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Lenoir, A.; Devers, S.; Touchard, A.; Dejean, A. |
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The Guianese population of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima is unicolonial |
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2016 |
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Insect Science |
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Insect Science |
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23 |
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5 |
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739-745 |
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biological invasions; cuticular hydrocarbons; fire ants; unicoloniality |
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In this study, conducted in French Guiana, a part of the native range of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima, we compared the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of media workers with previous results based on intraspecific aggressiveness tests. We noted a strong congruence between the two studies permitting us to delimit 2 supercolonies extending over large distances (up to 54 km), a phenomenon known as unicoloniality. Solenopsis geminata workers, taken as an out-group for cluster analyses, have a very different cuticular hydrocarbon profile. Because S. saevissima has been reported outside its native range, our conclusion is that this species has the potential to become invasive because unicoloniality (i.e., the main attribute for ants to become invasive) was shown at least for the Guianese population. © 2015 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
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CNRS, Ecolab (UMR-CNRS 5245), Toulouse, France |
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Export Date: 3 October 2016 |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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696 |
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Lenoir, A.; Touchard, A.; Devers, S.; Christidès, J.-P.; Boulay, R.; Cuvillier-Hot, V. |
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Ant cuticular response to phthalate pollution |
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2014 |
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research |
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Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. |
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21 |
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23 |
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13446-13451 |
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Absorption; Ants; Bbp; Bioindicator; Cuticle; Dbp; Dehp; DiBP; Phthalates; Pollutants |
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Phthalates are common atmospheric contaminants used in the plastic industry. Ants have been shown to constitute good bioindicators of phthalate pollution. Hence, phthalates remain trapped on ant cuticles which are mostly coated with long-chain hydrocarbons. In this study, we artificially contaminated Lasius niger ants with four phthalates: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP). The first three have previously been found on ants in nature in Touraine (France), while the fourth has not. The four phthalates disappeared rapidly (less than 5 days) from the cuticles of live ants. In contrast, on the cuticles of dead ants, DEHP quantities remained unchanged over time. These results indicate that phthalates are actively absorbed by the cuticles of live ants. Cuticular absorption of phthalates is nonspecific because eicosane, a nonnatural hydrocarbon on L. niger cuticle, was similarly absorbed. Ants are important ecological engineers and may serve as bioindicators of ecosystem health. We also suggest that ants and more generally terrestrial arthropods may contribute to the removal of phthalates from the local environment. |
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CNRS, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (EcoFoG), Campus Agronomique, BP 316Kourou Cedex, France |
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Springer Verlag |
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09441344 (Issn) |
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Export Date: 5 December 2014; Coden: Esple; Correspondence Address: Lenoir, A.; IRBI, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 7261, Université François RabelaisFrance |
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570 |
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Leponce, M.;Delabie, J.H.C.;Orivel, J.;Jacquemin, J.;Calvo Martin, M.;Dejean, A. |
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Tree-dwelling ant survey (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Mitaraka, French Guiana |
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2019 |
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Zoosystema |
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40 |
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sp1 |
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163-179 |
