violacea Gemignani syn. n. and its replacement name Orasema gemignanii De Santis syn. n. are synonymized with O. worcesteri (Girault). Twenty-two species are described as new: O. arimbome Dominguez, Heraty & Burks n. sp., O. carchi Heraty, Burks & Dominguez n. sp., and the following 20 species by Burks, Heraty & Dominguez: O. chunpi n. sp., O. cozamalotl n. sp., O. evansi n. sp., O. hyarimai n. sp., O. kaspi n. sp., O. kulli n. sp., O. llanthu n. sp., O. llika n. sp., O. mati n. sp., O. nyamo n. sp., O. pirca n. sp., O. pisi n. sp., O. qillu n. sp., O. qincha n. sp., O. rikra n. sp., O. taku n. sp., O. tapi n. sp., O. torrensi n. sp., O. woolleyi n. sp., and O. yaax n. sp. The stramineipes-group has much greater diversity in tropical America than outside the tropics, and is much more diverse than its sister-group, the susanae-group, which is mainly present in temperate regions of Argentina. A hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships is proposed based on an analysis of 28S-D2 rDNA and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) for 14 stramineipes-group species. Species concepts were established using both morphological and molecular data. Most species in the stramineipes-group have a tropical distribution, with only a few species in temperate regions. Ant hosts for the group include Pheidole Westwood, Wasmannia Forel, and possibly Solenopsis Westwood (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Orasema minutissima is a common parasitoid of Wasmannia auropunctata Roger in the Caribbean and has the potential to be a biological control agent in other areas of the world. Two distinct size morphs are recognized for O. minutissima, which are correlated with attacking either Wasmannia (small morph) or different castes of Pheidole (medium to large size morphs). Some species of Orasema have been regarded as pests due to scarring or secondary infections of leaves or fruit of banana, yerba mate or blueberry, but outbreaks are rare and the threat is usually temporary. 

scholarly journals Epigaeic ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) communities in urban parks located in Atlantic Forest biome

Check List ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Débora R. de Souza-Campana ◽  
Otávio G. M. da Silva ◽  
Leonardo Menino ◽  
Maria Santina de C. Morini
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Ant Communities ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Line Transects ◽  
Forest Biome

Urban parks offer refuge for numerous animal species, and some of these parks represent the remaining fragments of native forests. We evaluate the diversity and composition of epigaeic ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in urban parks located within the Atlantic Forest biome (Centenial Park, Leon Feffer Park and Villa Lobos Park). For our collections, we placed pitfall traps along 100-m line transects in areas both accessible and inaccessible to the public. A total of 46 species distributed in seven subfamilies were collected. The number of species did not differ among park areas, but the ant communities themselves differed. Native species, such as Strumigenys denticulata and S. louisianae, were collected in the most preserved natural areas in the parks. Generalist species composed the richest guild and were primarily found in areas with public access. Wasmannia auropunctata, Brachymyrmex heeri, Solenopsis sp. 2, and Solenopsis sp. 3 were classified with high value as biological indicators. 

scholarly journals Comunidades de formigas (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) em fragmentos de Mata Atlântica situados em áreas urbanizadas

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Santina de C. Morini ◽  
Catarina de B. Munhae ◽  
Roberto Leung ◽  
David F. Candiani ◽  
Júlio C. Voltolini
Keyword(s):  
Linepithema Humile ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Pheidole Megacephala ◽  
Mata Atlântica ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Tapinoma Melanocephalum ◽  
Mata Atlantica ◽  
E 32

As comunidades de formigas que vivem em fragmentos de Mata Atlântica rodeados por um ecossistema urbano bem desenvolvido, foram investigadas. Avaliou-se a riqueza, a freqüência de ocorrência das espécies bem como a similaridade entre três áreas da cidade de São Paulo: Parque da Previdência (PP), Reserva Florestal "Armando Salles de Oliveira" (CUASO) e Horto Oswaldo Cruz (HOC). Foram colocadas armadilhas do tipo "pitfall" em locais onde não ocorre visitação pública, durante uma semana, nos meses de março, junho, setembro e dezembro de 2001. Em todos os fragmentos foram coletadas 79 espécies de formigas, pertencentes a nove subfamílias e 32 gêneros. A subfamília Myrmicinae e os gêneros Pheidole e Hypoponera foram os mais ricos. No PP foram registradas 62 espécies, na CUASO 46 e no HOC 43, sendo que PP e CUASO são mais similares entre si. Tal similaridade possivelmente esteja relacionada ao tamanho de ambas as áreas e, também, a uma semelhança nos sítios de nidificação e de alimentação. No geral, a fauna de formigas é generalista, com a presença de alguns gêneros especialistas, como Discothyrea, Acanthognathus, Gnamptogenys, Oxyepoecus e Pyramica; ou de gêneros cujos hábitos alimentares ainda são desconhecidos (Heteroponera e Myrmelachista). A presença de espécies caracteristicamente de áreas domiciliares também foi constatada: Pheidole megacephala Fabricius, 1793, Linepithema humile Mayr, 1868, Wasmannia auropunctata Roger, 1863, Paratrechina fulva Mayr, 1862, P. longicornis Latreille, 1802 e Tapinoma melanocephalum Fabricius, 1793.

