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Guia para os gêneros de formigas do Brasil
Abstract and Figures
Apresentamos de forma condensada informações básicas sobre esses temas que a maioria dos mirmecólogos (as pessoas que estudam formigas) devem conhecer. Muita informação importante ficou de fora, mas esse viés foi proposital. Foi a única forma que encontramos para enfatizar as chaves de identificação e os gêneros de formigas da forma que merecem, mantendo o guia em um tamanho razoável. Discutir em profundidade a biologia, ecologia e evolução das formigas que ocorrem no Brasil, fatalmente terminaria em um livro com mais de 2.000 páginas, e a mesma informação está disponível em outros livros especializados. Porém, mesmo com o viés dado, esperamos que o guia seja útil também para graduandos, pós-graduandos e mesmo pesquisadores da área.
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... Baccaro et al. 2015;Mathews 1977), we classi ed items to the lowest possible taxonomic level based on anatomical features such as the mandible and head(Baccaro et al. 2015;Mathews 1977). We used a precision balance (Shimadzu Analytical Balance AUW220) to weigh the biomass of each identi ed genus or species to the nearest 0.1 mg.Data analysisWe describe and quantify the items that make up M. tridactyla diet in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul state and assessed gender related differences in diet. ...
... Baccaro et al. 2015;Mathews 1977), we classi ed items to the lowest possible taxonomic level based on anatomical features such as the mandible and head(Baccaro et al. 2015;Mathews 1977). We used a precision balance (Shimadzu Analytical Balance AUW220) to weigh the biomass of each identi ed genus or species to the nearest 0.1 mg.Data analysisWe describe and quantify the items that make up M. tridactyla diet in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul state and assessed gender related differences in diet. ...
... Camponotus (FO = 72.41%, RF = 4%;Baccaro et al. 2015;Mathews 1977;Rafael 2012). In addition, more than half of the dietary samples' mass was composed of termites of the genus Syntermes (RF = 69.59%, ...
Relationships between species and their habitat are strongly related to their feeding habits making its description essential for understanding the species’ biology and plan their conservation. This study describes the diet of giant anteaters ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla ), a specialist insectivorous mammal, and evaluates potential sex-related intraspecific variation. We analyzed fecal matter from live individuals, and stomach and feces content from road-kills (N = 29 individuals) collected between 2018 and 2020 in the Cerrado savanna of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Anteater’s diet was described by the relative frequency (RF; proportion of the sample mass represented by the prey item) and the frequency of occurrence (FO; proportion of samples in which the item was detected) of each prey item, which was classified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. The diet was composed of 29 morphotypes of ants (Formicidae), 14 morphotypes of termites (Blattodea) and grass seeds (Poacea). They fed primarily on ants (FO = 100%; RF = 29.19%) and termites (FO = 93.10%; RF = 69.85%), with no significant differences between sexes (F = 1.0773; p = 0.37). Termites of the genus Syntermes (RF = 69.59%) represented most of the dietary sample mass, and ants of the genus Pheidole represented the most frequent item found in the samples (FO = 93.10%). M. tridactyla is a myrmecophagous specialist that consumes a great richness of prey species associated with multiple habitats. Hence, the preservation of the natural heterogeneity of the Cerrado landscape and their habitats is essential for the conservation of this vulnerable species.
... Other species that we highlight are the 12 species that are recorded for the first time in the state of Espírito Santo. Four species are from the genus Camponotus, which is one of the most diverse ant genera and has a challenging taxonomy (Baccaro et al., 2015). The Camponotus species that are new records, C. blandus, C. cingulatus, C. fastigatus, and C. melanoticus, are species with wide distribution in the Neotropical region, including neighboring states, such as the other new records belonging to other genera (Janicki, 2016), showing that the gap is due to the lack of studies in the state. ...
... The ants with the most records largely belong to genera with abundant colonies and large, easily collected species, such as Camponotus, Eciton, Atta, and Solenopsis (Baccaro et al., 2015). Except for Neoponera, which is a genus whose species have small colonies, including the sampled species N. villosa. ...
