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4th CENTRAL EUROPEAN WORKSHOP OF MYRMECOLOGY
15-18 September 2011
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
organized by:
Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University andApáthy István SocietyCluj-Napoca, Romania
Organizing comitee:
Bálint Markóprof. László Gallé
prof. László RákosyZsolt CzekesEnikő CsataKatalin Erős
István Elek MaákEnikő Német
Anna-mária Szász-LenZsófia SzőkeIoan Tăușan
Sponsored by:Communitas Fund
Romania
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PROGRAM
15th September, Thursday
Arrival and registration at the Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University
19:00 Welcome reception at the Mikó Restaurant
16th September, Friday
09:45 Welcome address: prof. dr. László Rákosy, head of the Department of Taxonomy and Ecology / dr. Bálint Markó, organizing committee
10:00-11:00
Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner and Florian M. Steiner: Integrative taxonomy: a multisource approach to exploring biodiversity (plenary talk)
Coffee break
11:20 Sándor Csősz, Andreas Schulz, Manfred Verhaagh: Pattern recognition in Temnothorax nylanderi species group with an exploratory data analysis tool AGNES (AGglomerative NESting)
11:40 Jens Dauber, Chiara Polce, William E. Kunin, Jacobus C. Biesmeijer and the ALARM Field Site Network: Response of ant communities to microclimate and land use in Europe
12:00 Gábor Lőrinczi: Seasonal structuring of sub-Mediterranean ground-dwelling ant communities
12:20 Masaki Suefuji and Jürgen Heinze: Phylogeographic analysis and population genetics of the threatened, slave-making ant Myrmoxenus ravouxi (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
12:40 Herbert Christian Wagner and Bernhard Seifert: Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi, 1934) - distribution and ecology of a rare arboricol ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
13:00-15:00
Lunch at the Mikó Restaurant
15:00 Tatyana Putyatina: The reasons of biological success of ants Lasius niger, Myrmica ruginodis and Formica cinerea in urban conditions
15:20 Nina Wauters, Wouter Dekoninck, Frederik Hendrickx, Henri Herrera and Denis Fournier The tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata: a threat to the Galapagos arthropodian fauna
15:40 István Maák, Zsófia Szőke, Katalin Erős, Zsolt Czekes and Bálint Markó: Territorial debates between Formica pratensis Retz. and the supercolonial F. exsecta Nyl.: conflict or competition?
16:00 Piotr Ślipiński, Bálint Markó, Wojciech Czechowski and Tomasz Włodarczyk: Space use in Formica sanguinea - my territory my kingdom?
16:20 Lenka Petráková and Jiří Schlaghamerský: Polymorphism in Liometopum microcephalum (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae): is it related to territory size?
Coffee break
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17:00 CITY TOUR
20:00 Dinner at the Mikó Restaurant
17th September, Saturday
9:00 Jürgen Heinze: The role of relatedness in the organization of insect societies (plenary talk)
Coffee break
10:20 Jürgen Trettin, Monika Haubner, Alfred Buschinger and Jürgen Heinze: Proximate determinants of high skew among ant queens
10:40 Abel Bernadou and Jürgen Heinze: Behavioural changes and nest site selection in the ant queen, Leptothorax gredleri.
11:00 Jouni Sorvari: Alien queen acceptance in queen-rich and queenless colonies of Myrmica rubra
11:20 Ivan Iakovlev and Zhanna Reznikova: Early task specialization in red wood ants
Coffee break
12:00 Zhanna Reznikova: Cognitive aspects of division of labour and information transfer at the individual level in group-retrieving Formica ants
12:20 Steffen Pielström and Flavio Roces: Vibrational communication and the excavation behavior in the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri (Forel)
12:40 Marion Füssl, Jürgen Heinze and Alexandra Schrempf: Differences in the protein pattern of male accessory gland proteins of the ant species Cardiocondyla obscurior
13:00-15:00
Lunch at the Mikó Restaurant
15:00 Veronika Jilková and Jan Frouz: Mechanisms of pH change in wood ant (Formica polyctena) nests
15:20 András Tartally, Matthias A. Fürst, Andreas Kelager, Tibor-Csaba Vizauer, László Rákosy, Zoltán Varga and David R. Nash: Syntopic genetic differentiation in Maculinea alcon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) linked by host plants and host ants
15:40 Zsolt Czekes, Bálint Markó, Márta Ferencz, Bernadette Lázár, Gyöngyvér Molnár, David R. Nash and László Rákosy: The effect of host plant characteristics and ant community structure on egg laying patterns in sympatric populations of Maculinea alcon alcon and M. alcon ‘rebeli’
16:00 Sofia Panteleeva, Olga Vygonyailova and Zhanna Reznikova: Red wood ants as a perilous temptation for small rodents
Coffee break
16:40 Bálint Markó, Enikő Csata, Katalin Erős, Zsolt Czekes and Enikő Német: The effect of the parasitic fungus Rickia wasmannii (Ascomycetes: Laboulbeniales) on the lifespan of its host ant Myrmica scabrinodis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
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17:00 Csaba Nagy, Viktor Markó and Jerry V. Cross: Effects of exclusion or supplementary sucrose feeding of the ant Lasius niger (L.) on aphid populations and aphidophagous predators on apple
17:20 POSTER SESSION with drinks, 5 mins./poster
20:00 Dinner at the Mikó Restaurant
18th September, Sunday
8:00 Trip to the Salt Mine of Turda, and to Rimetea village (lunch at the Székelykő Kúria)
19:00 Farewell dinner at the Mikó Restaurant
POSTERS
1 Hanna Babik: Ants of Botanical and Zoological Gardens of Warsaw (Poland)
2 Klára Benedek, Ottília Kóbori and Zsolt Czekes: Opposite of 'dear enemy' phenomenon in Formica pratensis Retz. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
3 Pavel Bezdečka and Klára Bezdečková: Coptoformica ants in the Czech Republic
4 Klára Bezdečková and Pavel Bezdečka: Supercoloniality in native facultatively polygynous Formica ants
5 Gregor Bračko, Herbert Christian Wagner, Erika Gioahin, Janja Matičič and Ana Tratnik: Contribution to the knowledge of the ant fauna of southeastern Republic of Macedonia
6 J. Chlumský, P. Koutecký, Veronika Jílková and M. Štech: Seed dispersal and adaptations to myrmecochory in the genus Melampyrum
7 Enikő Csata, Zsolt Czekes, Katalin Erős, Enikő Német, Bálint Markó: Myrmecopathogenic fungi in Romania.
8 Wojciech Czechowski: „New” Ants of Poland – soon
9 Katalin Erős, Anna-Mária Szász-Len, Enikő Csata, Zsolt Czekes and Bálint Markó: Habitat characteristics of polydomous systems in Formica exsecta Nyl. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Eastern Carpathians, Romania
10 Nana Gratiashvili, Sh. Barjadze, Masaki Suefuji and Jürgen Heinze: Re-discovery of Myrmoxenus tamarae, socially parasitic ant from Georgia
11 Orsolya Kanizsai: Small-scale foraging by Camponotus vagus and Formica fusca (preliminary results)
12 Kadri Kiran and Volkan Aksoy: Ant fauna of Sultan Mountains, Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
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13 Albena Lapeva-Gjonova and Ilia Gjonov: Ant-attendance in family Tettigometridae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)
14 Paweł Jarosław Mazurkiewicz, Katarzyna Czajkowska, K. Zięba, A. Kleyny, Z. Borzymowska, B. Symonowicz and Ewa Joanna Godzińska: The effects of age, training and enriched environment on the ontogeny of defense behaviour in juvenile workers of the red wood ant Formica polyctena Först.
15 Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner, Herbert Zettel and Florian M. Steiner: The development of Myrmecological News into an international journal
16 Anna-Mária Szász-Len, Katalin Erős, Enikő Csata, Zsolt Czekes and Bálint Markó: Habitat preference of Myrmica vandeli Bondroit, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and its place in the ant communities.
17 Andreas Schulz, Sándor Csősz and Manfred Verhaagh: Multi-methodical approach to review a Temnothorax species group – a conception.
