Summary
In a desert area with abundant annual plants the largest feeding guild was gramnivores (nine species). In an area with few annual plants, the largest feeding guild was omnivores (eight species). Within a guild there is little overlap in body length of workers. Species in which there was overlap in body length of workers exhibited marked differences in diel and seasonal activity. Variation in precipitation and productivity between years resulted in differences in seasonal activity, hence considerable variation in the structure of the ant community through time.
Résumé
Dans une région désertique où les plantes annuelles sont abondantes, les sociétés de Fourmis granivores sont les plus nombreuses (neuf espèces). Dans une région où les plantes annuelles sont rares, les sociétés les plus fréquentes sont omnivores (huit espèces). Au sein d'une même société, il y a peu de différences dans la taille des ouvrières. Les espèces où la taille des ouvrières varie beaucoup, présentent des différences importantes dans leur activité journalière et saisonnière. Des variations de pluviosité et de productivité d'une année à l'autre engendrent des variations d'activité saisonnière, et, par conséquent, des différences importantes dans la structure de la société de Fourmis tout au long de l'année.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baroni-Urbani (C.), 1969. — Ant communities of the high altitude Appennine grasslands.Ecology, 50, 488–491.
Benois (A.), 1973. — Incidence des facteurs écologiques sur le cycle annuel et l'activité saisonnière de la Fourmi d'Argentine,Iridomyrmex humilis Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), dans la région d'Antibes.Ins. Soc., 20, 267–296.
Bernstein (R. Z.), 1974. — Seasonal food abundance and foraging activity in some desert ants.Am. Nat., 108, 490–498.
Brian (M. V.), 1964. — Ant distribution in a southern English heath.J. Anim. Ecol., 33, 451–461.—Brian (M. V.), 1956. The natural density ofMyrmica subra and associated ants in West Scotland.Ins. Soc., 3, 474–487.
Cottam (G.) andCurtis (J.), 1956. — The use of distance measures in phytosociological sampling.Ecology, 37, 451–460.
Creighton (W. S.), 1950. — The Ants of North America.Bull. Comp. Zool., Harv. Univ., 104, 1–585.
Culver (D. C.), 1974. — Species packing in Caribbean and north temperate ant communities.Ecology, 55, 974–988.
Davidson (D. W.), 1977. — Species diversity and community organization in desert seed-eating ants.Ecology (in press).
Debruyn (G. J.) andKruk-Debruin (M.), 1972. — The diurnal rhythm in a population ofFormica polyctena Forst.Ekol. Pol., 20, 117–127.
Houghton (F. E.), 1972. — Climatic guide, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1851–1971.N. M. Agric. Exp. Stn. Res. Rept., 230, 20 p.
Levieux (P. J.), 1975. — Food of tropical ants. I. Activity cycle and diet ofCamponotus solon (Forel) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Ins. Soc., 22, 381–390.
Levins (R.), Pressick (M. S.) andHeatwole (H.), 1973. — Coexistence patterns in insular ants.Am. Sci., 61, 463–472.
Markin (G. P.), O'Neal (J.) Dillier (J. H.) andCollins (H. L.), 1974. — Regional variation in the seasonal activity of the imported fire ant,Solenopsis saevissima richteri.Environ. Entomol., 3, 446–452.
McCluskey (E. S.), 1972. — Rhythm characters distinguish certain genera of ants.Am. Zool., 12, 27.
Rogers (L. E.), 1974. — Foraging activity of the western harvester ant in the shortgrass plains ecosystem.Environ. Entomol., 3, 420–424.
Sanders (C. J.), 1972. — Seasonal and daily activity patterns of carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) in northwestern Ontario (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Can. Entomol., 104, 1681–1687.
Schumacher (A.) andWhitford (W. G.), 1974. — The foraging ecology of two species of Chihuahuan desert ants:Formica perpilosa andTrachymyrmex smithi neomexicanus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Ins. Soc., 21, 317–330.—Schumacher (A.) andWhitford (W. G.), 1976. — Spatial and temporal variation in Chihuahuan desert ant faunas.Southwest. Nat., 21, 1–8.
Talbot (M.), 1946. — Daily fluctuations in above ground activity of three species of ants.Ecology, 27, 65–70.
Whitford (W. G.), 1975. — Jornada Validation Site Report, US/IBP Desert Biome Res. Memo., 15–4.Utah State University, édit., Logan, 104 p.
Whitford (W. G.) andEttershank (G.), 1975. — Factors affecting foraging activity in Chihuahuan desert harvester ants.Environ. Entomol., 4, 689–696.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Whitford, W.G. Structure and seasonal activity of Chihuahua desert ant communities. Ins. Soc 25, 79–88 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224487
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224487