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Ants constitute a substantial part of the arthropod biomass in rainforests. Most studies have focused on ground-dwelling ants, which constitute almost half of the diversity of the ant assemblage. We report here the results of the first survey of tree-dwelling ants in French Guiana on a plateau and in a swamp palm forest (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in the Mitaraka Mountains. We were interested in seeing the effect of topography and geographic distance on species richness and composition and to gather information on the species distribution on tree trunks. The fauna of Mitaraka was compared with one from a site 350 km distant (Petit Saut). In total 105 trees were sampled (30, 30, 45 in the plateau and the swamp forests of Mitaraka, and in Petit Saut plateau forest, respectively). Arboreal ants were attracted using tuna and honey baits spread along a rope reaching an upper branch, except for the palm swamp forest where the baits were only placed at 2 m high. A total of 34, 13 and 22 species were observed in these three respective sites. Six of these species are new records for French Guiana. In Mitaraka Camponotus femoratus (Fabricius, 1804) and Crematogaster leviorLongino, 2003 co-occurred on trees (parabiotic association) and were among the most common species, along with Crematogaster tenuiculaForel, 1904 which was found on other trees (species exclusion). The Mitaraka Mountains appeared more species rich and had a species composition distinct from Petit Saut. Topography also influenced ant species composition. Almost half of the species collected by the baitline method were exclusively foraging in the canopy. |
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883 |
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Leponce, Maurice ; Corbara, Bruno ; Delabie, Jacques H.C. ; Orivel, Jérome ; Aberlenc, Henri-Pierre ; Bail, Johannes ; Barrios, Hector ; Campos, Ricardo I. ; Cardoso do Nascimento, Ivan ; Compin, Arthur ; Didham, Raphaël K. ; Floren, Andreas ; Medianero, Enrique ; Ribeiro, Sérvio P. ; Roisin, Yves ; Schmidl, Juergen ; Tishechkin, Alexey K. ; Winchester, Neville N. ; Basset, Yves ; Dejean, Alain |
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Spatial and functional structure of an entire ant assemblage in a lowland Panamanian rainforest |
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2021 |
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Basic and Applied |
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56 |
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32-44 |
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Ants are a major ecological group in tropical rainforests. Few studies in the Neotropics have documented the distribution of ants from the ground to the canopy, and none have included the understorey. A previous analysis of an intensive arthropod study in Panama, involving 11 sampling methods, showed that the factors influencing ant β diversity (i.e., changes in assemblage composition) were, in decreasing order of importance, the vertical (height), temporal (season), and horizontal (geographic distance) dimensions. In the present study, we went one step further and aimed (1) to identify the best sampling methods to study the entire ant assemblage across the three strata, (2) to test if all strata show a similar horizontal β diversity and (3) to analyze the functional structure of the entire ant assemblage. We identified 405 ant species from 11 subfamilies and 68 genera. Slightly more species were sampled in the canopy than on the ground; they belonged to distinct sub-assemblages. The understorey fauna was mainly a mixture of species found in the other two strata. The horizontal β diversity between sites was similar for the three strata. About half of the ant species foraged in two (29%) or three (25%) strata. A single method, aerial flight interception traps placed alongside tree trunks, acting as arboreal pitfall traps, collected half of the species and reflected the vertical stratification. Using the functional traits approach, we observed that generalist species with mid-sized colonies were by far the most numerous (31%), followed by ground- or litter-dwelling species, either specialists (20%), or generalists (16%), and arboreal species, either generalists (19%) or territorially dominant (8%), and finally army ants (5%). Our results reinforce the idea that a proper understanding of the functioning of ant assemblages requires the inclusion of arboreal ants in survey programs. |
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Elsevier |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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1026 |
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Leponce, Maurice ; Dejean, Alain ; Mottl, Ondrej ; Klimes, Petr |
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Rapid assessment of the three-dimensional distribution of dominant arboreal ants in tropical forests |
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2021 |
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Insect Conservation and Diversity |
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14 |
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4 |
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426-438 |
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Ants are omnipresent in tropical forests, especially territorially dominant arboreal ants whose territories are spatially segregated forming ‘ant mosaics’. These ecologically important species are rarely used in conservation monitoring because of the difficulty in collecting them. We developed a standardised baitline protocol to study the distribution of dominant ants on canopy trees and also a procedure to objectively define species dominance, even in unknown ant assemblages.
Besides eliminating the need to climb trees, this protocol allows live arboreal ant specimens to be sampled at different heights. Behavioural aggressiveness assays between the collected workers provide data on the three-dimensional distribution of colonies and on interactions between species. We compared the results of the behavioural tests to those from null models.
In the New Guinean lowland forest studied, we show that the canopy was either shared by multiple territorial species or inhabited by a single species with a large territory. The baitline protocol collected up to half of the arboreal ant species found in a felling census. However, the proportion of species collected at baits decreased with the increasing spatial dominance of single territorial species.
Behavioural observations used in the protocol allowed a more efficient detection of ant mosaics than null models. Territorially dominant ants were active on both understorey and canopy trees.
