Evidence of Competition Between Two Canopy Ant Species: Is Aggressive Behavior Innate or Shaped by a Competitive Environment?

Abstract

Competition occurs in all ecological communities, although it has not always been experimentally tested as a structuring force in the distribution of species. We tested the hypothesis that the aggressiveness exhibited by Camponotus rufipes changes according to the pressures of a competitive environment. This is a dominant species in the montane forest of the Itacolomi State Park, Brazil, where Camponotus sericeiventris does not occur. Using bait traps in a field site where both species occur, ("Juiz de Fora" site) we showed that C. sericeiventris was able to remove C. rufipes workers at the same bait. In the laboratory, we used dyadic encounters to test workers from both species taken from colonies found in areas where both occur and where only C. rufipes was found. Camponotus rufipes from Itacolomi fought significantly less and was killed during the first few minutes in 60% of the events. On the other hand, the workers that co-existed with C. sericeiventris in the field were more aggressive, but less efficient fighters than the latter. This investigation demonstrated existence of competition between C. rufipes and C. sericeiventris, and also the lower aggressiveness of C. rufipes' individuals that did not co-exist in the field with C. sericeiventris.

Plant defense against leaf herbivory based on metal accumulation: examples from a tropical high altitude ecosystem

“…A similarly low number of the main arthropod predators was also found, especially ants, with a noticeable absence of some key neotropical species, such as Camponotus sericeiventris and Cephalotes attratus (Espírito‐Santo et al . ; Fagundes et al . ).…”

Extrafloral‐nectaries and interspecific aggressiveness regulate day/night turnover of ant species foraging for nectar onBionia coriacea

“…Espírito‐Santo et al . ), because this two species do not encounter each other naturally in the field. We used 10 workers of the numerically dominant diurnal species and 10 workers of the dominant nocturnal species.…”

Effect of Fire on Ant Assemblages in Brazilian Cerrado in Areas containing Vereda Wetlands

“…Arboreal pitfall traps followed the methodology proposed by Majer (1983) and installed only in buritis (wetland). The baits followed the method used by Espírito Santo et al (2012), the arboreal baits was installed only in cerrado. The hand collection was performed for 1 hour in each habitat, as in Costa et al (2010).…”

“…This species nests on the ground, forming shallow and tall mounds of litter and fine debris (similar to the temperate Formica rufa L.) that are highly inflammable. However, the colony may survive due to arboreal satellite nests, as described by Espírito Santo et al (2012). Such strategies may reflect the general adaptation of typical savanna species to survive common fire events.…”