Sampling of Different Social Categories of Red Wood Ants (Formica s. str.) for Biomonitoring

Maavara, Vambola; Martin, Ants‐Johannes; Oja, A.; Nuorteva, P.

doi:10.1002/9783527615872.ch26

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The pitfall ants were workers leaving the nest or returning to it while the nest samples contained workers from the nest surface. In ants, different groups have been shown to accumulate different amounts of Cd with highest concentrations observed in workers and lowest in breeding males and queens (Maavara et al, 1994). In our material the overall Cd concentration in ants was 3.6 ± 1.4 mg/kg (range 1.7-6.4 mg/kg; all concentrations in dry weight).…”

Section: Antsmentioning

confidence: 51%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Cadmium in insects after ash fertilization

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ash fertilization of forests returns nutrients to forest ecosystems and has a positive effect on soil pH, but it also may elevate Cd concentrations of forest biota. Cadmium concentrations of some forest insects (Formica ants, carabids and Coleopteran larvae from decaying wood) were investigated in southern Finland, where two plots were fertilized with wood ash, while two other plots represented unfertilized control plots. In ants, mean Cd concentration was 3.6 ± 1.4 mg/kg, with nest workers having significantly higher concentrations than workers trapped in pitfall traps. Concentrations at fertilized and unfertilized plots were similar. In carabid beetles, the average Cd concentration of Carabus glabratus was 0.44 ± 0.36 mg/kg, with no significant difference between control plots and fertilized plots. In another carabid beetle, Pterostichus niger, mean Cd concentration was higher at fertilized plots compared to control plots. We conclude that the variation of Cd concentrations in the insects studied is more efficiently controlled by species-specific differences than fertilization history of the forest floor.

show abstract

Section: Antsmentioning

confidence: 51%

“…They also reported that body burdens of Cd and some other metals diminished progressively from the surface workers to those from the inner part of the hill. Cadmium concentrations in pitfall and nest workers were also measured by Maavara et al (1994), who reported similar Cd concentrations for both groups. Although metal pollution causes…”

Section: Antsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Cadmium in insects after ash fertilization

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During this time the experiments were carried out. Nursing workers (6.5 -8.5 mg), were selected for the experiments by the method described by Martin (1980Martin ( , 1991Martin ( , 2000, Martin et al (1985) and Maavara et al (1994). The individuals of this functional group were suitable for our respirometry owing to their relatively low activity.…”

Section: Antsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Respiratory patterns in nurses of the red wood ant Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

et al. 2004

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cycles of discontinuous gas exchange (DGCs) and abdominal ventilatory movements were studied in nurses of red wood ant, Formica polyctena, using an electrolytic respirometer and an infra-red (IR) gas analyser or flowthrough respirometry. Both respirometry systems were combined with an IR actographic device based on IR-emitting and IR-sensor diodes. After recovering from handling and apparatus stress, lasting 1 -3 h, completely motionless intact ants displayed regular DGC. After decapitation the ants displayed DGC whose frequency was somewhat lower than that of the intact individuals (7.17 ± 0.79 mHz and 10.43 ± 01.12 mHz, respectively). In headless ants, there occurred continuous slow movements of legs. Bursts of carbon dioxide in the intact and in the headless ants always coincided with a bout of telescoping movements (contractions) of abdominal segments, which was interpreted as active ventilation. During interburst periods, the headless ants exhibited telescoping movements characterised by rapid protraction, lasting 0.07 -0.09 s, followed by a slow retraction of segments, suggesting passive ventilation. The intact ants were very sensitive to the flowing air and tended to be continuously active during flow-through respirometry. The decapitated ants, on the contrary, were insensitive to the air current.

show abstract

“…The biotic pressure of ants depends not only on their number and density in a given ecosystem, but generally on their social life, which is energetically costly [23,25]. Studies of ants in polluted forests, suffering from the accumulation of various chemicals in biota, are of a special importance, since the ability to cumulate metals by the red wood ants has been well documented [14,20,21,24,26,31,41]. Honeydew of aphids was recognised as a primary source causing their elevation in ants [24], but a similar role of other sap-feeding insects in polluted areas was also indicated [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dynamics of metal content and its distribution between social castes of ants was a function of time and the concentration of metal [14]. Heavy load of workers with cadmium reflected in reduction of energetic status with reduced phosphoadenylate pool and disturbances in enzyme patterns of selected metabolic pathways, showing a high ecological vulnerability of these ants [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy metals as stressing factors in the red wood ants (Formica polyctena) from industrially polluted forests

Migula

Głowacka

1996

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Relations between metal contaminations in social groups of ants from colonies of Formica polyctena, from 5 localities variously contaminated by industrial pollution, and their metabolic and detoxifying strategies have been investigated. Cd, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cu levels have been measured in social groups of workers and pupae throughout the season. Patterns of metabolic, transport and detoxifying enzymes have been assayed and phosphoadenine nucleotides and the energy charge (AEC) have been determined. The metal content is a measure of the level of contamination and has been the highest in foragers returning to the nest. Body burdens of Cd, Pb and Zn diminished progressively from the surface workers to those from the inner part of the hill. The concentration of total adenylates was slightly lower than stated in Finnish ants poisoned with Cd, but the AEC index was always above 0.8, with high variations between the social groups. Carboxylesterases showed a positive correlation of activity pattern with the metal load in foraging workers, with the highest value for cadmium load in ants from a locality in the middle of a pollution gradient. The pattern of superoxide dismutase activity has been site-dependent, but it did not correlate well with the metal load in workers.

show abstract

Sampling of Different Social Categories of Red Wood Ants (Formica s. str.) for Biomonitoring

Cited by 22 publications

References 10 publications

Cadmium in insects after ash fertilization

Cadmium in insects after ash fertilization

Respiratory patterns in nurses of the red wood ant Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Heavy metals as stressing factors in the red wood ants (Formica polyctena) from industrially polluted forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About