Distance From Nest and Climate Explain Geographical Trends of Harvester Ant's Food Resource Use: A Multi‐Species Approach

ABSTRACT Main Animals not only forage for abundant and nearby resources, but their diets can also be influenced by abiotic and geographic factors. This often results in non‐random interactions among species. We investigate how seed density, distance from nest, abiotic (e.g., climate stability, temperature, precipitation) and geographic factors (e.g., latitude, elevation and continental hemisphere) influence the removal of food items (i.e., seeds and dead arthropods) by Pogonomyrmex species. Location South and North America, from Patagonia to the Rocky Mountains. Taxon Genus Pogonomyrmex (Formicidae: Hymenoptera). Methods Conducting standardised experiments, we performed a seed removal experiment and an assessment of the items retrieved by ant workers of 160 nests from eight Pogonomyrmex spp. at 16 sites extending the American continent. Results Pogonomyrmex ants native to North America removed more seeds than their South American counterpart. In general, results align with optimal foraging theory, indicating a higher probability of seed removal near ant nests. High climate stability correlated with lower seed predation rates, emphasising seed consumption's significance in historically arid environments. Increased precipitation and temperature led to reduced removal of food resources, suggesting reduced water availability and lower mean temperatures increases the consumption of seeds by harvester ants. Conclusions Overall, Pogonomyrmex ants' food resource use is influenced by a combination of factors such as region, distance from the nest and climate. This study underscores harvester ants' potential impact on plant distribution over large spatial scales consuming seeds from the immediate proximity of their nest and preventing establishment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Biogeography
Published
2024-09-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.15012
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.55

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article

Distance From Nest and Climate Explain Geographical Trends of Harvester Ant's Food Resource Use: A Multi‐Species Approach

Martha L. Baena, Melissa A. Burt, Gibrán Renoy Pérez‐Toledo, Jaime Hernández‐Flores et al.
1 citations
Journal of Biogeography
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
0.55
article

Distance From Nest and Climate Explain Geographical Trends of Harvester Ant's Food Resource Use: A Multi‐Species Approach

Martha L. Baena, Melissa A. Burt, Gibrán Renoy Pérez‐Toledo, Jaime Hernández‐Flores, Victoria Werenkraut, Luciana Elizalde, María Natalia Lescano, Natália Maritza Ladino Lopez, Florencia Baudino, Pedro Luna, Gabriela I. Pirk, Robin Verble, Eduardo Soares Calixto, Daniela P. Ortiz, José Henrique Pezzonia, Alex Karnish, Ian Robertson, Wesley Dáttilo, Rodrigo M. Feitosa, Federico Escobar, Brenda Juárez‐Juárez, Julian Resasco, Kleber Del‐Claro, Rodrigo G. Pol, Roger Guevara, Helena Maura Torezan‐Silingardi, Flávio Siqueira de Castro, Diane C. Wiernasz, Adriana Aranda‐Rickert, Philip G. Hahn, Frederico S. Neves, Javier López de Casenave, Diego V. Anjos, Lucía Vullo, Ana Laura Cao, Gabriela Fraga Porto, Carlos D. Ramı́rez, Blaine J. Cole, Maria Eduarda Indalêncio, Judie Bronstein
article en
1 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Main Animals not only forage for abundant and nearby resources, but their diets can also be influenced by abiotic and geographic factors. This often results in non‐random interactions among species. We investigate how seed density, distance from nest, abiotic (e.g., climate stability, temperature, precipitation) and geographic factors (e.g., latitude, elevation and continental hemisphere) influence the removal of food items (i.e., seeds and dead arthropods) by Pogonomyrmex species. Location South and North America, from Patagonia to the Rocky Mountains. Taxon Genus Pogonomyrmex (Formicidae: Hymenoptera). Methods Conducting standardised experiments, we performed a seed removal experiment and an assessment of the items retrieved by ant workers of 160 nests from eight Pogonomyrmex spp. at 16 sites extending the American continent. Results Pogonomyrmex ants native to North America removed more seeds than their South American counterpart. In general, results align with optimal foraging theory, indicating a higher probability of seed removal near ant nests. High climate stability correlated with lower seed predation rates, emphasising seed consumption's significance in historically arid environments. Increased precipitation and temperature led to reduced removal of food resources, suggesting reduced water availability and lower mean temperatures increases the consumption of seeds by harvester ants. Conclusions Overall, Pogonomyrmex ants' food resource use is influenced by a combination of factors such as region, distance from the nest and climate. This study underscores harvester ants' potential impact on plant distribution over large spatial scales consuming seeds from the immediate proximity of their nest and preventing establishment.

Journal of BiogeographyVol. 52(1)
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (MX), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR), Boise State University (US), Universidade de Ribeirão Preto (BR), University of Arizona (US), Universidad Veracruzana (MX), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), University of Colorado Boulder (US), Missouri University of Science and Technology (US), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ), Universidad de Buenos Aires (AR), Universidad de Las Américas (EC), Institute of Astronomy and Space Physics (AR), Instituto de Ecología (MX), Universidade Regional do Cariri (BR), University of Houston (US), Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR), Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (AR), Universidad Nacional del Comahue (AR), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (BR), Virginia Tech (US), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (MX)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
0.55
DOISourceOpenAlex
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