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Nest Tree Selectivity by the Tropical Ant, Paraponera clavata

1989; Wiley; Volume: 21; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2388707

1744-7429

Mark C. Belk, Hal L. Black, Clive D. Jorgensen, Stephen P. Hubbell, Robin B. Foster,

Forest Insect Ecology and Management

Paraponera clavata is a large, arboreal foraging, ground nesting, Neotropical ant which appears to rely heavily upon nectar from extra-floral nectaries. In a Costa Rican forest his ant built nests at the base of ten species of trees but seemed to select preferentially the tree Pentaclethra macroloba (Bennett & Breed 1985). These authors suggested that trees with extra-floral nectaries and buttresses may be selected by P. clavata. In Panama we found P. clavata nests at the base of 76 species of trees and shrubs, 1 palm, and 2 lianas on a 50 ha forest plot. The palm and 4 tree species were positively associated with P. clavata, while 4 species (3 shrubs and 1 tree) were negatively associated. Buttressing and the presence of extra-floral nectaries were not conspicuous features of nest trees. THE TROPICAL ANT PARAPONERA CLAVATA (FABRICIUS) builds subterranean ests at the base of trees and ascends these trees to various levels of the canopy where they forage for nectar and small arthropods (Hermann 1975, Young 1977, Young & Hermann 1980). Large drops of nectar, carried between the mandibles, are the most frequent food brought to the nest from the crown of the nest tree and adjacent interconnecting trees (Young & Hermann 1980, Bennett & Breed 1985, Breed & Bennett 1985). Little foraging occurs on the forest floor (Young & Hermann 1980, Breed & Bennett 1985). Pheromone trails are established and maintained by workers returning to the nest with food where other workers are recruited (Barrett et al. 1985, Breed & Bennett 1985, Breed et al. 1987). Bennett & Breed (1985) discussed the association of P. clavata and the extra-floral nectary bearing tree Pentaclethra macroloba. They and others (Young & Hermann 1980, Janzen & Carroll 1983) reported a positive association between this tree and P. clavata. However, these previous tudies included small sample sizes, and Bennett & Breed (1985) worked in a disturbed forest. That buttressed trees are selected as nest trees was also suggested, but again the sample size was small (Bennett & Breed 1985). Results of our studies in a large forest plot on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Republic of Panama, provided a large sample size and some resolution of nest tree selection by P. clavata. We present here data on species of trees utilized as nest trees by P. clavata as a function of area sampled, sizes of trees, and distribution of buttressing and extra-floral nectaries. STUDY SITE AND METHODS Paraponera clavata nest sites were censused on a 50 ha forest plot on BCI where all woody plants with stems 1 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) have been identified and mapped (Hubbell & Foster 1983). This plot is in an area of forest believed to have experienced little human disturbance over the past 500 yr (Foster & Brokaw 1982). Half of the 50 ha plot was censused for P. clavata colonies in May 1984, the other 25 ha in May 1985. The plot was divided into 1250 quadrats of 20 x 20 m and further sub-divided into 5 m plots, which permitted an individual to search effectively 5 m wide belt transects for ant nests across the plot. Field teams searched at the bases of all trees, shrubs, palms, and lianas with stems 1 cm dbh for the presence of ant nests. Searches were made with the aid of 1 m aluminum poles used to remove litter from the base of stems. Openings to nests were most often immediately adjacent to the stems and usually free of litter. When ants were not active above ground, tapping or probing quickly provoked emergence. When a colony was located, the tag number (Hubbell & Foster 1983) of the stem immediately adjacent to the nest entrance was recorded, and from this number the species identification, size (dbh), and location in the plot of the stem was obtained from the master data file for the plot. A Chi-square test (Mack 1967) was used to determine significance of association of common species of trees and BIOTROPICA 21(2): 173-177 1989 173 I Received 27 January 1988, revision accepted 15 July 1988. 2 Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602. This content downloaded from 128.187.182.107 on Tue, 3 Jun 2014 16:45:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions TABLE 1. Trees, shrubs, palms, and lianas at whose bases Paraponera clavata build nests and upon which they ascend into the canopy. Data on buttressing are from Croat (1978). Data on extra-floral nectaries are from E. W. Shuppe and D. H. Feener, Jr. (pers. comm.). Plus (?) = presence; minus (-) = absence; 0 = no data. Extrafloral Butnectaries tressing (+, -, Species N (+,-) or 0) Trees and Shrubs Alchornea costaricensis 1 + Allophylus psilospermus 1 Alseis blackiana 16a Astronium graveolens 1 0 Beilschmiedia pendula 4 + Brosimum alicastrum 2 Calophyllum longifolium 1 + Capparis frondosa 1 Cecropia insignis 2 Ceiba pentandra 1 + + Chrysophyllum panamense 2 Cordia alliodora 2 + Cordia bicolor 6 Cordia lasiocalyx 2 Cupania sylvatica 2 + Dendropanax stenodontus 1 Desmopis panamensis 3b Eugenia coloradensis 1 Eugenia galalonensis 1 0 Eugenia nesiotica 2 Eugenia oerstedeana 1 Faramea occidentalis 18 Ficus tonduzii 1 + 0 Guapira standleyanum 2 + 0 Guarea guidonia 6a + Guarea hairy 2 + Guatteria dumetorum 1 + Guettarda foliacea 1 Gustaria superba 2 + Hasseltia floribunda 1 + Heisteria concinna 3 Hirtella triandra 1 + Hybanthus prunifolius 8b Inga cocleensis 1 + Inga goldmanii 1 + Inga marginata 1 + Inga quaternata 1 + Inga spectabilis 1 + Inga umbellifera 1 + Lindackeria laurina 1 Lonchocarpus velutinus 1 0 Luehea seemanni 3 + Maquira costaricana 1 + Nectandra cissiflora 1 0 Ocotea skutchii 3 0