The Effects of Proximity and Colony Age on Interspecific Interference Competition between the Desert Ants Pogonomyrmex Barbatus and Aphaenogaster Cockerelli
نویسندگان
چکیده
The ants Aphaenogaster cockerellz and Pogonomyrmex barbatus compete for seed resources in the Chihuahuan desert. Previous work showed that intraspecific competition in P barbatus is more intense between near neighbors with overlapping foraging ranges and depends on colony age. Just before reaching reproductive maturity (3-4 y), colonies are more aggressive and persistent in intraspecific competition for foraging area than younger or older colonies. In this study we examine how interspecific interference behavior by A. cockerelli towards E barbatus depends on the age and proximity of P barbatus colonies. Before sunrise when P. barbatus colonies become active, A. cockerelli colonies completely plug the nest entrances of some P barbatus colonies, thereby delaying the onset of E barbatus foraging behavior. Pogonomrmex barbatus colonies closer to A. cockerelli were plugged more frequently than more distant colonies. As distance from A. coskerelli nests increased, older E barbatus colonies were plugged more frequently than younger ones. Our results suggest that the intensity of interspecific interference competitive interactions may depend on the proximity arld age of coIllpeting colonies.
منابع مشابه
The interactive effects of climate, life history, and interspecific neighbours on mortality in a population of seed harvester ants
1. Fifteen years of census data from a population of the red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus), 5 years of census data from populations of Aphaenogaster cockerelli and Myrmecocystus mimicus at the same site, and longterm precipitation data from a nearby weather station were used to examine how nearest interspecific neighbours, climate, and life history influence P. barbatus colony mortality...
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