18 Klára Szűcs, Szilvia Varga, Enikő Tánczos, Barbara Gubán, Edit Mizsei, Edit Farkas, Mária Harmati and László Gallé: The role of individual differences in food utilization and interference competition: case studies on five ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
19 Mate Zec, Boris Božić, Jelena Bujan, Matija Penezić and Ana Ješovnik: Myrmecofauna of the Zrmanja and Krupa river canyon
20 Ioan Tăușan and Bálint Markó: Too salty? Not for Tetramorium cf. caespitum. Ant community of the Ocna Sibiului salina, Romania
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INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY: A MULTISOURCE APPROACH TO EXPLORING BIODIVERSITY
Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner, Florian M. Steiner
Species are the basic units of many fields and the species name provides the link to the knowledge about an organism. Surveying arthropod studies that used multiple disciplines for species delimitation, we evaluate the performance of single disciplines. All included disciplines have a considerable failure rate. Using multiple disciplines chosen for complementarity to solve taxonomic problems thus helps avoid failure inherent to single disciplines and increases rigor in species delimitation. We present a flexible procedure and stopping rule for integrative taxonomy that uses the information from different disciplines separately, illustrating its use by examples from ants and other arthropods. Morphology should always be used for obtaining phenotypic information and providing the link to zoological nomenclature, alongside disciplines revealing nuclear genetic information and ones revealing complementary information such as behaviour, cytogenetics or chemistry. Disagreement among disciplines over the number and demarcation of species is resolved by seeking evolutionary explanations for disagreement. If no evolutionary explanation can be found, additional disciplines are added, one at a time, until the disagreement has been resolved or no more disciplines can be used. With the identification of further promising study organisms and of new questions for in-depth analysis, evolutionary (ant) biology should profit from integrative taxonomy. An important rationale is clarity in researcher bias in the decision-making process. For increased success of integrative taxonomy, methodological progress, taxonomic training, and balanced resource allocation will be vital.
PATTERN RECOGNITION IN THE TEMNOTHORAX NYLANDERI SPECIES GROUP WITH THE EXPLORATORY DATA ANALYSIS TOOL AGNES (AGGLOMERATIVE NESTING)
Sándor Csősz, Andreas Schulz, Manfred Verhaagh
The Mediterranean Region harbours extreme ecological, morphological and genetical diversity within the genus Temnothorax. Containing a large number of endemic and cryptic species it is one of the most specious genera in this region. Our goal was to describe the phenotypic diversity of the T. nylanderi species group throughout the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent territories and eventually to revise its taxonomy. The hidden phenotypic diversity was to be discovered using Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) technique, complemented by the tools of conventional statistics for testing hypotheses. In the present study Agglomerative Nesting (AGNES) was employed to investigate phenotypic differentiation patterns among the populations of T. nylanderi species group.
Altogether more than 1700 individuals of 500 nest samples were morphometrically investigated and 23 continuous morphological characters were recorded; in addition, conventional character scoring (verbal description) was also conducted on the same material.
According to the results of the exploratory research we hypothesized the existence of 20 morphological entities, of which 9 are described and 11 are undescribed taxa.
Linear Discriminant Analysis, the employed confirmatory technique, confirmed our hypothesis: the 95% of cases of each cluster obtained by EDA was correctly classified. Moreover, the delimited species boundaries could also be supported by conventional, descriptive taxonomy.
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Therefore, exploratory data analysis techniques, such as hierarchical clustering (AGNES), we believe, are proper tools to explore phenotypic diversity and if used with care, has implications in taxonomy, systematics and conservation.
RESPONSE OF ANT COMMUNITIES TO MICROCLIMATE AND LAND USE IN EUROPE
Jens Dauber, Chiara Polce, William E. Kunin, Jacobus C. Biesmeijer and the ALARM Field Site Network
There is ample evidence that climate change and land use change are among the main risks to biodiversity. Much less is known, about how the two threats interact and what the cascading consequences may be for communities of native species. Any landscape includes a wide range of microclimates, each of which may favour somewhat different sets of species. In the face of climate warming, the hottest sites within any landscape will be most likely to have moved out of the local “climate space”. Thus local populations may be relatively poorly adapted to these sites. In addition, communities in disturbed habitats might be stronger affected than natural communities and the proportion of such habitats in the landscape may in turn affect the communities of semi-natural habitats. Our study addresses this problem by large-scale analyses of the response of ant communities to microclimate and disturbance. Ant species richness and (functional) composition of communities was measured in a stratified sampling design at three levels: (1) paired landscapes (‘semi-natural’ versus ‘anthropogenic’); (2) contrasting land uses within each landscape (‘natural’ versus ‘agricultural’ vegetation patches); (3) contrasting microclimates within each landscape and land-use category (‘hot’, ‘cold’). Focal landscapes were located in Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. Within the studied temperature ranges, microclimate had only few effects, whereas the importance of a semi-natural character of habitats for ant species richness and community composition became evident.
SEASONAL STRUCTURING OF SUB-MEDITERRANEAN GROUND-DWELLING ANT COMMUNITIES
Gábor Lőrinczi
The density and spatial pattern of ant nests were examined in two woodland habitats of the Balaton Uplands, Hungary. At both sites, nests were mapped using three 7x7 m2 quadrates in four time periods (spring, early summer, late summer and autumn).
Altogether, a total of 427 nests from 9 species in the karst bush forest of Balatonfüred, and 350 nests from 15 species in the black pine forest of Litér were mapped. In the former habitat, the nests of Aphaenogaster subterranea and Prenolepis nitens, in the latter the nests of A. subterranea, Lasius emarginatus and Formica fusca were the most frequent. The density of nests showed altogether a decreasing tendency from spring to autumn at both sites, except for P. nitens and L. emarginatus, whose nest density changed as their polydomous nest system expanded and contracted through the season.
According to the nearest neighbour method, the intraspecific spatial pattern of nests was mostly random through the sampling period, and when the species identity of the nearest neighbour was disregarded, the nests showed significant aggregation in most cases. Density-dependent spacing was observed only for P. nitens, otherwise there were no correlations between nest densities and the values of the nearest neighbour index.
In general, there was a seasonal variation in the mean nearest neighbour distances of nests at both sites. Altogether, the nearest interspecific inter-nest distances proved to be significantly
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shorter than the nearest intraspecific inter-nest distances, both in the case of the dominant species and the entire community.
PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND POPULATION GENETICS OF THE THREATENED, SLAVE-MAKING ANT MYRMOXENUS RAVOUXI (FORMICIDAE:
MYRMICINAE)
Masaki Suefuji, Jürgen Heinze
Socially parasitic ants are dependent on societies of other ant species. Because they require large and healthy host populations, most species are currently listed by IUCN as threatened, but very little is known about their population structure, especially based on genetic investigation, and thus their actual risk of loss of genetic variability and extinction. Recently, we developed 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci suitable for such investigations in the slave-making ant species, Myrmoxenus ravouxi (Formicidae: Myrmicinae).
Myrmoxenus (formerly Epimyrma) is one of six phylogenetically independent socially parasitic genera in the small tribe Formicoxenini. Its 12 species parasitize ants of the related genus Temnothorax around the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we focused on the species M. ravouxi, which occupies a larger geographic range than its congeners. It therefore is a most intriguing model organism for population genetic analyses. Between 2008 and 2010 we collected M. ravouxi from dead twigs and under bark in a dry pine-oak forest from three different populations in Southern Germany; Kallmünz (N: 49°09’49.8, E: 011°56’51.4), Schönhofen (N: 49°00’40.6, E: 011°57’37.6) and Weichseldorf (N: 49°08’12.4, E: 011°56’65.8). After DNA-extraction using a modified CTAB (Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) protocol we conducted fragment analysis using an ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyser for phylogeographic analysis with all three populations and for population genetics with Kallmünz population.
We discuss the genetic variability and how each population is genetically structured in this ant species.
TEMNOTHORAX TURCICUS (SANTSCHI, 1934) – DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF A RARE ARBORICOL ANT (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)
Herbert Christian Wagner, Bernhard Seifert
Temnothorax turcicus has been considered in literature only two times: In the original description for Izmir (Turkey) and recently for Slovakia. A new record for the Pannonian zone in Austria (Bisamberg, Lower Austria) is presented. A gyne and three nests were discovered in dead wood between 1 and 3.7 m height. The accompanied ant fauna is largely thermophilous. The zoogeographic importance of the discovery and possible reasons for the rarity of Temnothorax turcicus-records are discussed. The finding increases the number of ant species known for Austria to 134.
