Effect of rain and temperature on the nocturnal flight phenology of Afrotropical ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The effects of rainfall and temperature on the seasonal phenology of ant nuptial flights in a forest locality in Ghana was studied for 42 months using a light-trap. A total of 204393 ants was caught. Of the 135 species/morphospecies collected, 40 could not be identified beyond genus, and males of a further 14 beyond subfamily. The commonest 65 species/morphospecies flew a mean of 10.1 ± 0.4 months per year. With the exception of males of <i>Dorylus atriceps, Platythyrea conradti, Plat. modesta, Crematogaster</i> nr <i>striatula</i> plus gynes of <i>Plagiolepis brunni</i> and <i>Cr.</i> [F257], whose peak flights occurred in the main dry season, flight activity coincided with the onset of the rainy seasons. Both sexes of <i>Pheidole megacephala, P. speculifera, Tetramorium aculeatum</i>, and <i>Paraparatrechina albipes</i> plus gynes of <i>Cr. striatula</i> and males of <i>Anochetus africanus, Hypoponera dulcis, Cr. kneri</i>, and <i>T. guineensis</i> flew more frequently on rainy than dry dates. Nineteen species were caught more frequently on dry than on wet dates including most <i>Camponotus, Tapinoma</i>, and <i>Technomyrmex</i> spp. Fifteen species/morphospecies responded positively to increasing monthly rainfall, six to increasing monthly temperatures, and five to the interaction between these factors, with males of <i>A. pellucidus, H. dulcis</i>, and <i>Cr. striatula</i> caught more frequently in wetter, warmer months, and those of <i>Camponotus olivieri</i> and <i>Technomyrmex andrei</i> in drier, warmer ones.