Changes in the Structure of Nest Complexes of the Red Wood Ants Formica rufa and F. polyctena (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Urban Forests

Keywords: Red wood ants, monitoring, nest complexes, Formica rufa, Formica polyctena

Abstract

The aim of this work is to evaluate changes in the structure of nest complexes of two species of red wood ants: Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761 and F. polyctena Foerster, 1850, in the city of Kyiv (Ukraine) using morpho[1]metric indicators, as well as to evaluate their dynamics. In 2014–2022, nest complexes of two species of red wood ants (Formica rufa, F. polyctena) were observed in urbanised forests within the city of Kyiv. A total of 472 F. rufa and 411 F. polyctena nests were studied in 7 nest complexes (4 — F. polyctena, 3 — F. rufa). The total volume of F. polyctena nests were found to decrease by 2020–2021, while the volume of F. rufa nests remained at the same level or even increased. This suggests that F. rufa is more resistant to changes in forestry conditions.

References

Arnoldi, K. V. 1979. A study of ant ecology. Ants and forest conservation. 6. Tartu. 156-171 [In Russian].

Balzani, P., Dekoninck, W., Feldhaar, H., Freitag, A., Frizzi, F., Frouz, J., Masoni, A., Robinson, E., Sorvari, J. & Santini, G. 2022. Challenges and a call to action for protecting European red wood ants. Conservation Biology, 36, e13959.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13959

Didukh, Y. P. & Alioshkina, U. M. 2012. Biotopes of the city of Kiev. Kyiv: NaUKMA, 1-163 [In Ukrainian].

Dlussky, G. M. 1967. Ants of the genus Formica. Moskva: Nauka, 1-236 [In Russian].

Domisch, T., Finér, L. & Jurgensen, M. F. 2005. Red wood ant mound densities in managed boreal forests. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 42, 277-282.

Doroshenko, O. & Nazaruk, K. 2022. Analysis of species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Lviv (Ukraine). Studia Biologica, 16 (4), 59-68.

https://doi.org/10.30970/sbi.1604.695

Friedrich, R. & Philpott, S. M. 2009. Nest-site limitation and nesting resources of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in urban green spaces. Environmental Entomology, 38 (3), 600-607.

https://doi.org/10.1603/022.038.0311

Frizzi, F., Masoni, A., Quilghini, G., Ciampelli, P. & Santini, G. 2018. Chronicle of an impact foretold: the fate and effect of the introduced Formica paralugubris ant. Biological Invasions, 20, 3575-3589.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1797-x

Gilev, A. V. 2011. Spatial distribution of red wood ants and scientific basis of their protection. Entomological Review, 91, 133-140.

https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873811020023

Golosova, M. A. 1998. The study of the state of complexes of the wood ants (Formica aquilonia) in spruce forests of Moscow suburbs. Uspekhi Sovremennoi Biologii, 118 (3), 306-312.

Gosswald, K., 1981. Bodenverbesserung durch Waldameisen und ihre Auswirkung. Waldhygiene, 14, 85-106.

Grimalsky, V. I., Lozinsky, V. A. 1979. Ants as entomophages of leaf beetles and ladybugs. Ants and forest protection, 6. Tartu, 12-14.

Juhász, O., Fürjes-Mikó, Á., Tenyér, A., Somogyi, A. Á., Aguilon, D. J., Kiss, P. J., Bátori, Z., & Maák, I. 2020. Consequences of climate change-induced habitat conversions on red wood ants in a Central European Mountain: a case study. Animals, 10 (9), 1677.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091677

Melliger, R. L., Braschler, B., Rusterholz, H.-P. & Baur, B. 2018. Diverse effects of degree of urbanisation and forest size on species richness and functional diversity of plants, and ground surface-active ants and spiders. PLoS ONE, 13 (6): e0199245.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199245

Omelchenko, L. V., Bugrova, N. M. & Chesnokova, S. V. 2010. Ants of the Novosibirsk science campus (Akademgorodok) and its environs. Proceedings of VIII International Colloquium on Social Insects, 42-43.

Pavan, M. 1959. Attivitá italiana per la lotta biologica con formiche del gruppo Formica rufa contro gli insetti dannosi alle foreste. Ministero dell'agricoltura e delle foreste, 1-78 (Collana verde 4).

Pavan, M. 1979. Significance of ants of the Formica rufa group in Italy in ecological forestry regulation. Bulletin SROP, 11 (3), 161-169.

Putyatina, T. S., Perfilieva, K. S. & Zakalyukina, Y. V. 2017. Typification of urban habitats, with ant assemblages of Moscow city taken as an example. Entomological Review, 97 (8), 1053-1062.

https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873817080048

Radchenko, A. G. 2016. Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Ukraine. Kiev, Ukraine: Schmalhausen Institute of zoology NAS of Ukraine, 1-496 [In Russian].

https://doi.org/10.15407/vnm.2016.14.095

Radchenko, A. G., Stukalyuk, S. V. & Netsvetov, M. V. 2019. Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Kyiv. Entomological Review, 99 (6), 753-773.

https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873819060058

Seifert, B. 2018. The ants of Central and North Europe. Tauer, Germany: Lutra Verlags und Vertriebsgesellschaft, 1-408.

Soboleva, N. I. 2011. Trail system in red wood ants (Formica rufa group) under recreation press. Entomological Review, 91, 189-197.

https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873811020072

Sorvari, J. 2022. Biogeography and habitat preferences of red wood ants of the Formica rufa group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Finland, based on citizen science data. European Journal of Entomology, 119, 92-98.

https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2022.010

Stukalyuk, S. V. 2017. A case of vertical seasonal polydomy in Formica rufa (Hymenoptera; Formicidae). Russian Journal of Ecology, 48, 583-587.

https://doi.org/10.1134/S106741361706011X

Stukalyuk, S., Gilev, A., Antonov, I. & Netsvetov, M. 2021. Size of nest complexes, the size of anthills, and infrastructure development in 4 species of red wood ants (Formica rufa, F. polyctena, F. aquilonia, F. lugubris) (Hymenoptera; Formicidae). Turkish Journal of Zoology, 45, 464-478.

https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-2105-39

Trigos-Peral, G., Juhász, O., Kiss, P. J., Módra, G., Tenyér, A. & Maák, I. 2021. Wood ants: important components of the forest "immunity system". Research Square, 1-21.

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-200088/v1

Tsikas, A., Karanikola, P. & Orfanoudakis, M. 2021. Influence of the red wood ant Formica lugubris Zetterstedt, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the surrounding forest soil. Bulgarian Journal of Soil Science, 6 (1), 9-17.

van Buggenum, H. J. M. 2022. Presence after three decades of red wood ants (Formica rufa group; Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in forests in an agricultural landscape. European Journal of Entomology, 119, 85-91.

https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2022.009

Vepsäläinen, K. & Wuorenrinne, H. 1978. Ecological effects of urbanization on the mound-building Formica L. species. Memorabilia Zoologica, 29, 191-202.

Zakharov, A. A. 1991. Organization of communities in ants. Moscow: Nauka. 279 p. (In Russian).

Zakharov, A. A. 2015. Ants of forest communities, their life cycle and role in forests. Moskva: KMK Scientific Press, 1-404 [In Russian].

Published
2023-09-25
How to Cite
Stukalyuk, S., Goncharenko, I., & Kozyr, M. (2023). Changes in the Structure of Nest Complexes of the Red Wood Ants Formica rufa and F. polyctena (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Urban Forests. Zoodiversity, 57(5). https://doi.org/10.15407/zoo2023.05.421