THE REASONS OF BIOLOGICAL SUCCESS OF ANTS LASIUS NIGER, MYRMICA RUGINODIS AND FORMICA CINEREA IN URBAN CONDITIONS
Tatyana Putyatina
The prevailing communities of ants are studied on the urbanized territories of Moscow (Russia) and Munich (Germany). Lasius niger dominates on the meadows in Moscow, and Formica cinerea dominates in Munich. Myrmica ruginodis prevails in damp parks in Moscow. The
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reasons of biological success of these species have been analyzed. The series of original experiments and observations showed that success is in many respects caused by ecological and behavioral aspects. The city environment makes meadows drier, therefore it is favorable for the ant species living on dry meadows (F. cinerea and L. niger). In the city of Moscow the large territories also are occupied by damp and not great in size parks in which M. ruginodis habits. In the conditions of a aggressive urbanization the shortage of food resources is notice. Competitive struggle against other species of ants is won by the species, able to take hold of food. In many respects the success is helped by ability to сreate big polygynous polydomous colonies. Also dominants have adaptations for life with men. Ants dominance in peculiar and severe urbanized conditions are influenced by ecological and behavioral preliminary adaptations for inhabit in the city.
ECOLOGY AND IMPACT OF THE TROPICAL FIRE ANT SOLENOPSIS GEMINATA IN THE GALÁPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO
Nina Wauters, Wouter Dekoninck, Frederik Hendrickx, Henri Herrera, Denis Fournier
Ants have a great ecological importance in tropical ecosystems and often constitute an important part of the arthropod biomass. They are active on various trophic levels (predators, scavengers, seed harvesters…) and can maintain symbiotic relationships with many organisms, plant, arthropods, fungi or micro-organisms. However, when introduced and settled in a new environment, ants can cause lots of damages. Such introduced and invasive ants often become highly abundant in their new habitats and can outnumber native ants. In the Galápagos Archipelago, an introduced species is particularly dominant and potentially dangerous: the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata.
In this study, we investigated the ecology and impact of the tropical fire ant on the Galápagos local and introduced fauna, focusing on arthropods. By collecting ants in Galápagos on various islands and using different sampling techniques, we have shown that the diversity of ants decreases in the presence of S. geminata. Moreover the abundances of S. geminata can vary strongly between years, probably resulting in different levels of impacts during consecutive years.
Our genetical and behavioral analyses show a low genetic diversity, but also suggest a differentiation between geographically distant populations. This might indicate that S. geminata was introduced by several different sources in the Galápagos Islands. Finally, we will discuss the preliminary results of potential genetical and ecological factors underlying the successful invasion of the tropical fire ant in the Galápagos.
TERRITORIAL DEBATES: CONFLICT OR COMPETITION?
István Maák, Zsófia Szőke, Katalin Erős, Zsolt Czekes, Bálint Markó
We studied the modification of the behavioral traits of Formica pratensis under the influence of high and low density supercolonies of F. exsecta in the southern part of Giurgeului depression (Harghita County, Romania).
Our results show that the characteristic of the F. pratensis depends on the structure of the supercolony. On the high density site of the polydomous system (high number of F. exsecta nests), both the nests and the territories of the F. pratensis are smaller, which is presumably caused by the competition between these two species. In this site F. pratensis visits only a small number of aphid colonies near its nest, and the submissive species F. cunicularia form larger colonies in the surroundings. In contrast, on the low density section of the supercolony, the
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pratensis colonies and territories are larger, workers attend a high number of aphid colonies situated also far from their nests, and exhibits a bigger pressure on the other species within its territory.
In conclusion, F. pratensis has characteristics of a submissive species inside the exsecta’s supercolony, unlike the highly territorial nests at the edge of the supercolony. This strategy shift makes possible the coexistence of these two territorial species.
SPACE USE IN FORMICA SANGUINEA – MY TERRITORY MY KINGDOM?
Piotr Ślipiński, Bálint Markó, Wojciech Czechowski, Tomasz Włodarczyk
Formica (Raptiformica) sanguinea is a facultative slave-maker ant and it is regarded as top dominant species (Vepsäläinen & Pisarski 1982, Savolainen & Vepsäläinen 1988, Pisarski & Vepsäläinen 1989). Thus, it is assumed that it should defend not only its nest and food source but it should also maintain a territory. Our project aimed to test the territorial aspects of F. sanguinea foraging strategy on a larger geographical scale. Distribution and behaviour of foragers were studied on close vs. distant plots in the absence and in the presence of baits around twelve F. sanguinea and ten potential slave nests (mainly F. fusca) in Finland, Poland and Romania for two years (Vepsäläinen & Pisarski 1982, Czechowski 1985, Savolainen & Vepsäläinen 1989). Generally, more foragers were pesent close to the nest area, and they covered the area irregularly; in many cases no activity was recorded even in closer plots. Recruitment-based explosive exploitation of baits was very rare or almost absent in the case of colonies in Poland and Romania, such process could only be observed at four nests in Finland. In many cases baits were dominated by other species like Myrmica spp. or Tetramorium spp., which are, usually considered to be lower ranked species. These results indicate weak competition ability of F. sanguinea comparing to other territorial species and induce the revision of opinion about the position of F. sanguinea as top competitor.
POLYMORPHISM IN LIOMETOPUM MICROCEPHALUM (FORMICIDAE: DOLICHODERINAE): IS IT RELATED TO TERRITORY SIZE?
Lenka Petrakova, Jiri Schlaghamersky
Liometopum microcephalum (Panzer 1798) is a remarkable thermophilous and arboricolous ant species ranging from Italy in the west to the Middle East and the Lower Wolga River in the east. It has been red-listed in countries accross its range. Colonies, nesting in old trees, are very numerous. Even at one site, some colonies (probably either founded recently or desintegrating) are dominated by workers of markedly smaller body size than others. In the literature, there is disagreement on the character of these differences in body size. According to some authors there are just two worker morphs, whereas other call the species polymorphic. We studied the degree of polymorphism and posed the question if the worker size range within a L. microcephalum colony is influenced by its territory size. We sampled workers from ten colonies lacking a competing colony in their vicinity and ten colonies with neighbouring colonies of competitors. Head width and hind femur length were measured as indices of worker size. Territory sizes of all colonies were assessed and correlations between these characteristics were analysed. The variablity in worker size was rather continuous with no signs of dimorphism. The level of polymorphism could be affected by the availability of food resources (the nutrition of larvae is important for worker development). Younger colonies and generally such of smaller territory size have lower competition ability and lower resource-holding potential and consecutively workers from these colonies are of smaller size.
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THE ROLE OF RELATEDNESS IN THE ORGANIZATION OF INSECT SOCIETIES
Jürgen Heinze
The recent resurgence of group-selectionist models of the origin of cooperation and altruism has led to a fierce debate about the importance of consanguinity in social evolution. Claims that worker castes can evolve without relatedness to the recipients of their altruistic acts and that the concept of inclusive fitness is of only academic interest have been published prominently and immediately met strong objection.
Most researchers agree that strong altruism, such as the abstinence from reproduction by social insect workers, is not stable in evolution if it does not benefit related individuals. Kinship therefore plays a fundamental role in the evolution of cooperation and altruism and underlies the origin of insect societies.
Given that variation in kinship strongly shapes the inclusive fitness gains of workers, it is also expected to influence the outcome of intracolonial conflict. Variation in average nestmate relatedness has been shown to affect sex allocation ratios and the division of reproductive labor. However, the influence of variation in relatedness is probably not as universal as often assumed. In particular, variation in relatedness appears to be less important in the contexts of reproductive skew, i.e., the partitioning of reproduction among queens in multi-queen societies, and the production of males. In such cases, ecological factors determining the costs and benefits of altruism appear to be more critical.
PROXIMATE DETERMINANTS OF HIGH SKEW AMONG ANT QUEENS
Jürgen Trettin, Monika Haubner, Alfred Buschinger, Jürgen Heinze
The occurrence of multiple potential breeders per colony can lead to a conflict about reproduction in insect societies. Depending on numerous factors (e. g. relatedness, ecological constraints, etc.) reproduction can be shared equally or unequally among reproductives (reproductive skew). Consequently, reproductive skew can vary considerably between species and even among populations of the same species. In the ant Leptothorax acervorum, reproduction is quite equally shared among nestmate queens in most populations from boreal Eurasia (low skew). In contrast, colonies from populations at the edge of the species’ range are characterized by “functional monogyny” (high skew). We offer new insights into the resolution of the conflict of partitioning of reproductive rights among queens in high skew colonies. We show that both queens and workers contribute to the establishment of reproductive hierarchies and that queen – queen as well as worker – queen aggression differed in quality. In addition, we provide information about the distribution of low skew and high skew populations of L. acervorum from the Iberian Peninsula and discuss the implication of our results in the context of ecology and evolution of reproductive skew in the populations of L. acervorum from Spain.
