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We
are all very familiar with the incredible numbers thrown about regarding
the amazing ant diversity within trees in tropical rainforest ecosystems.
But what about the humble slash pine (Pinus elliottii) of
sub-tropical/temperate Florida? There are five slash pines within
my yard here in Brevard County, situated in a flatwoods ecosystem.
What ant secrets might these trees hold? In order to answer this
question, I enlisted the assistance of my two young boys (Joshua,
4 and Zachary, 7 both well on their way to becoming naturalists;
their interests lie in damselflies and millipedes!) in order to
perform a quick (two-hour) survey of a mature slash pine in my yard.
Zachary and Joshua applied the peanut
butter bait to the tree trunk, and then helped me watch for any
foraging ants. Bark layers were also peeled back at the ground layer
to seek out nest sites. After approximately an hour's collecting
time, we then moved upwards. With the help of an arborists' limb
saw (a sand bag hooked to a nylon rope with a chainsaw blade attached),
I proceeded to take down rotten limbs and twigs from various heights.
Once on the ground, the boys and myself split the limbs open, revealing
the ants inside.
So what did
we find? Here are the results:
| Ant
sp. |
Inside
dead twigs/limbs
|
Under
bark(ground)
|
Under
bark(trunk)
|
Foraging
on trunk |
| Brachymyrmex
sp. |
|
x
|
|
|
| Camponotus
floridanus |
|
x
|
|
x
|
| C.
impressus |
x
|
|
|
|
| C.
nearcticus |
x
|
|
|
|
| C.
tortuganus |
|
|
|
x
|
| Cardiocondyla
wroughtonii |
x
|
|
|
|
| Dorymyrmex
bureni |
|
|
|
x
|
| Formica
pallidefulva |
|
|
|
x
|
| Leptothorax
bradleyi |
|
|
x
|
|
| Odontomachus
brunneus |
|
x
|
|
|
| Pheidole
floridana |
|
x
|
|
x
|
| Pseudomyrmex
gracilis |
x
|
|
x
|
|
| Solenopsis
picta |
x
|
|
|
|
| Tapinoma
melanocephalum |
x
|
|
|
|
| Tetramorium
simillimum |
|
x
|
|
|
Other observations:
-Ants that I expected to find but were absent from this survey include
Crematogaster ashmeadi, Pseudomyrmex ejectus and P. simplex,
which are all nesting in Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
stems about 20 meters from the subject tree. Florida myrmecologists
have speculated that the exotic P. gracilis might "muscle
out" the native Pseudomyrmex from optimal nesting sites.
-Leptothorax bradleyi is a common ant in Florida, but rarely
seen due to the nesting habits and secretive behavior. It does have
a weakness, however: peanut butter. Within 10 minutes of placing
the bait on the tree trunk, L. bradleyi foragers had discovered
it!
-Although P. gracilis were found in several stems, they were
also observed to be utilizing beetle holes on the tree trunk for
nesting sites.
It is my hope that this quick survey will stimulate discussion and
additional studies on the arboreal ant fauna in Florida……..Notes
From Aboveground, anyone???
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