The protocol is fast and easy to replicate. It is a potential tool for understanding and monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of arboreal ant assemblages and can detect populous colonies, including those of invasive species |
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Royal Entomological Society |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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1047 |
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Leroy, C.; Carrias, J.-F.; Céréghino, R.; Corbara, B. |
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The contribution of microorganisms and metazoans to mineral nutrition in bromeliads |
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2016 |
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Journal of Plant Ecology |
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Journal of Plant Ecology |
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9 |
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3 |
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241-255 |
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digestive mutualism; insect-assisted nutrients; leaf δ15N; multiple N sources; myrmecotrophy |
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Aims One critical challenge for plants is to maintain an adequate nutrient supply under fluctuating environmental conditions. This is particularly true for epiphytic species that have limited or no access to the pedosphere and often live in harsh climates. Bromeliads have evolved key innovations such as epiphytism, water-absorbing leaf trichomes, tank habit and Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis that enable them to survive under various environmental conditions. Bromeliads encompass diverse ecological types that live on different substrates (they can be terrestrial, epilithic or epiphytic) and vary in their ability to retain water (they can be tank-forming or tankless) and photosynthetic pathway (i.e. C3 or CAM). In this review, we outline the nutritional modes and specializations that enable bromeliads to thrive in a wide range of nutrient-poor (mostly nitrogen-depleted) environments. Important Findings Bromeliads have evolved a great diversity of morphologies and functional adaptations leading to the existence of numerous nutritional modes. Focusing on species that have absorptive foliar trichomes, we review evidence that bromeliads have evolved multi-faceted nutritional strategies to respond to fluctuations in the supply of natural nitrogen (N). These plants have developed mutualistic associations with many different and functionally diverse terrestrial and aquatic microorganisms and metazoans that contribute substantially to their mineral nutrition and, thus, their fitness and survival. Bacterial and fungal microbiota-assisted N provisioning, protocarnivory, digestive mutualisms and myrmecotrophic pathways are the main strategies used by bromeliads to acquire nitrogen. The combination of different nutritional pathways in bromeliads represents an important adaptation enabling them to exploit nutrient-poor habitats. Nonetheless, as has been shown for several other vascular plants, multiple partners are involved in nutrient acquisition indicating that there have been convergent adaptations to nutrient scarcity. Finally, we point out some gaps in the current knowledge of bromeliad nutrition that offer fascinating research opportunities. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Botanical Society of China. |
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CNRS, EcoLab, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, France |
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Export Date: 28 June 2016 |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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683 |
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Leroy, C.; Carrias, J.-F.; Corbara, B.; Pélozuelo, L.; Dezerald, O.; Brouard, O.; Dejean, A.; Céréghino, R. |
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Mutualistic ants contribute to tank-bromeliad nutrition |
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2013 |
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Annals of Botany |
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Ann. Bot. |
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112 |
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5 |
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919-926 |
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δ15N; Algae; ants; Bromeliaceae; food webs; Formicinae; French Guiana; mutualistic interactions; nitrogen; phytotelmata; stable isotopes; tank bromeliad |
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Background and AimsEpiphytism imposes physiological constraints resulting from the lack of access to the nutrient sources available to ground-rooted plants. A conspicuous adaptation in response to that lack is the phytotelm (plant-held waters) of tank-bromeliad species that are often nutrient-rich. Associations with terrestrial invertebrates also result in higher plant nutrient acquisition. Assuming that tank-bromeliads rely on reservoir-assisted nutrition, it was hypothesized that the dual association with mutualistic ants and the phytotelm food web provides greater nutritional benefits to the plant compared with those bromeliads involved in only one of these two associations.MethodsQuantitative (water volume, amount of fine particulate organic matter, predator/prey ratio, algal density) and qualitative variables (ant-association and photosynthetic pathways) were compared for eight tank- and one tankless-bromeliad morphospecies from French Guiana. An analysis was also made of which of these variables affect nitrogen acquisition (leaf N and δ15N).Key ResultsAll variables were significantly different between tank-bromeliad species. Leaf N concentrations and leaf δ15N were both positively correlated with the presence of mutualistic ants. The amount of fine particulate organic matter and predator/prey ratio had a positive and negative effect on leaf δ15N, respectively. Water volume was positively correlated with leaf N concentration whereas algal density was negatively correlated. Finally, the photosynthetic pathway (C3 vs. CAM) was positively correlated with leaf N concentration with a slightly higher N concentration for C 3-Tillandsioideae compared with CAM-Bromelioideae.ConclusionsThe study suggests that some of the differences in N nutrition between bromeliad species can be explained by the presence of mutualistic ants. From a nutritional standpoint, it is more advantageous for a bromeliad to use myrmecotrophy via its roots than to use carnivory via its tank. The results highlight a gap in our knowledge of the reciprocal interactions between bromeliads and the various trophic levels (from bacteria to large metazoan predators) that intervene in reservoir-assisted nutrition. © The Author 2013. |