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES AND NEST SITE SELECTION IN THE ANT QUEEN, LEPTOTHORAX GREDLERI.
Abel Bernadou, Jürgen Heinze
Behavioural changes along the life of an animal are often necessary and may be a response to environmental modifications. These behavioural changes have been commonly exemplified in taxa such as birds, fishes for activities like mating or migrations. Social insects, in particular reproductive female ants, are ideal models to study these behavioural changes. At their earliest
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life stage, young female ants are cared by workers in the maternal nest. To mate, the females of most ant species leave their nest for a nuptial flight and once mated, start a totally new colony by digging a nest and beginning laying eggs. Female ants experiment, on a very short period of their life, important changes both at behavioural and environmental levels.
Unlike other ant species, the L. gredleri females exhibit a "female calling syndrome": virgin females climb on grass stems and emit sexual pheromones that attract males. Once mated, it has been suggested that these young queens, just after mating, may seek readoption in their maternal nest.
Except opportunistic observations, the reproductive biology of this species and its quantification have, until now, not been extensively studied. We therefore investigated under laboratory conditions behavioural changes (phototactic, geotactic and locomotory behaviours) of female ants before and after mating. Nest site selection and readoption were also studied under artificial conditions. Our results showed that female reproductives exhibit different behavioural phases before and after mating. These behaviours seem to mimic the biological life cycle of these females.
ALIEN QUEEN ACCEPTANCE IN QUEEN-RICH AND QUEENLESS COLONIES OF MYRMICA RUBRA
Jouni Sorvari
Polygynous and polydomous red ant Myrmica rubra establishes often small satellite nests during summer. Many of such satellite nests are queenless in the beginning. I tested whether queen-rich and queenless laboratory colonies accept conspecific queens from other supercolonies/populations. Queenless colonies accepted alien queens more readily than queen-rich colonies. However, also queen-rich colonies accepted some of the alien queens. Accepting unrelated queens into colony may be beneficial because it may increase the genetic diversity of colony. Queenless satellite nests may have an important role in maintaining gene flow between supercolonies/populations.
EARLY TASK SPECIALIZATION IN RED WOOD ANTS
Ivan Iakovlev, Zhanna Reznikova
In order to reveal behavioural features which take precedence of the task specialization in red wood ants Formica aquilonia Yarrow, we presented ant groups with a battery of behavioural tests : (1) artificial “piece of world” including “grass”, shelters and a “tree trunk”; (2) collisions with a competitor for space (a ground beetle of the genus Pterostichus); (3) collisions with a “predator” (a moving dummy great tit Parus major); (4) collisions with an enemy possessing specific chemical defense (alive larva of Syrphidae fly). Comparison of reactions of naïve laboratory-reared ants of different age with those of mature "specialists" (aphid milkers, guards and hunters) taken from a natural ant colony enabled us to suggest that task specialization in red wood ants are based on innate behavioural differences between workers displaying in 4-5 weeks of age. Workers with weak aggressiveness which are able to learn how to avoid dangerous situations become aphid milkers, whereas highly aggressive ants which are not inclined to avoid danger specialize in guarding and hunting. It definitely requires experience for ants to select key features and grasp significant details in order to interpret the whole image of potential competitors and enemies and elaborate specific tactics of inter-relations with them. Members of different task groups also differ in their exploratory reactions to pieces of “artificial world”.Supported by the Joint Research HAS-RAS Project.
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COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF DIVISION OF LABOUR AND INFORMATION TRANSFER AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL IN GROUP-RETRIEVING FORMICA ANTS
Zhanna Reznikova
In group – retrieving Formica species colony organisation is based on relatively small working groups of constant composition. Long-term laboratory experiments revealed a complex communication system in F. polyctena and F. sanguinea based on sophisticated distribution of cognitive responsibilities within stable teams of scouts and foragers. Scouts are able to memorise and pass “abstract” information to foragers in their working teams, in particular, the information about a sequence of turns on the way to a feeder. Scouts are also capable of extracting rules in order to optimise and shorten “messages”, whereas foragers are not able to transmit information. A field model of the situation in which ants act collectively to perform a specific task could be the organisation of honey dew collection in the tree crown. In red wood ants F. polyctena groups of aphid tenders include members of different “professions” (shepherds, guards, transporters and scouts) which stay in stable cohesion for some weeks. Ants belonging to different professions possess stable sets of distinct behavioural features that can be considered a “behavioral syndrom” . In general, group- retrieving Formica species enjoy flexible and rational communication based on cognitive specialisation at the individual level. Supported by the Joint Research HAS-RAS Project.
VIBRATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND THE EXCAVATION BEHAVIOR IN THE LEAF-CUTTING ANT ATTA VOLLENWEIDERI (FOREL)
Steffen Pielström, Flavio Roces
In Myrmicine and Ponerine ants stridulation is known to occur in several behavioural contexts. It has been described as a short-range recruitment signal during foraging in leaf-cutting ants or as an alarm signal by workers that are engaged in agonistic interactions, slopped under earth or otherwise prevented from moving freely.
We discovered that workers of the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri (Forel) also stridulate while excavating in soil. Strudulation was observed in all stages of individual digging behavior. Only when switching to carrying soil particles, ant workers ceased stridulating. The attenuation of vibrational signal on soil surfaces was measured. It was demonstrated that ants perceiving stridulation signals are more likely to excavate close the source of the vibration than at an alternative site. Using sub colonies, group-level stridulation activity was monitored while excavating in three-dimensional setups. Our results indicate that vibrational signals are used by leaf-cutting ants to coordinate social nest building.
DIFFERENCES IN THE PROTEIN PATTERN OF MALE ACCESSORY GLAND PROTEINS OF THE ANT SPECIES CARDIOCONDYLA OBSCURIOR
Marion Füssl, Jürgen Heinze, Alexandra Schrempf
In the ant species Cardiocondyla obscurior, two different male morphs occur. Under normal environmental conditions wingless, ergatoid males are present in the colony. They are produced continuously, stay life-long inside the nest and mate throughout their whole life as they have ongoing spermatogenesis. When environmental conditions deteriorate, winged ant males as are typical for other ant species appear in large numbers. They disperse after several days and are thought to mate outside to ensure the propagation of the “colony’s genes” via outbreeding.
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Under bad environmental conditions, young queens presumably also leave their natal nests and found new colonies on their own, without the help of workers. A recent study showed that queens, which mated with a winged male, live longer than queens, which mated with an ergatoid male. As components of the male’s seminal fluid may play a major role for this life-prolonging effect, we investigate the protein composition of the male accessory glands by fluorescence-labeled 2D-gel electrophoresis.
MECHANISMS OF PH CHANGE IN WOOD ANT (FORMICA POLYCTENA) NESTS
Veronica Jílková, Jan Frouz
Ants are known to affect pH in their nests but mechanisms of these changes are not yet completely understood. In this study we tested effects of glucose and basic cations brought by wood ants in food and building material into the nest on pH change. Amounts of basic cations were determined in honeydew and prey imported by ants into the nests. Manipulation experiment using the litter bag technique and mounds made of the litter from the surrounding forest floor was carried out to test effects of addition of glucose and Ca2+ cations on pH changes. According to our study, ants are able to bring substantial amounts of glucose and basic cations that are able to increase pH of the ant nest material. Both treatments, glucose and Ca2+ cations, significantly affected pH in the litter bags, although pH was increased more in mounds treated by Ca2+ cations.
SYNTOPIC GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN MACULINEA ALCON (LEPIDOPTERA: LYCAENIDAE) LINKED BY HOST PLANTS AND HOST ANTS
András Tartally, Matthias A. Fürst, Andreas Kelager, Tibor-Csaba Vizauer, László Rákosy, Zoltán Varga, David R. Nash
Larvae of Maculinea alcon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) start developing on seeds of Gentiana spp. (Dicotyledonopsida: Gentianaceae), then become social parasites of Myrmica spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nests. The butterfly has two forms: Ma. alcon occurs on wet and Ma. ‘rebeli’ on dry meadows. In Central-Europe Ma. alcon typically uses G. pneumonanthe then My. scabrinodis, but Ma. ‘rebeli’ typically uses G. cruciata then My. sabuleti and My. schencki. However, at Răscruci in Transylvania, dry areas with G. cruciata, My. sabuleti, My. schencki and My. scabrinodis, and wet parts with G. pneumonanthe and My. scabrinodis were found mosaically. We checked Myrmica nests for prepupal larvae and pupae 2 m around host plants. 31 nests of My. scabrinodis (9 infested by 30 caterpillars/pupae) were found in the wet areas, and 10 nests of My. sabuleti (5 by 17), 6 of My. schencki (2 by 18) and 23 of My. scabrinodis (1 by 1) were found in the dry areas. Microsatellite analysis of 22 caterpillars collected from Myrmica nests from the dry areas, 29 from the wet areas and 13 from a nearby site (Şardu), was carried out using eight variable marker loci. The results show significant differentiation between the caterpillars from the wet and dry habitats at Răscruci. Further studies are necessary to decide whether preferential mating and/or disruptive selection may be responsible for this kind of sympatric and syntopic genetic differentiation, adapted to the different flowering times of the initial food plants and to the different Myrmica species occurring on the different habitat patches.
