Empty Gonometa postica cocoons function as nest sites and shelters for arboreal ants

Raath, Morgan Jade; Roux, Peter C. le; Veldtman, Ruan; Campbell, Heather; Buyens, Isabelle Patricia Rita; Greve, Michelle

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.03.013

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…2008, Raath et al . 2017, Seymour & Joseph 2019) and provide a plentiful and reliable food source for breeding Kalahari animals, including the moth and butterfly larvae (e.g. Gonometa postica ) Southern Pied Babblers favour for feeding young (Campbell et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the early-season foraging behaviour we have observed, it is likely that this resource is associated with camelthorn trees. Irruptive herbivorous invertebrates feed on the new leaf growth, flowers and fruits produced by camelthorn trees during August and September (Steenkamp et al 2008, Raath et al 2017, Seymour & Joseph 2019 and provide a plentiful and reliable food source for breeding Kalahari animals, including the moth and butterfly larvae (e.g. Gonometa postica) Southern Pied Babblers favour for feeding young (Campbell et al 2013, Ridley 2016.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Camelthorn and blackthorn trees provide important resources for Southern Pied Babblers (Turdoides bicolor) in the Kalahari

Hunt

Marais

Cunningham

et al. 2023

Ibis

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In the southern Kalahari Desert, cooperatively breeding Southern Pied Babblers Turdoides bicolor frequently build their nests and forage in camelthorn trees Vachellia erioloba, a keystone species in the region, and blackthorn trees Senegalia mellifera, a widespread early successional shrub. Using Ivlev's electivity indices (Ei), we show that Southern Pied Babblers preferentially nest in camelthorn trees and preferentially forage in or under camelthorn and blackthorn trees. Southern Pied Babblers primarily forage on the ground; however, they will make use of arboreal resources when these are available. We observed the birds spending the highest proportion of foraging time off the ground during October, when breeding is also most common, compared with all other months within the austral summer breeding season. They are most likely to be observed foraging in camelthorn trees earlier in the breeding season and blackthorn trees later in the breeding season. We demonstrate that Southern Pied Babblers have a strong relationship with camelthorn trees, in which they prefer to both nest and forage. We highlight the importance of protecting camelthorn trees, a keystone species in the region, as part of the conservation and management of endemic Kalahari fauna such as the Southern Pied Babbler. In addition to contributing to the literature on keystone species, our observations raise questions about the ways in which avian reproduction in the arid zone could be decoupled from rainfall via the phenology of deep‐rooted tree species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camelthorn and blackthorn trees provide important resources for Southern Pied Babblers (Turdoides bicolor) in the Kalahari

Hunt

Marais

Cunningham

et al. 2023

Ibis

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“…These new habitats might persist on plants and can be later used as shelter by other arthropods in a facilitative interaction process (Vieira and Romero 2013, Cornelissen et al 2016, Zuo et al 2016, Novais et al 2018). Particularly, ants can take advantage of the abandoned shelters made by other insects for nesting, such as wood‐boring beetle abandoned cavities (Tschinkel 2002, Satoh et al 2016, Novais et al 2017), senescent galls (Fernandes et al 1988, Mehltreter et al 2003, Almeida et al 2014, Santos et al 2017, 2019), and empty cocoons (Raath et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arthropod facilitation mediated by abandoned dead domatia

et al. 2021

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In ant-plant mutualistic interactions, plants provide shelter (domatia) and/or food to ants and in exchange, and ants provide protection against herbivores. After plant tissue senescence, ants are expected to abandon dead domatia, leaving these empty spaces available for other arthropods. In this study, we tested for the role of the mutualistic interaction between Cordia alliodora and Azteca pittieri in promoting new habitats for arthropods through abandoned dead domatia. We predicted that species richness, abundance, and colonization frequency of secondary arthropods would be greater in dead branch domatia (dead domatia) compared with live branch domatia (live domatia). During March 2019, we selected 38 C. alliodora trees in a Mexican tropical dry forest. For each tree, we collected five live and five dead domatia, for 380 domatia in total. We found six morphospecies of secondary arthropods colonizing live domatia, while 42 were present in dead domatia. Ants were the most species-rich group (10 species) in abandoned dead domatia and utilized them as nesting sites (25 nests). Secondary arthropod species richness, abundance, and colonization frequency were greater in dead domatia compared with live domatia. We concluded that the Azteca-Cordia mutualistic interaction is an important habitat facilitator by promoting new habitats for arthropods through abandoned dead domatia.

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“…Recent studies have demonstrated the role of caterpillars, gall-inducing insects, and bark and wood-boring beetles as facilitators for arthropods ( Vieira and Romero 2013 , Cornelissen et al 2016 , Harvey et al 2016 , Satoh et al 2016 , Sydenham et al 2016 , Wetzel et al 2016 , Zuo et al 2016 , Raath et al 2017 ). Particularly, when adult wood-boring beetles emerge from tree hosts, they leave behind cavities where their larvae develop, thus promoting new habitats for other species to occupy ( Buse et al 2008 , Zuo et al 2016 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Arthropod Facilitation by Wood-Boring Beetles: Spatio-temporal Distribution Mediated by a Twig-girdler Ecosystem Engineer

Novais

Calderón-Cortés

Sanchez‐Montoya

et al. 2018

Journal of Insect Science

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The twig-girdler beetle Oncideres albomarginata chamela (Chemsak and Giesbert) (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) detaches branches of Spondias purpurea L. (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) that fall on the forest floor or remain suspended on vegetation. Many wood-boring beetles also oviposit in these branches and larval development creates cavities that are abandoned when the adults emerge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of wood-boring beetles as facilitators by creating new habitats for arthropods, and test for vertical stratification and temporal variation of arthropods associated with S. purpurea branches that were previously engineered by O. albomarginata chamela in a tropical dry forest (TDF) in Jalisco, Mexico. In order to determine the effects of vertical strata and seasons on branch colonization by arthropods, we placed 60 branches on the forest floor (ground stratum) and 60 were placed in trees (vegetation stratum) from February to April (dry season), and from August to October 2016 (rainy season), for 240 branch samples in total. We collected 8,008 arthropods, which included 7,753 ants (14 species) and 255 nonsocial arthropods (80 species) from 13 different orders. We observed a greater arthropod abundance in the branches in the vegetation stratum in the dry season compared with the rainy season, whereas the richness and abundance of arthropods in the ground stratum were greater in the rainy season compared with the dry season. We concluded that wood-boring beetles are important habitat facilitators for arthropods, and that the vertical position of branches and the seasonal variations in TDFs differently affect the colonization of the abandoned cavities by arthropods.

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Empty Gonometa postica cocoons function as nest sites and shelters for arboreal ants

Abstract: Highlights • Arboreal ants of different species were observed sharing trees and cocoons. • Ants prefer wider cocoons containing small holes in trees containing scale insects. • Ant abundance was lower in cocoons occupied by other invertebrates.

Cited by 5 publications

References 45 publications

Camelthorn and blackthorn trees provide important resources for Southern Pied Babblers (Turdoides bicolor) in the Kalahari

Camelthorn and blackthorn trees provide important resources for Southern Pied Babblers (Turdoides bicolor) in the Kalahari

Arthropod facilitation mediated by abandoned dead domatia

Arthropod Facilitation by Wood-Boring Beetles: Spatio-temporal Distribution Mediated by a Twig-girdler Ecosystem Engineer

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