... However, it is worth noting that we collected an undescribed queen of Pheidole fimbriata, highlighting the potential for new discoveries in the RNV. Since workers are the most abundant and frequent forms, the identification keys are based on workers and are not recommended for identifying queens and males Baccaro et al., 2015;Oliveira et al., 2021). This explains the pattern observed in the identification of ants found in the collection; after all, 73% of the workers were identified, in contrast to 52% of the queens and 36% of the males. ...
The Atlantic Forest is the third largest biome in Brazil, the most sampled, and has the second highest diversity of ant species described. However, these data are spatially very heterogeneous, with the central region of the Atlantic Forest being better sampled. There is a visible gap from the south of Bahia to the north of Rio de Janeiro, comprising the entire state of Espírito Santo. Knowing this biodiversity gap, in this work, we list the ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) deposited in the Coleção Entomológica of the Reserva Natural Vale (CERNV), located in the municipality of Linhares, Espírito Santo. The CERNV has 143 ants collected from August 1984, belonging to 63 species, 29 genera, and eight subfamilies. Of the 143 records, 94 are ant workers (66%), 27 queens (19%), and 22 males (15%). Seventy three percent of the ant workers are identified, 52% of queens and 36% of males. The species with the most individuals deposited are Camponotus sp. (15 records), Eciton burchellii (8), Atta sexdens (7), Neoponera villosa (7), and Solenopsis sp. (6). Among the identified ants, 12 species were recorded for the first time in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The collection still holds workers (and probably unidentified males) of a species considered endangered, Dinoponera lucida. We can observe the importance of biological collections for the knowledge of biodiversity, local and regional since species are recorded for the first time in a state whose biome is widely studied, helping to fill in Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls.
... Collections were carried out using containers filled with 70% alcohol, and all herbivores and ants were quantified and classified to the species level whenever possible. We identified each collected ant individual (according to Baccaro et al., 2015, taxonomic key) [102][103][104][105][106]. The data on ant and herbivore abundance were recorded in plants of O. spectabilis. ...
... Collections were carried out using containers filled with 70% alcohol, and all herbivores and ants were quantified and classified to the species level whenever possible. We identified each collected ant individual (according to Baccaro et al., 2015, taxonomic key) [102][103][104][105][106]. The data on ant and herbivore abundance were recorded in plants of O. spectabilis. ...
The Cerrado confronts threats such as fire and frost due to natural or human-induced factors. These disturbances trigger attribute changes that impact biodiversity. Given escalating climate extremes, understanding the effects of these phenomena on ecological relationships is crucial for biodiversity conservation. To understand how fire and frost affect interactions and influence biological communities in the Cerrado, our study aimed to comprehend the effects of these two disturbances on extrafloral nectar (EFN)-bearing plants (Ouratea spectabilis, Ochnaceae) and their interactions. Our main hypothesis was that plants affected by fire would grow again more quickly than those affected only by frost due to the better adaptation of Cerrado flora to fire. The results showed that fire accelerated the regrowth of O. spectabilis. Regrowth in plants with EFNs attracted ants that proved to be efficient in removing herbivores, significantly reducing foliar herbivory rates in this species, when compared to the species without EFNs, or when ant access was prevented through experimental manipulation. Post-disturbance ant and herbivore populations were low, with frost leading to greater reductions. Ant richness and diversity are higher where frost precedes fire, suggesting that fire restores Cerrado ecological interactions better than frost, with less impact on plants, ants, and herbivores.
... As formigas foram identificadas ao nível de gênero, com base na chave de Baccaro et al. (2015), e posteriormente foram morfoespeciadas, sendo as morfoespécies identificadas ao nível de espécie quando não existiram impedimentos taxonômicos. A identificação das espécies de formigas foi realizada com base em chaves de identificação encontradas na literatura e também a partir da comparação com formigas previamente identificadas, assim Formigas do gênero Crematogaster também são frequentemente observadas sobre plantas, embora também explorem a interface solo-serapilheira (BACCARO et al., 2015;PEREIRA, 2021). As espécies mais frequentes sobre as plantas foram Wasmannia auropunctata e a Camponotus crassus (MAYR, 1862). ...