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THE EFFECT OF HOST PLANT CHARACTERISTICS AND ANT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE ON EGG LAYING PATTERNS IN SYMPATRIC POPULATIONS OF
MACULINEA ALCON ALCON AND M. ALCON ‘REBELI’
Zsolt Czekes, Bálint Markó, Márta Ferencz, Bernadette Lázár, Gyöngyvér Molnár, David R. Nash, László Rákosy
Butterflies of the genus Maculinea (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) are obligate parasites of ants, their larvae spend most of their life in colonies of ants of the genus Myrmica. These butterflies have a unique life cycle: they also feed on the seeds of specific host plants in primary larval stages. Romanian data on the relationship between Maculinea butterflies and their Myrmica hosts is very scarce. There are a number of mixed Maculinea communities with 3-4 Maculinea species in Romania. One of these mixed communities at Răscruci is unique in Europe. Due to a mosaic landscape structure with alternating dry and wet patches this habitat is suitable for both forms of Maculinea alcon: M. alcon alcon and M. alcon 'rebeli'. The meadow alcon blue uses G. pneumomanthe as host plant (growing in wet patches), while the mountain alcon blue uses G. cruciata (growing in semi-dry areas). We studied the egg laying preference of M. alcon 'rebeli' and M. alcon alcon in relation to the presence of host plants and their morphological characteristics. The structure of the ant community was also studied in order to establish, whether there is any connection between the distribution of host ants and the distribution of Maculinea eggs. There were more eggs on higher plants, with more leaves and more flowers. yrmica scabrinodis was the dominant host ant on both areas. We found no significant relationship between the abundance of host ants and the number of eggs laid on host plants.
RED WOOD ANTS AS A PERILOUS TEMPTATION FOR SMALL RODENTS
Sofia Panteleeva, Olga Vygonyailova, Zhanna Reznikova
Red wood ants and rodents share territories in forest habitats. Surprisingly, their inter-relations have not been investigated. We found that the composition of rodent communities is the same on the territory of a super-colony of Formica aquilonia and on control plots: they consist of the same 10 species and have similar population sizes. However, ants prevent rodents from staying too long on their territories: the digging activity and the number of rodents' holes differ essentially on the plots inhabited by ants and on the control plots. In autumn and spring when ants are not active we found that up to 70% of ant mounds (n=80) were penetrated with holes of rodents (up to 25 holes per ant-hill). In laboratory experiments with striped field mice we investigated whether rodents can interact with ants as hunters and mass prey. We placed 13 mice one by one into arenas together with a group of 4-9 ants (39 tests). Video records were analyzed by the Noldus system. In the great majority of tests mice displayed high hunting activity towards ants, and their efficiency of hunting was comparable with specialized predators: mice killed and ate 0,36±0,19 ants per minute. A threshold in number of biting ants in the arenas when rodents stop hunting and start to panic corresponds to the dynamic density in the vicinity of ant-hills and ants' routes. In sum, ants attract rodents and antagonize them, thus displaying a complex type of interspecies interaction.
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THE EFFECT OF THE PARASITIC FUNGUS RICKIA WASMANNII (ASCOMYCETES: LABOULBENIALES) ON THE LIFESPAN OF ITS HOST ANT MYRMICA SCABRINODIS
(HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)
Bálint Markó, Enikő Csata, Katalin Erős, Zsolt Czekes, Enikő Német
Social animals, like ants, although seemingly well-armed against parasites due to the protective nature of social systems, are nevertheless exposed to several parasites like fungi from the order Laboulbeniales (Ascomycetes). Rickia wasmannii is such an ectoparasitic fungus living on different species of the ant genus Myrmica in Europe. In Romania, the most frequent host species is Myrmica scabrinodis. The fungi penetrate the outer layer of the cuticle, while appearing on the surface of the hosts as clubbed setae-like structures. There is little information on the effect of the fungi on the host, usually it is regarded as neutral. During our research we studied the effect of Rickia wasmannii on the lifespan of Myrmica scabrinodis and on its grooming behaviour in laboratory conditions. The lifespan of infested colonies was significantly reduced compared to both non-infested colonies from infested population and non-infested colonies from non-infested population. There were no differences in the frequency of allogrooming among groups, but the frequency of autogrooming was much higher in individuals from infested colonies. We hypothesize that this change in behaviour could be induced by the excessive presence of fungi on the surface of cuticle, and it could also contribute essentially to the over-infestation of individuals. So far this is the first evidence of negative effect of Rickia wasmannii on its host.
EFFECTS OF EXCLUSION OR SUPPLEMENTARY SUCROSE FEEDING OF THE ANT LASIUS NIGER (L.) ON APHID POPULATIONS AND APHIDOPHAGOUS PREDATORS
ON APPLE
Csaba Nagy, Viktor Markó, Jerry V. Cross
Two replicated experiments were conducted in an organic apple orchard (cv Queen Cox and Bramley) at East Malling Research (UK) in 2011 to evaluate the effects of the common black ant, Lasius niger (L.), on populations of rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini). Ants were excluded from trees by provisioning a sucrose solution feeder or a sticky barrier band at the base of the trunk. Trees where ants had free access and trees without a feeder were used as controls.
Exclusion of ants resulted in rapid decreases in D. plantaginea populations. This was caused by increased populations of predator groups, particularly syrphids and coccinellids. However, the sticky barrier prevented the important generalist predator Forficula auricularia L., from climbing the trees. In comparison, populations of aphids increased rapidly on control trees (ants not excluded) and where predator populations were thus lower.
Provision of sucrose feeders changed the behaviour of L. niger. On most of the trees they were distracted from searching for aphids in the tree canopies, or abandoned the aphid colonies that they were already tending. The loss of ant protection caused rapid reductions in D. plantaginea numbers by aphidophagous predators, but did not disturb the activity of F. auricularia. Occasionally, the ants did not completely stop visiting the colonies, but they stopped or reduced their efforts in protecting them. Thus this management approach may not be fully reliable for control in the field.The implications of these results for management of aphids in apple orchards are discussed.
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POSTERS
OPPOSITE OF 'DEAR ENEMY' PHENOMENON IN FORMICA PRATENSIS RETZ. (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)
Klára Benedek, Otília Kóbori, Zsolt Czekes
Aggressive behaviour in ants towards non-nestmates is thoroughly studied in the world of social insects. In many ants species there are connections between the spatial distance and the level of aggression. Some social insect species are more aggressive with the adjoining colonies but some of them follow the 'dear enemy phenomenon', avoid the aggression with neighbours and the hostility is higher between non-nestmates from bigger distances. We studied the relationship between aggression and spatial distance in Formica pratensis at Fânaţele Clujului (Cluj County, Romania). Aggression tests between workers from different distances were carried out. Our results show increased level of aggression between neighbours. We think that the reason can be encounter induced hostility.
COPTOFORMICA ANTS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Pavel Bezděčka, Klára Bezděčková
Research of myrmecofauna of the Czech Republic started in the mid-nineteenth century. Since that time, three species of Coptoformica ants, specifically Formica exsecta Nylander, 1846, Formica foreli Bondroit, 1918 and Formica pressilabris Nylander, 1846, have been recorded here. F. foreli was not distinguished in the past and so it might be confused with F. pressilabris in older literature (before 2001).
We have been intensively studying Czech Coptoformica ants since 2007. We examined important museum and private collections, perused literature and visited all 37 sites reported in these sources. We also explored more than two hundred additional localities appropriate for Coptoformica ants, with a view to seeking another population.
F. exsecta has actually been found in seven localities (disappearing from 29 sites), F. foreli in six sites (disappearing from three) and F. pressilabris only in one site (in five localities there has been neither F. pressilabris nor F. foreli).
