Wood-boring beetles promote ant nest cavities: extended effects of a twig-girdler ecosystem engineer

Novais, Samuel; DaRocha, Wesley; Calderón-Cortés, Nancy; Quesada, Maurício

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2017.09.001

Cited by 31 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Similar patterns have been observed in another lowland forest in Papua New Guinea (Klimes, Janda, Ibalim, Kua & Novotny, ) and elsewhere (Ryder Wilkie et al., ). Surprisingly, we did not find an effect of nest cavity size on species composition, in contrast to previous studies (Bruhl, Eltz & Linsenmair, ; Novais et al., ; Powell, ; Powell et al., ). Although the only variable that affected species composition was vertical nest height, there was a similar occupancy and species composition when only understorey and canopy were compared.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…(b) How does ant species richness and species composition differ between forest strata, and between different sizes of a bamboo nest? We predict differences in species composition between ground and canopy (Lasmar et al, 2017;Ryder Wilkie et al, 2010), and that different species should be attracted to nests of different cavity sizes (Jimenez-Soto & Philpott, 2015;Novais, Darocha, Calderón-Cortés & Quesada, 2017;Powell et al, 2011) (c) Does translocation of the artificial nests to a different location affect the survival or size of colonies? We predict that nest translocation should have a negative impact (reduction in survival or colony size) due to disturbance of the colony regardless of where the nest is moved.…”

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Experiments with artificial nests provide evidence for ant community stratification and nest site limitation in a tropical forest

et al. 2019

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Ants are dominant in tropical forests and many species nest in hollow cavities. The manner in which species are vertically stratified in these complex habitats is not known, with lack of nest sites being proposed to limit ant populations. Here, we assess ant community stratification and nest site limitation in a lowland rainforest in New Guinea using experimental addition of artificial bamboo nests of two cavity sizes (small: ~12 mm large: ~32 mm diameter) placed at ground level, in the understorey, and in the canopy. We also conducted a pilot experiment to test the utility of nest translocation. Nests were checked for occupancy after 10 weeks and half of the occupied nests were then translocated between forest plots, while keeping same vertical position. Occupancy of small nests was much higher in the understorey and canopy than at ground level (~75% vs. ~25%). Translocation was successful, as a majority of nests was inhabited by the same species before and after translocation and there was no impact of translocation to a different plot compared to the control, except for a reduction in colony size at ground level. Our experiment demonstrates a vertical stratification in community composition of ants nesting in hollow dead cavities and shows that these ants are more nest site limited in the higher strata than at ground level. Use of small artificial cavities has great potential for future experimental studies, especially for those focused on arboreal ants, as occupancy is high and translocation does not negatively affect their colony size. Abstract in Tok Pisin is available with online material.

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confidence: 99%

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Experiments with artificial nests provide evidence for ant community stratification and nest site limitation in a tropical forest

et al. 2019

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“…2 ). Ants utilized the abandoned wood-boring beetle cavities as nesting sites, totaling 7,753 individuals in 49 nests, which were found exclusively in the vegetation stratum ( Table 1 ; see Novais et al 2017b ). Among the 255 nonsocial arthropods sampled, most individuals for all strata and seasons were generalist predators, which include mainly spiders, followed by centipedes, beetles, pseudoscorpiones, scorpions, and solifuges (68%–100%; Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results demonstrated that these resources are also important for the arboreal arthropod community that utilizes the cavities left by wood-boring beetles, mainly nonsocial predatory arthropods and ants. The importance of habitat facilitation by wood-boring beetles for arboreal ant communities was discussed in another manuscript ( Novais et al 2017b ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

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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“…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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Wood-boring beetles promote ant nest cavities: extended effects of a twig-girdler ecosystem engineer

Cited by 31 publications

References 31 publications

Experiments with artificial nests provide evidence for ant community stratification and nest site limitation in a tropical forest

Experiments with artificial nests provide evidence for ant community stratification and nest site limitation in a tropical forest

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

Arthropod facilitation mediated by abandoned dead domatia

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