Effects of fire retardant application on heathland surface-dwelling ant species (Order Hymenoptera; Family Formicidae) in Victoria,Australia

The effects of fire retardant application at varying rates on surface-dwelling ants in heathland communities were assessed over a 1-year period from March 2001 to March 2002. The study was conducted at two sites, one in East Gippsland at Marlo and the other in the Grampians region of south-west Victoria where a total across both sites of 6407 specimens representing 18 ant species contained in 5400 pitfall trap samples were collected. It was concluded that despite retardant application, no significant effect was observed within the major ant species Rhytidoponera metallica (Smith) and Pheidole sp. at both sites. These species appear to form a stable component of the heathland ant community. However, significant decreases in activity were observed for Camponotus terebrans (Lowne) at the Grampians site and Paratrechina sp. at the Marlo site. Evidence suggests that retardant application when combined with prevailing suitable climatic conditions, leads to foliage mortality, litter accumulation and weed invasion, leading to potential creation of habitat less suitable for activity of these species. When assessed in terms of taxon richness and community evenness, ant species were unaffected at the Grampians, while at Marlo, community evenness was affected due to the smaller number of individuals collected in the medium retardant treatment. When assessed by their functional groupings, the Subordinate Camponotini showed significantly reduced activity on the retardant treated sites at the Grampians directly as a result of C. terebrans activity. Further study is required to determine the combined effects of fire and retardant on ant species, as well as any longer-term effects past 1 year.     

秦岭楼观台油松林地3种土栖性蚂蚁巢内真菌多样性研究(英文)

研究比较了秦岭楼观台油松林地日本弓背蚁(Camponotus japonicus)、铺道蚁(Tetramo-riumcaespitum)及日本黑褐蚁(Formicajaponica)3种蚂蚁蚁巢内外土壤真菌多样性的差异。研究结果表明:(1)从3种蚂蚁蚁巢及无蚂蚁栖居的土壤样品中共分离到15种真菌,无蚂蚁栖居土壤中真菌种类是3种蚂蚁巢内真菌种类的2.0~3.5倍;日本弓背蚁巢内平均cfu.g-1最低,明显低于无蚂蚁栖居的土壤(P<0.05),另外2种蚂蚁巢内及其无蚂蚁栖居的土壤平均cfu.g-1差异不明显(P>0.05)。(2)3种蚂蚁蚁巢内的真菌多样性指数(H′)均显著低于无蚂蚁栖居的土壤(P<0.05),但在3种蚂蚁蚁巢之间无显著差异(P>0.05);3种蚂蚁及无蚂蚁栖居的土壤的真菌均匀度指数(E)之间无显著差异(P>0.05)。(3)3种蚂蚁巢内真菌种类组成明显不同,形成各自特殊的真菌群落;蚁巢中分布的真菌种类几乎都可发现于无蚂蚁栖居的土壤,但其在蚁巢内的分布均大于无蚂蚁栖居的土壤。不同蚂蚁蚁巢内及无蚂蚁栖居的土壤中真菌组成及其多样性的差异与土壤微环境以及不同蚂蚁种群、筑巢习性及其对真菌的防卫机制密切相关。     

中国弓背蚁属3个新记录种（膜翅目 蚁科 蚁亚科）

报道采自云南和广西的弓背蚁属中国新记录种３个：巴瑞弓背蚁,来氏弓背蚁,亮弓背蚁,补充了各个种的描述,测量数据和插图。     

荔枝园红火蚁和哀弓背蚁种间关系研究

采用系统调查的方法对深圳市红火蚁发生区荔枝园内的哀弓背蚁Camponotus dolendus 和红火蚁Solenopsis invicta种间关系进行了研究.结果表明:红火蚁发生较严重的荔枝园,哀弓背蚁和红火蚁种群数量间表现为明显负相关,相关系数为-0.819 4,而红火蚁发生较轻的荔枝园两者不相关.2种蚂蚁种间存在明显的竞争关系,其竞争系数(α)为0.324 9.在轻度发生荔枝园,气温对哀弓背蚁种群数量变动的直接作用最大;而在重度发生荔枝园,气温通过影响红火蚁种群数量进而对哀弓背蚁产生的间接作用最大.决定系数分析结果表明,红火蚁是影响哀弓背蚁种群数量变动的最主要决定因素.经主成分分析,获得了2个包含3个因子的主成分,其累积方差贡献率分别为95.73%和95.75%,并给出了2个主成分与3因子间函数表达式.建立了哀弓背蚁工蚁数量与气温(X1)、空气相对湿度(X2)、红火蚁工蚁数量(X3)之间的回归方程为Y=5.490 2-0.063 0X1-2.813 1X2-0.003 3X3.     