Coptoformica populations are markedly in decline in the Czech Republic. The most serious hazard is represented by habitat destruction caused by succession to higher vegetation, decrease of sheep grazing, intensification of cattle grazing, afforestation and house-building. Each of the 14 known populations lives in a locality that does not enjoy site protection. Therefore, these populations are very vulnerable. This situation is alarming, and the ants F. exsecta, F. foreli and F. pressilabris belong among the most threatened species of invertebrates in the Czech Republic.
The research was supported by grants DE07PO4OMG009 and SP/2d4/23/07.
SUPERCOLONIALITY IN NATIVE FACULTATIVELY POLYGYNOUS FORMICA ANTS
Klára Bezděčková, Pavel Bezděčka
Supercoloniality (formation of extremely huge polygynous and polydomous colonies) is, within the genus Formica, typically recorded in highly polygynous species. We report here the
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supercoloniality in Czech populations of two facultatively polygynous species, Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1758 and Formica picea Nylander, 1846.
In F. rufa we tested supercolony status of two nest aggregations, containing 1752 and 573 mounds, by transferring workers and observing the movement of individual ants. Inter-nest transfers within aggregations never resulted in rejection of intruders (24 experiments), while workers from the other aggregation were never accepted (three experiments). Free movement of ants among the mounds and exchange of individuals appeared within both aggregations.
In F. picea we studied three local populations in the same way and, as the tracking of ants was very difficult in the peat bogs, we added dyadic aggression tests. Inter-nest transfers of workers both within (10 experiments) and between (two experiments) localities passed without significant aggression and never resulted in rejection of intruders. The frequency of friendly interactions did not significantly differ in any combination (intra- and inter-nest, intra- and inter-locality) in dyadic tests (18 experiments). The aggressive interactions had almost exclusively the character of ritualised attacks. Their number was very low, without significant difference, in intra- and inter-nest combinations within localities, but significantly higher in inter-locality pairing (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 0.5, exact p = 0.000108).
Results of our research strongly support the hypothesis that the studied populations are supercolonies.
The research was supported by grants DE07PO4OMG009 and SP/2d4/23/07.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ANT FAUNA OF SOUTHEASTERN REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Gregor Bračko, Herbert Christian Wagner, Erika Gioahin, Janja Matičič, Ana Tratnik
The Balkan Peninsula is one of the Europe's richest areas in ant diversity, even though its ant fauna is still rather insufficiently investigated. The same is true for the territory of the Republic of Macedonia in south of the Balkans, with only few published contributions on country's ant fauna. In April 2010 we sampled ants in several localities in southeastern Republic of Macedonia, applying different methods: direct sampling, pitfall trapping, baiting and litter sifting. Altogether 82 species were found during our investigation, 40 of which were not listed in the last review of Macedonian ant fauna by Karaman (2009). Some of the more interesting species that are quite rare were Oxyopomyrmex krueperi, Temnothorax finzii, Temnothorax cf. korbi, Tetramorium cf. hippocrate. The ant species found in this study were zoogeographically classified based on known data on their distribution. More than half of them belong to either West Palaearctic, Mediterranean or those distributed in the Balkans and adjacent regions. For some species like Camponotus aegaeus, Camponotus ionius, O. krueperi, the southeast of Republic of Macedonia probably presents northern border of their range. Additionally, we performed comparison of ants collected in three different habitats (i.e. karst meadow, pseudomaquis and pine forest) near Star Dojran, where the sampling was most systematic.
SEED DISPERSAL AND ADAPTATIONS TO MYRMECOCHORY IN THE GENUS MELAMPYRUM
J. Chlumský, P. Koutecký, Veronika Jílková, M. Štech
Genus Melampyrum contains group of hemiparasitic myrmecochorous annual plants widespread over the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Specific distribution of some species in connection with myrmecochory evokes many interesting questions about their migration history. Aims of this project are 1.) to find out if seeds of either species (M. pratense or M. bohemicum)
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are preferred by ants and 2.) to resolve whether myrmecochory is the only mean of seed-dispersal for genus Melampyrum.
M. pratense and M. bohemicum are two species with similar habitat requirements frequently occuring together. Despite this, their distribution differs markedly. M. pratense is widespread almost all over the Europe and its populations are usually very large. On the contrary M. bohemicum has a very limited distribution (restricted only to the Czech Republic and Slovakia) with small dispersed populations. Even on mixed stands M. bohemicum usually occurs as a small compact population, whereas M. pratense grows abundantly in all favourable sites in the area. One of possible explanations of such imbalance would be difference in ant seed-removal rates. Our field studies show, that from mixed-seed samples, containing both species, ants preferentially remove seeds of M. pratense and therefore on mixed stands M. pratense would be more successful in the seed dispersal and consequently in the colonization of favourable sites.
Genus Melampyrum is considered to be solely myrmecochorous and no other way of seed transport has been described so far. Though to achieve recent distribution of some Melampyrum species during the Holocene, myrmecochory would be highly insufficient. Because seeds are not equipped for anemochory or epizoochory, the most probable way of dispersal would be endozoochory. Fresh plants and seeds were fed to a hamster, a rat, a rabbit, some seed-eating birds and to a cow. Droppings were checked for seed occurence. Seeds managed to pass intact only through digestive tract of a cow. This suggests that large ruminants such as deers, mouflons or a forest-grazing livestock can be important dispersers of Melampyrum species on a long-distance scale.
Results of preliminary experiments with ant-dispersal distance revealed that Formica polyctena ants are able to move seeds over 36 m in only 7 hours. This distance is so far longest known myrmecochorous removal of forest plant seeds.
MYRMECOPATHOGENIC FUNGI IN ROMANIA
Enikő Csata, Zsolt Czekes, Katalin Erős, Enikő Német, Bálint Markó
There are several fungi species, which parasitize ants. Most of these species are known from the tropics, where they exhibit spectacular morphology (e.g. Cordyceps species). However, there are a few European species, most of which are insufficiently known. Only scarce data is available on their geographic range, host specificity and on their effect on the host. Hereby we report the occurrence of four myrmecopathogenic fungi species in Romania: Aegeritella superficialis, Myrmicinosporidium durum, Pandora myrmecophaga and Rickia wasmannii. The most widely distributed is Ae. superficialis, which is an epizoic fungus growing on Formica species. It is known from nine locations from all over Romania. M. durum is an internal parasite, which has been recently discovered in central Romania in Solenopsis fugax. Only one location is known. P. myrmecophaga has been also recently discovered in Romania in only one location. It is an epizoic fungi and its Romanian host is Formica exsecta. R. wasmannii is a setae-like fungus, which covers the cuticle of the host, occurring exclusively on Myrmica ants. It is known from five locations in central Romania, and it has been recorded on M. scabrinodis and M. slovaca. Further on at least one more parasitic fungus species is expected to occur in Romania: Laboulbenia formicarum on Lasius neglectus.
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„NEW” ANTS OF POLAND – SOON
Wojciech Czechowski
A new monograph of the myrmecofauna of Poland is expected to be published in 2011. The book will consist of four main parts: (1) a check-list of the ant species of Europe, (2) a faunistic catalogue of the ants of Poland (with maps of their distribution in the Palaearctic and notes on biologies), (3) characteristics (zoogeographical, ecological) of the Polish myrmecofauna relative to the myrmecofauna of Europe, (4) keys for identification (to all European subfamilies and genera, and to Polish species).
Czechowski W., Radchenko A., Czechowska W., Vepsäläinen K. 2011. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae (n.s), Warsaw (in press).
HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYDOMOUS SYSTEMS IN FORMICA EXSECTA NYL. (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) IN EASTERN CARPATHIANS, ROMANIA
Katalin Erős, Anna-Mária Szász-Len, Enikő Csata, Zsolt Czekes, Bálint Markó
Habitat characteristics influence the composition and stability of ant communities, species abundance and also the development of specific social structures, as polydomous systems. The Formica exsecta population of the Giurgeului Depression, Romania is very specific as it comprises of several large polydomous systems, one of which is the largest in Europe. Which habitat conditions could facilitate the development of such social systems? Can a set of optimal habitat characteristics be identified based on F. exsecta nest density and nest size? What type of land use (e.g. grazing) can contribute to the stability or decline of such systems? Our scope was to describe the habitat properties of F. exsecta polydomous systems. On the basis of our results F. exsecta polydomous systems developed in grazed, open areas with low shrub-coverage and reduced shrub height. The results of our study could further on be used for the elaboration of an appropriate conservation plan of the studied F. exsecta polydomous systems.