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CNRS, UMR 8172, Écologie des Forêts de Guyane, Campus Agronomique, F-97379 Kourou cedex, France |
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03057364 (Issn) |
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Export Date: 9 September 2013; Source: Scopus; Coden: Anboa; doi: 10.1093/aob/mct147; Language of Original Document: English; Correspondence Address: Leroy, C.; IRD, UMR AMAP (BotAnique et BioinforMatique de l'Architecture des Plantes), Boulevard de la Lironde, TA A-51/PS2, F-34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; email: celine.leroy@ird.fr |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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501 |
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Leroy, C.; Cereghino, R.; Camas, J.F.; Pelozuelo, L.; Dejean, A.; Corbara, B. |
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Several aspects of the life of vascular epiphytes |
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2010 |
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Biofutur |
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Biofutur |
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315 |
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38-41 |
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[Leroy, Celine] CNRS, UMR Ecol Forets Guyane, Kourou 97379, French Guiana |
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ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER |
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ISI:000284987300005 |
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Leroy, C.; Corbara, B.; Dejean, A.; Céréghino, R. |
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Potential sources of nitrogen in an ant-garden tank-bromeliad |
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2009 |
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Plant Signaling and Behavior |
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Plant. Signal. Behav. |
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868-870 |
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Aechmea mertensii Camponotus femoratus nitrogen nitrogen stable isotope Pachycondyla goeldii plant-insect interactions phytotelmata |
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Epiphytic plants in general and bromeliads in particular live in a water and nutrient-stressed environment often limited in nitrogen. Thus, these plants have developed different ways to survive in such an environment. We focused on Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae), which is both a tank-bromeliad and an ant-garden (AG) epiphyte initiated by either the ants Camponotus femoratus or Pachycondyla goeldii. By combining a study of plant morphology and physiology associated with aquatic insect biology, we demonstrate that the ant species influences the leaf structure of the bromeliad, the structure of the aquatic community in its tank, and nutrient assimilation by the leaves. Based on nitrogen and nitrogen stable isotope measurements of the A. mertensii leaves, the leaf litter inside of the tank and the root-embedded carton nest, we discuss the potential sources of available nitrogen for the plant based on the ant partner. We demonstrate the existence of a complex ant-plant interaction that subsequently affects the biodiversity of a broader range of organisms that are themselves likely to influence nutrient assimilation by the A. mertensii leaves in a kind of plant-invertebrate-plant feedback loop. |
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Potential sources of nitrogen in an ant-garden tank-bromeliad |
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Leroy, C.; Corbara, B.; Dejean, A.; Cereghino, R. |
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Ants mediate foliar structure and nitrogen acquisition in a tank-bromeliad |
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2009 |
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New Phytologist |
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New Phytol. |
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183 |
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4 |
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1124-1133 |
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Aechmea mertensii; antgardens; Camponotus femoratus; foliar structure; delta N-15; Pachycondyla goeldii; phytotelmata contents |
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Aechmea mertensii is a tank-bromeliad that roots on ant-gardens initiated by the ants Camponotus femoratus and Pachycondyla goeldii. Its leaves form compartments acting as phytotelmata that hold rainwater and provide habitats for invertebrates. In this article, we aimed to determine whether the association with either C. femoratus or P. goeldii influenced the vegetative traits of A. mertensii, invertebrate diversity and nutrient assimilation by the leaves. Transmitted light, vegetative traits and phytotelmata contents were compared between the two A. mertensii ant-gardens. Camponotus femoratus colonized partially shaded areas, whereas P. goeldii colonized exposed areas. The bromeliads' rosettes had a large canopy (C. femoratus ant-gardens), or were smaller and amphora shaped (P. goeldii ant-gardens). There were significant differences in leaf anatomy, as shaded leaves were thicker than exposed leaves. The mean volumes of water, fine particulate organic matter and detritus in C. femoratus-associated bromeliads were three to five times higher than in P. goeldii-associated bromeliads. Moreover, the highest invertebrate diversity and leaf delta N-15 values were found in C. femoratus-associated bromeliads. This study enhances our understanding of the dynamics of biodiversity, and shows how ant-plant interactions can have trophic consequences and thus influence the architecture of the interacting plant via a complex feedback loop. |
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[Leroy, Celine; Dejean, Alain] EcoFoG, CNRS, UMR 8172, F-97379 Kourou, France, Email: Celine.Leroy@ecofog.gf |
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WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC |
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0028-646X |
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ISI:000268855300020 |
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EcoFoG @ eric.marcon @ |
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106 |
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