A COMPARISON OF GROUND ANT COMMUNITIES IN A TROPICAL RAIN-FOREST AND ADJACENT GRASSLAND IN LOS-TUXTLAS, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Results of the collection of terrestrial ants by means of different sa mpling techniques, both in a tropical rainforest and in an adjacent pa sture in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, are reported. We found it was best to use a combination of sampling methods, because each method allowed the detection of species not recorded by other methods. A total of 103 sp ecie belonging to 48 genera were collected. The genus Tranopelta is re corded for the first time in Mexico, and a new species of Acanthostich us also was collected. Forty-eight percent of the species detected wer e found only in the rainforest, 16.5% in the pasture, and 34% in both. Despite these two habitats being adjacent to each other, over 50% of the rainforest species were not found in the pasture. These results sh ow that a large proportion of the rainforest species are restricted to that habitat. The importance of preserving the rainforest at Los Tuxt las is underlined, ad it is the northernmost tropical rainforest in Me xico.