RE-DISCOVERY OF MYRMOXENUS TAMARAE, SOCIALLY PARASITIC ANT FROM GEORGIA
Nana Gratiashvili, Sh. Barjadze, Masaki Suefuji, Jürgen Heinze
In 1968, K. Arnoldi described Myrmoxenus tamarae (=Epimyrma tamarae) based on workers collected by Tamara Zhizhilashvili near the village of Daba, Borjomi district, in the Lesser Caucasus, Georgia. During intensive fieldwork at the type locality in 2010, we re-discovered several complete colonies of this taxon. As yet, the species is known only from this single locality. Much of its habitat was destroyed by fire during Russian-Georgian War in 2008 and its recent IUCN category - Vulnerable (VU) - might have to be changed to Critically Endangered (CR). Using DNA sequencing we currently examine whether M. tamarae is a valid species or synonymous to M. ravouxi, a rare slave-making ant widely distributed throughout Europe.Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, He 1623/30
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SMALL-SCALE FORAGING BY CAMPONOTUS VAGUS AND FORMICA FUSCA (PRELIMINARY RESULTS)
Orsolya Kanizsai
Colonies of C. vagus and F. fusca co-occur in the same forest habitats, utilizing similar nesting sites and food sources in the forest-step habitats in Hungary. The two species’ nests sometimes are situated quite close to each other, the smallest measured distance has been 0.9 m. The question is if they have different strategies in space utilization make possible submissive Formica fusca to coexist with the more aggressive and larger Camponotus vagus.
In the course of laboratory experiments, as expected, a superior competitive exclusion was observed to the benefit of Camponotus vagus from the food sources in the common foraging arena. The visiting rate of food item by the Camponotus was independent of the distance of baits from the nest entrance, whereas the quality of food had a significant effect preferring food composed of both protein and sugar. In contrary, Formica fusca workers visited more frequently the baits which were closer to their nest, and even this small scale distance had significant impact on their foraging, but the quality of food had no impact on their behaviour. There was a „border line” at 90 cm after which the rate of arrivals on baits by Formica fusca foragers decreased sharply and the discovering efficiency was also lower farther than 90 cm.
These results indicate that the differences in the small scale distance dependency may have an effect on the cohabitation in natural conditions, too.
ANT FAUNA OF SULTAN MOUNTAINS, TURKEY (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)
Kadri Kiran, Volkan Aksoy
This study was performed to determine the ant fauna of Sultan Mountains located in southwest of central Anatolia and north of Mediterranean region of Turkey, and to contribute the ant fauna of Turkey. Samples were collected in 2004 and 2011 from 7 different habitats and 29 localities between 1010-2210m a.s.l. With this study 3 subfamily (Myrmicinae, Dolichoderinae and Formicinae) and 45 species are determined of which Temnothorax dessyi (Menozzi, 1936) is a new record for Turkish ant fauna.
This study was supported by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) (Project No: 109T088).
ANT-ATTENDANCE IN FAMILY TETTIGOMETRIDAE (HEMIPTERA: FULGOROMORPHA)
Albena Lapeva-Gjonova, Ilia Gjonov
Although the trophobiotic relationships between ants and homoptera seem to be well known, few recent studies are concerned with the Fulgoromorpha group. New data on ant-attendance among species from family Tettigometridae were observed in Bulgaria, Greece, South Italy and France. New and previous cases on the trophobiosis between ants and tettigometrids in Europe are summarized. Morphological and behavioral characteristics of the members of family Tettigometridae mediated such relationships which are more frequent than is known.
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THE EFFECTS OF AGE, TRAINING AND ENRICHED ENVIRONMENT ON THE ONTOGENY OF DEFENSE BEHAVIOUR IN JUVENILE WORKERS OF THE RED WOOD
ANT FORMICA POLYCTENA FÖRST.
Paweł Jarosław Mazurkiewicz, Katarzyna Czajkowska, K. Zięba, A. Kleyny, Z. Borzymowska, B. Symonowicz, Ewa Joanna Godzińska
The research devoted to the ontogeny of ant behaviour is focused mostly on behavioural modifications involved in the transition nurse-forager. Behavioural effects of early experience were investigated mainly in the context of acquisition of chemical preferences and effects of social context on individual behaviour. We analysed the effects of age, training and enriched environment on the ontogeny of defense behaviour in juvenile workers of the red wood ant Formica polyctena. Newly hatched callows were kept in small groups (n = 5) and tested at the age of 1, 4, 7 or 10 days after eclosion. During the test, the ant was fixed by petiolus to a piece of styrofoam and the front part of its head was repeatedly stimulated by stroking with an entomological pin. We recorded the degree of mandible opening and the success of the attempts of the tested worker to grasp the pin with its mandibles. Four groups of ants were tested to assess the effect of (1) behavioural maturation, (2) training (tests repeated at three day intervals), (3) enriched environment (possibility to interact with fragments of pine needles in the home nest), and (4) training and enriched environment applied together. Altogether, 914 callows and 47 mature foragers were tested. In all tested groups defense behaviour showed significant improvement as a function of worker age. Maturation of defense behaviour was more rapid in ants reared in enriched environment. Surprisingly, training had an adverse effect on that process, leading also to more rapid habituation to aversive mechanical stimulation.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MYRMECOLOGICAL NEWS INTO AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner, Herbert Zettel, Florian M. Steiner
An overview is presented of the development of Myrmecologische Nachrichten, a journal initially restricted to the Central European ant fauna, to the present-day Myrmecological News. The journal now is an international outlet for papers on all fields of ant research, covered by the major databases for scientific literature. We sketch the functionality of the journal's website, exemplify the range of topics published, and list perspectives for the future.
HABITAT PREFERENCE OF MYRMICA VANDELI BONDROIT, 1920 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) AND ITS PLACE IN THE ANT COMMUNITIES
Anna-Mária Szász-Len, Katalin Erős, Enikő Csata, Zsolt Czekes, Bálint Markó
The ant Myrmica vandeli is a rare species in Europe. Relatively few data are available on its biology, habitat preference and place in the ant community. Seemingly, one of the biggest European M. vandeli populations is located in the Giurgeului Depression, Eastern Carpathians, Romania. In our study we analyzed the habitat preference and population size of this species, and the composition of ant communities where M. vandeli is present. Based on our results M. vandeli inhabits a variety of habitat types mostly all characterized by moist conditions. The abundance of M. vandeli nests was exceptionally high in two different habitat types: (1) in habitats characterized by the presence of Carex elata, and (2) in habitats characterized by high abundance of Sanguisorba officinalis. M. vandeli occurred together with six other Myrmica
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species, M. scabrinodis being the most abundant besides M. vandeli. The two rival species showed different habitat preferences, though. We found only a few mixed nests of M. vandeli and M. scabrinodis, which could serve as proof for the facultative socially parasitic lifestyle of M. vandeli. Phengaris larvae and pupae (most probably P. teleius) were found in three M. vandeli nests.
THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN FOOD UTILIZATION AND INTERFERENCE COMPETITION: CASE STUDIES ON FIVE ANT SPECIES
(HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)
Klára Szűcs, Szilvia Varga, Enikő Tánczos, Barbara Gubán, Edit Mizsei, Edit Farkas, Mária Harmati, László Gallé
The importance of individual differences in spatio-temporal population processes is relatively a young recognition in ecology. In social insect biology, however, the study of individual differences have a much longer history, tracing back to Aristotle and mainly connected with the division of labor and the cast systems. These sociobiological aspects, however, have been avoided by the interest of theoretical ecologists, although e.g. E. O. Wilson clearly stated its significance in the ecological success of ants. We studied the foraging behaviour and subtask partitioning of five ants species, Camponotus vagus, Cataglyphis aenescens, Formica pratensis, Formica rufa and Liometopum microcephalumin in field conditions at baits with and without competitors belonging to alien species. The following behavioural types were distinguished from video records: feeding, present without function, self-grooming, antennal communication, aggressive, escape, aggressively guarding, taking object. The workers of F. rufa are grouped into two in the ordination scattergram made on the basis of the behavioural subtasks, whereas in other species there was either a smooth transition or an incomplete trend of task partitioning among individuals. The transition probabilities between the tasks are not equal and prompt. Most transitions are going through an inactive phase.