... Algumas espécies de formigas podem ser encontradas tanto no solo quanto nas plantas, mas existem espécies tipicamente arborícolas, que raramente são observadas sobre o solo (BACCARO et al., 2015). Treze espécies somente foram coletadas com as iscas no solo (23,6% do total) e dez espécies foram amostradas apenas sobre plantas (18,2% do total). ...
The present work aimed to study the factors that influence the assemblages of arboreal and epigeic ants in fragments of the Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in the Rio de Janeiro State. The sampling of the ant assemblages was carried out in three forest fragments located in the municipality of Paraiba do Sul and four in the municipality of Três Rios. The sampling has carried out in each forest remnant with 20 baits (sardine and honey) allocated on the ground and brushed on the trunk of 20 trees, and the ants being collected manually. Environmental variables were obtained to verify its association with the ant species richness and diversity and with the number of guilds per forest remnant. In total, 55 ant species were collected, belonging to 20 genera. The variable that most influenced the richness and diversity of epigenic ant species was the level of isolation of forest fragments, which significantly explained about 68% of the richness variation and about 80% of the diversity variation. The mathematical model with the variables level of isolation of the forest fragments, litter leaf depth, circumference of the tree trunk at breast height (CBH), luminosity and forest fragment area, explained more than 99% of the epigenic ant species richness variation (R²= 99.94%; F= 339.06; P= 0.04). The arboreal ant species richness was significantly influenced by CBH (R²= 67.98%; F= 10.62; P= 0.02), and the arboreal ant diversity was affected by CBH and the size of forest (R²= 81.90%; F= 9.05; P= 0.03). Seven ant guilds were observed, and the number of guilds was influenced by litter leaf depth and luminosity (R²= 77.87%; F= 7.04; P= 0.05). The myrmecofauna of the Seasonal Semideciduous Forest is affected by the landscape and vegetation characteristics related to the successional stage of the forest and with environmental heterogeneity.
Keywords
Biodiversity; Biological indicator; Nature conservation
... We identified prey items found in the stomachs and those collected from the environment to the lowest possible taxonomic rank, usually the order, using specialized taxonomy ID books (Fransozo & Negreiros-Fransozo, 2016;Giupponi et al., 2017;Rafael et al., 2012). We separated ants from the rest of the Hymenoptera due to their high abundance found in the stomachs and identified them up to the genus rank (Baccaro et al., 2015). To estimate the volume (V) of each prey item, we measured their width (W) and length (L) using the ellipsoid formula: V = 4π/3 * L/2 * (W/2) 2 * N (Griffiths & Mylotte, 1987;Santana et al., 2019). ...
... Populations of T. miliaris mainly consumed ants from the genera Odontomachus (in Serra da Mantiqueira) and Solenopsis (in Serra do Mar). These genera do not nest in rocky habitats and usually forage on the leaf litter (Baccaro et al., 2015;Ehmer & Hölldobler, 1995;Raimundo et al., 2009), supporting our hypothesis that T. miliaris leaves the reproductive sites to actively seek their prey. Almost all prey categories we collected in the environment were consumed by T. miliaris (although many prey types were consumed in low frequency), suggesting T. miliaris has a broad trophic niche (Amundsen et al., 1996), which can be explained by the optimal foraging theory. ...
Among populations of the same species, the diet composition varies depending on the environment, given the variation in diversity and abundance of available prey. Since Thoropa miliaris is a habitat specialist in reproduction, we tested the hypothesis that this specialization is also verified in its diet. We carried out the work in 10 localities in Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira, south-eastern Brazil, where we collected frogs and evaluated prey availability. The environment did not provide significant variation in the diet of T. miliaris, and Formicidae was the prey category selectively consumed in greater volume, frequency and abundance in both mountain ranges. Therefore, we can state that T. miliaris has a selective diet on ants.
