Ants
نویسنده
چکیده
Ants are one of evolution’s great success stories. Arising in the mid-Cretaceous about 120 million years ago, they now comprise a diverse assemblage of approximately 20,000 species and have colonized most of the world’s terrestrial biomes. They impose a strong ecological footprint in many communities in their varied roles as scavengers, predators, granivores, and herbivores. In some tropical forests the biomass of ants exceeds that of terrestrial vertebrates by a factor of four, and their soil-turning activities dwarf those of earthworms. There is a word for ‘ant’ in most languages, reflecting their ubiquity and distinctiveness to humans. The ecological dominance and conspicuous social behavior of ants have long engaged the attention of natural historians. In terms of their species diversity, relative abundance, ecological impact and social habits, ants emerge as one of the most prominent groups of arthropods. There is impressive breadth in the ecological characteristics of ants and in the range of environments to which they have adapted. From deserts to tropical rainforests, from grasslands to mangrove swamps, most terrestrial habitats are tenanted by ants, and usually in moderate to high densities. Ants are entirely absent only from polar regions and poorly insolated high altitude locations (for example, tropical cloud forests above 2400 meters). Nests are situated in a wide variety of sites from high in the forest canopy to deep underground. While most ant species are rather generalized scavengers, others have become specialized predators, seed harvesters, and fungus-growers. Many species avidly tend honeydew-producing hemipterans, imbibing liquids processed through the gut of these plant-feeding insects, and thereby acting as indirect herbivores (as well as mutualists with their hosts). A legion of other arthropods has become intimately associated with ant colonies, exploiting the rich concentration of resources therein. Relationships range from parasitic to mutualistic. One of the more striking symbioses is the coevolved association between attine ants and certain
منابع مشابه
Synanthropic Ants as Vectors of Pathogens in Hospitals of Iran
Background: Synanthropic ants can transmit pathogens especially in hospital environments, but this fact had not been confirmed in Palaearctic region. This is the first study on confirming this ability of ants in this region. Methods: Three hospitals of Bandar Abbas, Iran have been selected for monthly sampling of ants in their various wards. The main processe...
متن کاملEvaluation of Spent Engine Oil and other Natural Materials on the Emergence of Harvester Ants (Messor galla Forel)
Harvester ants (Messor galla Forel) defied various control strategies. Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Spent Engine-Oil and other nature-based materials on their emergence in Maiduguri, Borno State of Nigeria. The treatments evaluated are spot application of spent engine-oil and some natural materials in experiment 1 and individual and equal mixture of Pure Neem ...
متن کاملEvaluation of Spent Engine Oil and other Natural Materials on the Emergence of Harvester Ants (Messor galla Forel)
Harvester ants (Messor galla Forel) defied various control strategies. Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Spent Engine-Oil and other nature-based materials on their emergence in Maiduguri, Borno State of Nigeria. The treatments evaluated are spot application of spent engine-oil and some natural materials in experiment 1 and individual and equal mixture of Pure Neem ...
متن کاملEffects of Harvester Ants’ Nest Activity (Messor spp.) on Structure and Function of Plant Community in a Steppe Rangeland (Case Study: Roodshoor, Saveh, Iran)
Harvester ants are known as one of the most renowned bio-disturbances in the arid and semi-arid ecosystems that affecte vegetation by collecting seeds and harvesting plants. It seems that physiognomy of plant association in steppe shrub land of Roodshoor, Saveh, Iran has been highly changed by harvester ants’ activities that caused to conduct this research. The study was carried out on active a...
متن کاملChanges in Soil Properties by Harvester Ant's Activity (Messor spp.) in Roodshoor Steppe Rangeland of Saveh, Iran
One of the most important micro engineers of the terrestrial ecosystems, especially in the arid areas is the harvester ants due to their activity in the soil through nest building; they can make major changes while influencing the surface and subsurface in the rangeland soil. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of harvester ants (Messor spp.) on some soil properties in Rood...
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عنوان ژورنال:
- Current Biology
دوره 16 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2006