POGONOMYRMEX MAYR HARVESTER ANTS (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) - AN ADDITIONAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH DUNG BEETLE, CANTHON-IMITATOR BROWN (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE), REPRODUCTION

Authors
WHITING MJ GODWIN W
Citation
Mj. Whiting et W. Godwin, POGONOMYRMEX MAYR HARVESTER ANTS (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) - AN ADDITIONAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH DUNG BEETLE, CANTHON-IMITATOR BROWN (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE), REPRODUCTION, The Coleopterists bulletin, 52(2), 1998, pp. 157-160
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Entomology
Journal title
The Coleopterists bulletin → ACNP
ISSN journal
0010065X
Volume
52
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
157 - 160
Database
ISI
SICI code
0010-065X(1998)52:2<157:PMHA(F>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
Harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex barbatus (F. Smith), exerted an energetic cost on the dung beetle Canthon imitator Brown through behavioural in terference, by causing brood ball abandonment. This was verified exper imentally in eight independent trials. Significantly more C. imitator (87.5%) abandoned brood balls after encountering P. barbatus on ant mo unds. No fatalities were recorded from trials although harl ester ants were observed to sting and bite dung beetles. Five transects revealed a mean of 10.8+/-1.11 (range: 9-15) ant mounds/200 m. For a total of 54 ant mounds, brood balls occured at a mean of 1.3+/-0.31 (range: 0-1 3)/mound. Compared to random points,brood balls occured significantly more often on ant mounds (48% Of mounds contained brood balls).