Niche opportunity and ant invasion: the case of Wasmannia auropunctata in a New Caledonian rain forest

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Le Breton ◽  
Hervé Jourdan ◽  
Jean Chazeau ◽  
Jérôme Orivel ◽  
Alain Dejean
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Island Communities ◽  
Little Fire Ant

Due to the unbalanced distribution of their fauna and flora, which leads to the creation of a niche opportunities, it is generally accepted that island communities offer weak biotic resistance to biological invasion. In order to empirically test this statement, we compared resource use by ants in the understorey of an undisturbed New Caledonian rain forest recently invaded by the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. We tested the exploitation of: (1) food sources by placing baits on all trees with trunks greater than 5 cm in diameter; and (2) nesting sites on two tree species likely to shelter ant colonies. In non-invaded areas, the native ants occupied only 44.6% of the baits after 2 h of exposure, while in invaded areas all the baits were occupied by numerous W. auropunctata workers. Similarly, in non-invaded areas only 48.9% of Meryta coriacea (Araliaceae) trees and 64.5% of Basselinia pancheri (Arecaceae) sheltered ants, while in invaded areas W. auropunctata nested in 92.6–98.3% of these trees. Also, workers attended native Margarodidae (Hemiptera) for which they promoted the development of populations significantly larger than those attended by native ants. Thus native ants appear unable to efficiently exploit and defend several of the available food sources and nesting sites, providing a niche opportunity for an invader like W. auropunctata.

Characterization and PCR multiplexing of polymorphic microsatellite loci for the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENIS FOURNIER ◽  
JULIEN FOUCAUD ◽  
ANNE LOISEAU ◽  
SANDRINE CROS-ARTEIL ◽  
HERVÉ JOURDAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Invasive Ant ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite

scholarly journals Androgenesis is a maternal trait in the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1766) ◽  
pp. 20131181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Rey ◽  
Benoît Facon ◽  
Julien Foucaud ◽  
Anne Loiseau ◽  
Arnaud Estoup
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Nuclear Genome ◽  
Population Genetic Study ◽  
Invasive Ant ◽  
Parthenogenetic Female ◽  
Fitness Advantage ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Respective Contribution ◽  
Sexual Mating

Androgenesis is the production of an offspring containing exclusively the nuclear genome of the fathering male via the maternal eggs. This unusual mating system is generally considered a male trait, giving to androgenetic males a substantial fitness advantage over their sexually reproducing relatives. We here provide the first empirical study of the evolutionary outcomes of androgenesis in a haplo-diploid organism: the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata . Some of the populations of this species have a classical haplo-diploid sexual mating system. In other populations, females and males are produced through parthenogenesis and androgenesis, respectively, whereas workers are produced sexually. We conducted laboratory reciprocal-cross experiments with reproductive individuals from both types of populations and analysed their progenies with genetic markers, to determine the respective contribution of males and females to the production of androgenetic males. We found that androgenesis was a parthenogenetic female trait. A population genetic study conducted in natura confirmed the parthenogenetic female origin of androgenesis, with the identification of introgression events of sexual male genotypes into androgenetic/parthenogenetic lineages. We argue that by producing males via androgenesis, parthenogenetic queen lineages may increase and/or maintain their adaptive potential, while maintaining the integrity of their own genome, by occasionally acquiring new male genetic material and avoiding inbreeding depression within the sexually produced worker cast.

The little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata: a new invasive species in the Middle East and its impact on the local arthropod fauna

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1825-1837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merav Vonshak ◽  
Tamar Dayan ◽  
Armin Ionescu-Hirsh ◽  
Amnon Freidberg ◽  
Abraham Hefetz
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata ◽  
Arthropod Fauna ◽  
Little Fire Ant

scholarly journals The etTects of food presentation and microhabitat upon resource monopoly in a ground-foraging ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) community

1969 ◽  
pp. 629-642
Author(s):  
Terrence P McGlynn ◽  
S Eben Kirksey
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Food Presentation ◽  
Wasmannia Auropunctata

En los bosques húmedos de la Región Neotropical conviven varias especies de hormigas omívoras, defensoras de recursos alimenticios. Aunque el suelo del bosque es heterogéneo en microhábitat y alimento, se sabe poco sobre el impacto de ambos en las hormigas. Se investiga cómo influencian el tipo de alimento y el microhábitat la forma en que estas hormigas acaparan el alimento en un bosque húmedo tropical maduro ( bajuras de Costa Rica). Se midieron ocho características de microhábitat en 66 puntos de una parcela de 0.5 ha. En cada punto se colocaron dos categorías de cebo ( atún): "dividido" y "agrupado." Se midió el acaparamiento de cebo por especie y el número de hormigas por cebo. De cinco especies comunes, dos (Wasmannia auropunctata y Pheido/e simonsi) monopolizaron con más frecuencia uno de los dos tipos de cebo, y una (P. simonsi) tuvo más individuos en los cebos divididos. La frecuencia de monopolio, comportamiento, y la ausencia de hormigas en punto dado en el bosque varió con el tipo de cebo. La frecuencia de acaparamiento se asoció con tipo de microhábitat en dos variables de microhábitat: profundidad de la hojarasca y palmas; la variación en distancia de bóvedas de árboles y caminos de hormigas cortadoras de hojas se asoció con cambios en el número de buscadores de alimento. En al menos dos especies la presentación del alimento afectó el acaparamiento; entre todas las hormigas estudiadas, los microhábitats y el tipo de alimento determinan en parte la frecuencia de acaparamiento y el número de individuso que llega al alimento. Estos resultados sugieren que la localización y presentación de alimento determina en parte cual especie de hormiga utilizará el recurso.

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