Ma. Catangui et al., ABUNDANCE, DIVERSITY, AND SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION OF ANTS (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) ON MIXED-GRASS RANGELANDS TREATED WITH DIFLUBENZURON, Environmental entomology, 25(4), 1996, pp. 757-766
Abundance of ants on mixed-grass rangelands was not significantly redu
ced by aerial applications of Dimilin 2 F, Dimilin 25 W, and Sevin 4-O
il. Ant diversity, measured by a probability of interspecific encounte
r index, temporarily declined in plots treated with Dimilin 25 W from
13 to 19 d after treatment. However, diversity immediately recovered t
he following week and no further declines were observed even at 349-35
6 d after treatment. Twenty species of ants were encountered at the ex
perimental site. Lasius neoniger Emery; little black ant, Monomorium m
inimum (Buckley); thief ant, Solenopsis molesta (Say); odorous house a
nt, Tapinoma sessile (Say); and Formica neogagates Emery were the 5 mo
st abundant species at 25.8, 20.1, 9.9, 7.6, and 7.5% of the total num
ber of ants encountered, respectively. Spatial distribution of ant spe
cies on rangeland appeared to be soil related. Factor analysis of soil
parameters (weighted for relative ant abundances) indicated associati
ons between ant species and certain combinations of soil properties.