... Acari was identified based on the taxonomic key elaborated by Krantz (1978), and only free-living individuals were considered VAGUE. Formicidae was identified according to the taxonomic key proposed by Baccaro et al. (2015). The rest of the arthropods were identified according to the taxonomic keys proposed by Rafael et al. (2012). ...
In 2015, the failure of the Fundão dam in Mariana, Brazil released ~43 million m³ of iron mining tailings into the environment. Despite restoration initiatives in the following years, few studies—and most focused on revegetation—have evaluated the effectiveness of the restoration process in areas impacted by the disaster. We aimed to evaluate the responses of the arthropod community in areas impacted by iron mining tailings deposition from the Fundão dam that is in the restoration process. We defined sampling units in the riparian zone of the Gualaxo do Norte River, which is under restoration, and in a native not impacted riparian zone. We collected soil arthropods using pitfall traps and sampled environmental variables in the same sites. We used generalize least squares models (GLS) to test if the restored areas already presented values of arthropod diversity and functional group abundance similar to the reference area and to test which environmental variables are influencing arthropod diversity. We also tested how large the differences of arthropod community composition between the study areas and used the index of indicator species (IndVal) to verify which species could be used as an indicator of reference or restoration areas. The diversity of arthropods and the functional groups of detritivores and omnivores were higher in the native riparian zone. Understory density, soil density, organic matter content, and microbial biomass carbon were the environmental variables that significantly explained the diversity and species composition of arthropods. We show that restoration areas still have different soil arthropod diversity values and community composition when compared to reference areas. Evaluating the response of the arthropod community to the restoration process and long-term monitoring are essential to achieve a satisfactory result in this process and achieve a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Graphical Abstract
... The insects were collected from the culms, placed in labeled flasks, stored on 70% alcohol for preservation, and then taken to a laboratory for identification. The ants were dry-mounted and then identifyed at the genus level using the key of Baccaro et al. (2015). The ant specimens were grouped into morphospecies, with identification at the species level based on specific identification keys for the genera and comparisons with previously identified ants from the Costa Lima Entomological Collection (CECL), which are widely used procedures for identification of myrmecofauna in species surveys (AMARAL; VARGAS; ALMEIDA, ESTRADA et al., 2019). ...
The objective of this work was to evaluate ant species interacting with mealybugs in sugarcane plantations, the frequency of occurrence, and the effects of the interaction with ants on mealybug population size. The data was collected in a sugarcane plantation area in Seropedica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The insect species were collected from 70 thoroughly inspected sugarcane plants and the nature and frequency of the interactions were evaluated. The effect of the interaction with ants on mealybug abundance was evaluated by counting the number of adult females of each mealybug species on ten plants isolated and ten plants not isolated from ants. Two mealybug species were collected: Aclerda takahashii (Kuwana, 1932) and Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell, 1895). Ten and seven ant species were found interacting with A. takahashii and S. sacchari, respectively, which were distributed among six genera; the most frequent genera were Crematogaster and Camponotus. Three ant species interacted exclusively with A. takahashii, whereas the others interacted with both mealybug species. The abundance of A. takahashii females was significantly higher on non-isolated than on isolated plants (Paired t-test; t = 2.34; p = 0.04). However, no significant difference in S. sacchari abundance was found between isolated and non-isolated plants (t = 0.27; p = 0.8), nor for the two species combined (t = 1.9; p = 0.09). Thus, ant species that interact with mealybugs in sugarcane plantations cause increases in A. takahashii populations which, at a larger scale, can reduce crop yield.
Keywords
Aclerda takahashii; Formicidae; Mutualism; Saccharicoccus sacchari.
