RESUMO

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) are among the top 100 invasive alien species globally, causing significant ecological and economic harm. Therefore, it is crucial to study their potential geographic distribution worldwide. This study aimed to predict their global distribution under current and future climate conditions. We used distribution data from various sources, including CABI, GBIF, and PIAKey, and key climate variables selected from 19 environmental factors to model their potential geographic distribution using MaxEnt. The AUC values were 0.925 and 0.937 for L. humile and W. auropunctata, respectively, indicating good predictive performance. Suitable areas for L. humile were mainly in southern North America, northern South America, Europe, central Asia, southern Oceania, and parts of Africa, while W. auropunctata suitable areas were mostly in southern North America, most of South America, a small part of Europe, southern Asia, central Africa, and some parts of Oceania. Under climate change scenario, suitable areas for L. humile increased, while highly suitable areas for W. auropunctata decreased. The top four countries with the largest areas of overlapping suitable habitat under current climate were Brazil, China, Australia, and Argentina, while under future SSP585 climate scenario, the top four countries were Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Argentina. Some countries, such as Estonia and Finland, will see an overlapping adaptation area under climate change. In conclusion, this study provides insight into controlling the spread and harm of L. humile and W. auropunctata.

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RESUMO

Agricultural ecosystems are by their very nature novel and by definition the more general biodiversity associated with them must likewise constitute a novel community. Here, we examine the community of arboreally foraging ants in the coffee agroecosystem of Puerto Rico. We surveyed 20 coffee plants in 25 farms three times in a period of one year. We also conducted a more spatially explicit sampling in two of the farms and conducted a species interaction study between the two most abundant species, Wasmannia auropunctata and Solenopsis invicta, in the laboratory. We find that the majority of the most common species are well-known invasive ants and that there is a highly variable pattern of dominance that varies considerably over the main coffee producing region of Puerto Rico, suggesting an unusual modality of community structure. The distribution pattern of the two most common species, W. auropunctata and S. invicta, suggests strong competitive exclusion. However, they also have opposite relationships with the percent of shade cover, with W. auropunctata showing a positive relationship with shade, while S. invicta has a negative relationship. The spatial distribution of these two dominant species in the two more intensively studied farms suggests that young colonies of S. invicta can displace W. auropunctata. Laboratory experiments confirm this. In addition to the elaboration of the nature and extent of this novel ant community, we speculate on the possibilities of its active inclusion as part of a biological control system dealing with several coffee pests, including one of the ants itself, W. auropunctata.

RESUMO

Abstract: Several studies addressed ant communities in the dense Atlantic Forest that runs along the Brazilian coast. However, comparatively little is known about the mixed forests and grasslands that occur in the southern range of the Atlantic Forest domain. In this study we performed the first standardized assessment of ants in the forest-grassland mosaic found in the highlands of the state of Santa Catarina. We aimed to investigate and compare ant richness and composition between mixed forests and grasslands in the main mountain range of south Brazil. Ants were collected in two years with ground pitfalls, tree pitfalls and litter samples. Sixty ant species were recorded, resulting in 22 new records for "Planalto Serrano" region and three for the state of Santa Catarina: Eurhopalothrix depressa, Pheidole radoszkowskii and Wasmannia williamsoni. There was significant dissimilarity in ant species composition between grasslands and forests, but no difference in ant species richness, even considering the higher number of strata in mixed forests. Similar richness and low number of arboreal species suggest that this ant community is structured similarly to temperate ones. Both habitats presented a large proportion of exclusive species. The fact that species composition between grassland and forest areas differed, coupled with the similarity in species richness between habitats and the record of new ant species for the region, calls for strong conservation efforts in grasslands of southern Brazil, which still are little protected by conservation areas.

Resumo: Diversos estudos já foram realizados com comunidades de formigas nas regiões de Floresta Ombrófila Densa que ocorrem ao longo da costa do Brasil. Comparativamente menos é conhecido sobre as Florestas Ombrófilas Mistas e campos que ocorrem na parte meridional do domínio da Mata Atlântica. Neste estudo nós realizamos o primeiro levantamento padronizado de formigas no mosaico de florestas e campos que ocorre nas regiões altas de Santa Catarina. Nosso objetivo foi investigar e comparar a riqueza e composição de espécies entre florestas e campos na principal cordilheira do sul do Brasil. Formigas foram coletadas em dois anos com armadilhas de queda no solo e nas árvores, e com amostras de serapilheira. Sessenta espécies foram registradas, constituindo 22 novos registros para a região do Planalto Serrano e três para o estado de Santa Catarina: Eurhopalothrix depressa, Pheidole radoszkowskii e Wasmannia williamsoni. A composição de espécies diferiu significativamente entre florestas e campos, mas não houve diferença em riqueza de espécies, mesmo considerando o maior número de estratos nas florestas. Riqueza similar e pequeno número de espécies arbóreas sugere que esta comunidade é estruturada de modo semelhante às comunidades de regiões temperadas. Ambos os habitats apresentaram alta proporção de espécies exclusivas. O fato de que a composição foi diferente, somado à similaridade em riqueza de espécies entre habitats e ao registro de novas espécies, indica a necessidade de maiores esforços conservacionistas nos campos do Sul do Brasil, que ainda são pouco protegidos por unidades de conservação.

RESUMO

Knowing the importance of participation by insects at cadaverous decomposition processes, and the limited use of the family Formicidae in criminal investigations, this study aims to record the foraging activity of four genera of ants in carcasses of birds and mammals. Observations occurred accidentally in two locations in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In total, seven species of ants foraging in eight vertebrate carcasses were recorded. In addition, the study reported for the first time the presence of Wasmannia in carcasses in Brazil.

Sabendo da importância da participação dos insetos em processos de decomposição cadavérica e do uso limitado da família Formicidae em investigações criminais, o objetivo do presente estudo foi registrar a atividade de forrageio de quatro gêneros de formigas em carcaças de aves e mamíferos. As observações ocorreram de forma acidental em duas localidades do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. No total, foram registradas sete espécies de formigas forrageando em oito carcaças de vertebrados. O trabalho registrou ainda pela primeira vez a presença do gênero Wasmannia em carcaças no Brasil.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Knowing the importance of participation by insects at cadaverous decomposition processes, and the limited use of the family Formicidae in criminal investigations, this study aims to record the foraging activity of four genera of ants in carcasses of birds and mammals. Observations occurred accidentally in two locations in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In total, seven species of ants foraging in eight vertebrate carcasses were recorded. In addition, the study reported for the first time the presence of Wasmannia in carcasses in Brazil.(AU)

Sabendo da importância da participação dos insetos em processos de decomposição cadavérica e do uso limitado da família Formicidae em investigações criminais, o objetivo do presente estudo foi registrar a atividade de forrageio de quatro gêneros de formigas em carcaças de aves e mamíferos. As observações ocorreram de forma acidental em duas localidades do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. No total, foram registradas sete espécies de formigas forrageando em oito carcaças de vertebrados. O trabalho registrou ainda pela primeira vez a presença do gênero Wasmannia em carcaças no Brasil.(AU)

Assuntos