MYRMECOFAUNA OF THE ZRMANJA AND KRUPA RIVER CANYON
Mate Zec, Boris Božić, Jelena Bujan, Matija Penezić, Ana Ješovnik
The Zrmanja River is located between Croatia’s Lika and Northern Dalmatia regions and its 69 kilometers of river flow delimit the southern border of Velebit Nature Park. We present a study of the myrmecofauna in the area around Zrmanja and its main tributary, Krupa River. As part of the study, two field trips were made in May and September 2010. Ants were sampled at 28 sites by a standardized method employing constant effort by hand collecting and baiting. In addition, unbaited pitfall traps were set up at 18 sites and eight leaf litter samples were analyzed with mini-Winklers. A total of 48 species, belonging to 22 genera, were identified. Three species (Crematogaster auberti savinae, Temnothorax finzii and Proformica sp.) and one genus (Proformica) were found for the first time in Croatia. Our results reveal an impressive diversity of myrmecofauna and suggest that additional detailed studies of the area would be beneficial.
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TOO SALTY? NOT FOR TETRAMORIUM CF. CAESPITUM. ANT COMMUNITY OF THE OCNA SIBIULUI SALINA, ROMANIA
Ioan Tăușan, Bálint Markó
It is known that insect species respond to habitat edges in a variety of patterns. Ant community of a saline field in Ocna Sibiului, Romania, was studied in order to elucidate whether transition from different habitat types to the saline area is reflected by changes in community structure. The vegetation is characterized by salt-tolerant associations like Puccinellietum distantis, Salicornietum europaeae and Artemisietum maritimae. Pitfall traps were used in four transects in three periods (spring, summer and autumn) during 2010. Additional soil sampling was carried out for the salinity analysis. Altogether 18 species were identified; the most abundant species was Tetramorium cf. caespitum, but Tapinoma ambiguum, Myrmica sabuleti and Lasius niger were also quite frequent. As expected, species richness showed abrupt changes: it increased from the saline fields to the surrounding areas. Negative relationship was recorded between the number of species and the salt concentration of soil. Though, less abundant in saline sites, Tetramorium cf. caespitum, was the only species sampled in all transects, almost in all traps.
MULTI-METHODICAL APPROACH TO REVIEW A TEMNOTHORAX SPECIES GROUP – A CONCEPTION
Andreas Schulz, Sándor Csősz , Manfred Verhaagh
With this presentation we would like to highlight a part of our long time work, which has finally lead to reviewing the Western Palearctic Temnothorax species. As a model for future studies we apply a multi-methodical approach, including numeric morphology-based taxonomy, exploratory data analysis, agglomerative nesting, discriminant functions, and several other taxonomical tools, comprising a large collected nest sample material, which is strictly necessary for these studies. In this presentation we show our workflow.The nylanderi-species group of the ant genus Temnothorax will be reviewed for the Balkans, Greece, Turkey and the Near East, based on the worker and queen castes. From the study of about 10,000 specimens of 700 nest series, 18 valid species are recognized, of which 8 are new. For our morphometric observations we have used 23 characters, from 1,800 individuals and ~ 530 samples.
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List of participants
Name Affiliation e-mail
Babik, Hanna Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, Poland [email protected], Klára Sapientia University, Romania [email protected]
Bernadou, Abel University of Regensburg , [email protected]
Bezděčka, PavelMuzeum Vysočiny Jihlava, p. o., Czech Republic
Bezděčková, Klára
Muzeum Vysočiny Jihlava, p. o., Czech Republic
Bihari, Klarissza University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected]žić, Boris Croatian Myrmecological Society [email protected]čko, Gregor University of Ljubljana, Slovenia [email protected], Enikő Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected]ősz, Sándor Hungarian Natural History Museum [email protected], Katarzyna
University of Warsaw, Poland [email protected]
Czekes, Zsolt Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected], Jens vTI - Institute of Biodiversity Germany [email protected]ős, Katalin Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected], Maria-Helene
guest - Germany [email protected]
Füssl, Marion University of Regensburg, [email protected]
Gallé, László University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected], Ilia Bulgaria [email protected], Nana
Ilia State University, Georgia [email protected]
Harmati, Mária University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected], Jürgen University of Regensburg, Germany [email protected]
Iakovlev, IvanInstitute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS, Russia
Maák, István Elek
University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected]
Jílková, VeronikaInstitute of Soil Biology, Biological Center, AS CR Czech Republic
Kaholek, Balázs guest, Hungary [email protected], Orsolya
University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected]
Kiran, Kadri Trakya University, Turkey [email protected]ács Judit University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected], Albena
Sofia University, Bulgaria [email protected]
Lőrinczi, Gábor University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected]ó, Bálint Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected], Paweł Jarosław
Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, University of Warsaw, Poland
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Nagy, Csaba East Malling Research, United Kingdom [email protected]émet, Enikő Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected]
Panteleeva, SofiaInstitute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Russian Federation
Pavliš, Ivan Croatian Myrmecological Society, Croatia [email protected], Matija Croatian Myrmecological Society, Croatia [email protected], Lenka Masaryk University, Czech Republic [email protected]öm, Steffen
University of Würzburg, [email protected]
Putyatina, Tatyana
ISSU, Russian Entomological Society, Russia [email protected]
Reznikova, Zhanna
Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Russia
Schlaghamersky, Jiri
Masaryk University, Czech Republic [email protected]
Schlick-Steiner, Birgit
University of Innsbruck, Austria [email protected]
Schulz, Andreas Germany [email protected], Piotr Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, Poland [email protected], Anna University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected], Jouni University of Turku, Finland [email protected], Florian University of Innsbruck, Austria [email protected], Masaki University of Regensburg, Germany [email protected]ász-Len, Anna-Mária
Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected]
Szőke, Zsófia Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected]űcs, Klára University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected]ánczos, Enikő University of Szeged, Hungary [email protected], András University of Debrecen, Hungary [email protected]ăuşan, Ioan Babeş-Bolyai University, Romania [email protected]
Trettin, Jürgen University of Regensburg, [email protected]
Wagner, Herbert Christian
ÖKOTEAM –Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning, Austria
Wauters, Nina Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium [email protected], Mate Croatian Myrmecological Society [email protected]
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Author index
Aksoy, V. 22Barjadze, Sh. 21Benedek, K. 18Bernadou, A. 12Bezděčka, P. 18Bezděčková, K. 18Biesmeijer, J. C. 8Borzymowska, Z. 23Božić, B. 24Bračko, G. 19Bujan, J. 24Buschinger, A. 12Cross, J. V. 17Czajkowska, K. 23Czechowski, W. 11Czekes, Zs. 10, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23Csata, E. 17, 20, 21, 23Csősz, S. 7, 25Dauber, J. 8Dekoninck, W. 10Erős, K. 10, 17, 20, 21, 23Farkas, E. 24Ferencz, M. 16Fournier, D. 10Frouz, J. 15Fürst, M. A. 15Füssl, M. 14Gallé, L. 24Gioahin, E. 19Gjonov, I. 22Godzińska, E. J. 23Gratiashvili, N. 21Gubán, B. 24Harmati, M. 24Haubner, M. 12Heinze, J. 9, 12, 14, 21Hendrickx, F. 10Herrera, H. 10Iakovlev, I. 13Ješovnik, A. 24Jílková, V. 15Kanizsai, O. 22Kelager, A. 15Kiran, K. 22Kleyny, A. 23Kóbori, O. 18Kunin, W. E. 8Lapeva-Gjonova,A. 22
Lázár, B. 16Lőrinczi, G. 8Maák, I. E. 10Markó, B. 10, 11, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 25Markó, V. 17Matičič, J. 19Mazurkiewicz, P. J. 23Mizsei, E. 24Molnár, G. 16Nagy, Cs. 17Nash, D. R. 15, 16Német, E. 17, 20Penezić, M. 24Petrakova, L. 11Pielström, S. 14Polce, C. 8Putyatina, T. 9Rákosy, L. 15, 16Reznikova, Z. 13, 14, 16Roces, F. 14Schlaghamersky, J. 11Schlick-Steiner, B. C. 7, 23Schrempf, A. 14Schulz, A. 7, 25Seifert, B. 9Ślipiński, P. 11Sorvari, J. 13Steiner, F. M. 7, 23Suefuji, M. 9, 21Symonowicz, B. 23Szász-Len, A. M. 21, 23Szőke, Zs. 10Szűcs, K. 24Tánczos, E. 24Tartally, A. 15Tăușan, I. 25Tratnik, A. 19Trettin, J. 12Varga, Sz. 24Varga, Z. 15Verhaagh, M. 7, 28Vizauer, T. Cs. 15Wagner, H. C. 9, 19Wauters, N. 10Zec, M. 24Zettel, H. 23Zięba, K. 23
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