... The presence of this species could due to its nomadic behavior (Brady 2003). While the dearth of army ants in our samples reflects the fact that this group is primarily found in more structurally heterogeneous physiognomies, as in the forests (Amatta et al. 2018), and are less abundant in open areas (Baccaro et al. 2015). This species in the same protected area was exclusively recorded in the forest of Ramorinoa girolae (Amatta et al. 2018), an endemic and vulnerable species (Demaio et al. 2002). ...
Roads are among the most frequent generators of anthropogenic disturbances. Due to the extensive area that is affected along them, these infrastructures represent a major conservation concern worldwide. Ants are an important component of natural ecosystems and are considered very sensitive to disturbance. The National Road 150 forms part of the Central Bioceanic Corridor that will connect Brazil with Chile. In its trajectory, it crosses the Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina. In order to evaluate the effects of this road on biodiversity in roadsides that run across this protected area, we compared species and functional group diversity of ants collected using pitfall traps at disturbed and undisturbed sites. Also, we analyzed whether habitat variables, such as plant cover, gravel cover and soil hardness, explain ant species and functional group abundance in both site types. Nineteen species and 2 genera were identified in both sites, with roadside containing relatively more exclusives and rare species. Seven functional groups were identified; Hot climate specialists were the most abundant at both sites. The sites did not show differences for soil hardness and cover of large gravel. However, undisturbed sites had the highest percentage plant cover, and a greater cover of medium and large gravel; while the cover of small gravel was the highest in disturbed sites. Results suggest that with the current management, there were no profound changes in the ant community due to road edge effects. Also, the roadsides have some value for the conservation of the protected area.
Implications for insect conservation
Our results show that there were no profound changes in the ant community due to road edge effects generated by National Road 150. Therefore, the roadsides have some value for the conservation of the Ischigualasto Provincial Park with the current management.
The native ant Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius, 1804) is a continuous pest of manzano pepper plants (Capsicum pubescens Ruiz and Pav.) cultivated in the northern highlands of Puebla, Mexico. This is the first report of S. geminata substantially affecting planations of manzano pepper in disturbed mesophyll rainforest of Mexico. This study is the first step toward further strategies to control this species of fire ant.
A remarkable new species in the ant genus Daceton, which has remained monotypic for 205 years, is described from Brazil and Peru. The new species, Daceton boltoni sp. nov., is similar to its sister species, D. armigerum, but differs from it mainly in the form of the pronotal lateral spines and in the pilosity of the first gastral segment. The taxonomic history and biology of the genus is reviewed.
We describe a new genus, Gracilidris Wild & Cuezzo gen. nov., and a new species, G. pombero Wild and Cuezzo sp. nov., of dolichoderine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) from Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina based on the worker caste. These ants are morphologically similar to the extinct Gracilidris humilioides (Wilson 1985) comb. nov., known from a single Dominican amber fossil, that we redescribe and transfer to Gracilidris from Linepithema Mayr.
A new myrmicine ant, Tropidomyrmex elianae gen. n. & sp. n., is described from southeastern and central Brazil, based on workers, ergatoid gynes, males and larvae. Tropidomyrmex workers are relatively small, monomorphic, characterized mainly by the feebly pigmented and extremely thin integument; subfalcate mandibles bearing a single apical tooth; palpal formula 1,2; clypeus relatively broad and convex; reduced compound eyes; propodeum unarmed and with a strongly medially depressed declivous face; double and bilobed well developed subpostpetiolar processes; and peculiarities in the sting apparatus. A colony fragment of T. elianae containing workers, ergatoid gynes, males, and brood was found inside a ground termite nest (Anoplotermes pacificus Apicotermitinae) in a montane rocky scrubland in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Tropidomyrmex elianae is known also from two workers collected in leaf litter samples processed with a Winkler extractor, from the state of Tocantins, central-north Brazil. Despite the differences from the accepted solenopsidine genera, Tropidomyrmex is tentatively assigned to this tribe. Within the solenopsidine ants, the genus is apparently related to Tranopelta. Tropidomyrmex is marked by extreme reductions, perhaps reflecting adaptations to particular habits and habitats.