日本弓背蚁种群动态及繁殖规律的研究

对13巢日本弓背蚁进行调查,结果表明平均每蚁巢有卵249粒、幼虫592头,蛹306只、工蚁1298只、无翅雌蚁(蚁后)1只,各虫态数量无稳定比例.种群数量与蚁群年龄及土壤性质有关.每年秋季产生有性蚁,翌年4月下旬至5月上旬婚飞.婚飞后单个雌蚁繁育出第1批工蚁需37天.雌蚁在有工蚁照顾下每天产卵,日均产卵12.5粒,单个雌蚁产卵量低.雌蚁缺乏时,工蚁也可少量产卵.大、中、小型工蚁均有产卵能力,大型工蚁产卵力较强.单个饲养的工蚁不能产卵.     

秦岭地区2种蚂蚁巢内土壤理化性质和微生物量的相关性研究

研究了秦岭牛背梁自然保护区森林生态系统中2种优势蚂蚁(日本弓背蚁Camponotus japonicus和敏捷扁头猛蚁Pachycondyla astuta)的营巢活动对林地土壤理化性质及其微生物量的影响。结果表明:3种不同微生境(日本弓背蚁巢内、敏捷扁头猛蚁巢内及蚁巢外对照)土壤的有机质、全氮、速效氮和速效钾含量均存在显著差异(p<0.05),表现为敏捷扁头猛蚁巢内>日本弓背蚁巢内>巢外土壤;全磷和速效磷的含量虽然无显著差异(p>0.05),但与蚁巢外土壤相比,日本弓背蚁巢内速效磷含量下降了31.41%,敏捷扁头猛蚁巢内速效磷含量下降了15.09%;三者间含水量差异亦存在显著差异(p<0.05),且蚁巢内土壤均较巢外潮湿;pH值差异不显著,但蚁巢内土壤比巢外土壤略显酸性。营巢活动对土壤微生物量也产生明显影响(p<0.05),2种蚂蚁蚁巢内细菌、放线菌及真菌的cfu/g数量均显著大于巢外土壤(p<0.05),而敏捷扁头猛蚁巢内3类微生物cfu/g数量又显著大于日本弓背蚁巢内(p<0.05)。土壤理化性质和微生物量的相关性分析表明:日本弓背蚁和敏捷扁头猛蚁巢内土壤有机质、全氮、速效氮、速效钾含量与其土壤中细菌、放线菌、真菌的cfu/g数量呈显著或极显著正相关;全磷含量与土壤微生物量呈不同程度的正相关;但2种蚂蚁巢内的土壤速效磷含量及pH值则与土壤微生物cfu/g数量呈显著负相关。以上结果表明,蚂蚁的筑巢活动可显著影响其巢内土壤的养分含量和微生物量,致使土壤异质性增强,从而对维持森林生态系统中物质能量循环产生重要的影响作用。     

中国弓背蚁属1新种(膜翅目:蚁科)

记述了膜翅目蚁科弓背蚁属Componotus Mayr的1个新种：星斗山弓背蚁Camponotus xingdoushanensis sp．nov．。模式标本保存在陕西师范大学动物研究所标本室。     

日本弓背蚁的生物学特性

日本弓背蚁Camponotus japonicus Mayr在吉林省1a发生1代，以工蚁、有翅雌蚁、有翅雄蚁、幼虫在土(木)穴中越冬。5月下旬-7月上旬婚飞，婚飞后的有翅雌蚁翅脱落，寻找适宜场所产卵，8月下旬有翅蚁羽化。成虫主要取食蚜虫的蜜露及小型昆虫和植物的花蕾、叶、芽等。营巢类型为土穴、木穴2种，分布于农田、林地，以林缘、林间小路、农田地头居多。该虫在吉林省境内各县市都有分布，垂直分布为海拔500m～2100m，1100m以下红松阔叶林带下居多。5月上旬-10月上旬(日均温10℃以上)为活动期，5月-6月、9月-10月活动呈单峰型，7月-8月呈双峰型。日活动规律为5：00-19：30，晴天活动力强，阴雨、低温天气活动力减弱。在土穴中与日本弓背蚁共栖的主要昆虫为黑灰蝶Nipharda fusca Bremer et Grey。     

Urban ants of the city of Buenos Aires,Argentina: species survey and practical control

ABSTRACT

Ants are among the most diverse, abundant and ecologically significant organisms on earth. They have colonized almost all existing habitats, including urban areas, where they may pose serious problems for human activities. Here, we present different aspects of our studies on urban ants in the city of Buenos Aires aimed at collecting information on the species present in the city and at improving bait control strategies via laboratory assays. The use of these baits represents a control strategy that is environment-friendly as it avoids indiscriminate pesticide release. Moreover, we show that our baits exhibit higher efficiency when compared to a commercial bait, as it is optimized in terms of the ants’ feeding behavior even when both have the same active compound and at the same concentration. This work represents the first integrative study on urban ants in the city of Buenos Aires and indicates that the control of invasive species in urban settings may be improved by increasing the scientific knowledge of the biology of the target species.