First Report on the Acrobat Ant Crematogaster scutellaris Storing Live Aphids in Its Oak-Gall Nests

Abstract

This study provides new data about the role of ants in mutualistic interactions with aphids mediated by galls. We focused our investigation on galls induced by the cynipid Andricus kollari by conducting a survey and a subsequent experiment in an Italian oak forest. The ants Crematogaster scutellaris, Colobopsis truncata and Temnothorax italicus frequently used the galls as nests: Crematogaster scutellaris occupied galls which were located higher on the oak trees, while C. truncata and T. italicus were located at lower positions. In addition, galls occupied by C. scutellaris showed varied internal architecture in relation to the colony composition. Importantly, field surveys revealed for the first time that C. scutellaris nest galls also contained live individuals of the non-galligenous aphid Panaphis juglandis. Field experiments suggested that the ants actively seek, collect and stock live aphids. No signs of predation and injuries were detected on the stored aphids, which were probably kept for safe overwintering, though we cannot exclude a possible occasional use as food. This report reveals a possible novel relationship which could have important consequences on the phenology and presence of aphids on the host plant.

Predatory Abilities of Two Mediterranean Ants on the Eggs and Larvae of the Codling Moth Cydia pomonella

“…Both ant species we used in our experiments are known to be able to act as predators of many other agricultural pest insects [ 31 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. Potentially problematic relationships with aphids or coccids are also possible in some cases [ 43 , 44 ]. Manipulation of nesting site availability and trophic resource may be crucial to maximizing the benefits of these ants in biological control strategies [ 30 , 32 ].…”

The Intranidal Myrmecophiles of the Maltese Islands with Notes on Messor Nests as Repositories of Biodiversity

“…The upper estimate for global myrmecophile diversity stands at 100,000 species, though only 10% of these species are obligate myrmecophiles [ 4 ]. Today, a wide range of arthropod taxa are known to include myrmecophilous species, such as beetles [ 5 ], true bugs and their allies [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], cockroaches [ 10 , 11 ], crickets [ 12 ], true flies [ 13 , 14 ], parasitoid wasps [ 15 ], moths and butterflies [ 16 , 17 ], silverfish [ 18 , 19 ], springtails [ 20 , 21 ], spiders [ 22 ], pseudoscorpions [ 23 , 24 ], mites [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ] and even woodlice [ 29 ]. Each myrmecophilous arthropod has become adapted for a life in the nest chambers of ants, and such adaptations are missing from arthropods whose presence in ant nests is more or less accidental due to their soil-inhabiting nature.…”

The introduced oak Quercus rubra and acorn‐associated arthropods in Europe: An opportunity for both carpophagous insects and their ant predators

“…In addition to invertebrates that consume acorns as food, other animals may seek shelter within cavities inside the acorns. Ants are notorious for this role as they may entirely rebuild the acorns internal architecture to use them as nests (Herbers & Johnson, 2007;Karlik et al, 2016;Mitrus, 2019;Myczko et al, 2018;Seifert, 2017Seifert, , 2018Varoudis et al, 2018), as it happens with galls (Giannetti et al, 2019(Giannetti et al, , 2021. A few species from the large, mostly Holarctic genus Temnothorax nest within acorns particularly frequently, so that all Temnothorax spp.…”