Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An experimental study of behavioral mechanisms of relationships between red wood ants and ground beetles

  • Published:
Entomological Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Behavioral mechanisms regulating the competitive relations between the red wood ant Formica aquilonia and the ground beetles Carabus regalis, Pterostichus melanarius, P. magus, P. oblongopunctatus, Harpalus smaragdinus, and Amara nitida were studied by artificially initiated collisions between living insects as well as with the use of imitation models. Members of different functional groups within an ant family (aphid-milkers, hunters, and guards) behaved differently towards beetles. Active ants were shown to respond selectively to different features of the possible competitors, such as coloration, the presence of “appendages” (legs, antennae), body symmetry, rate of movement, and scent. Field and laboratory experiments demonstrated the ability of beetles to avoid collisions with active ants. The scent of anthill material attracted ground beetles, which consumed dead ants. The gained individual experience may allow the beetles to use supplementary forage resources in the territories controlled by ants. The flexible tactical patterns facilitate spatial segregation of ground beetles and ants in the same territory and result in a more complete utilization of food resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cherix, D. and Bourne, J.D., “A Field Study on a Super-Colony of the Red Wood Ants Formica lugubris Zett. in Relation to Other Predatory Arthropods (Spiders, Harvestmen and Ants),” Rev. Suisse Zool. 87(4), 955–973 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dorosheva, E.A., “Behavior of Predatory Ground Beetle Species Aimed at Avoiding Encounters with Ants within Ant Nest Territories,” in Proc. II All-Russia Soil Zoology Workshop (Moscow, 1999), pp. 187–188.

  3. Gridina, T.I., “Influence of Formica polyctena Foerst. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) on the Distribution of Predatory Arthropods in Forest Ecosystems,” Memor. Zool. Acad. Pol. Sci. 44, 21–36 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Gridina, T.I., “Ethological Aspects of Interrelation between Formica polyctena Foerst. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and Spiders and Carabids,” Memor. Zool. Acad. Pol. Sci. 48, 91–97, (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Grostal, P. and Dicke, M., “Direct and Indirect Cues of Predation Risk Influence Behavior and Reproduction of Prey: a Case of Acarine Interaction,” Behav. Ecol. 10(4), 422–427 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hawes, C., Stewart, A.J.A., and Evans, H.F., “The Impact of Woods Ants (Formica rufa) on the Distribution and Abundance of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a Scots Pine Plantation,” Oecologia 131, 612–619 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Inozemtsev, A.A., “Dynamics of the Trophic Associations of Red Wood Ants and Their Role in Regulation of Invertebrate Pests in Oakeries of Tula Province,” Ekologiya (3), 62–75 (1974).

  8. Jaisson, P., “L’impregnation dans l’ontogenese des comportements de soins aux cocons chez la jeune Formi rousse (Formica polyctena Foerst.),” Behaviour 52(1–2), 1–37 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kolbe, W., “Käfer im Wirkungsbereich der roten Waldameise,” Entomol. Z. 7, 269–280 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lovei, G.L. and Sunderland, K.D., “Ecology and Behavior of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Annu. Rev. Entomol. 41, 231–256 (1996).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. MacFarland, D., The Oxford Companion to Animal Behavior (Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1982; Mir, Moscow, 1988) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  12. Malozemova, L.A., “Some Biological Traits of the Red Wood Ant in the Mountain Taiga of Northern Urals,” in Fauna of the Urals and Northern Europe (Sverdlovsk, 1980), pp. 78–87 [in Russian].

  13. Niemelä, J., “Spatial Distribution of Carabid Beetles in the Southern Finnish Taiga: a Question of Scale,” in Ground Beetles: Their Role in Ecological and Environmental Studies, Ed. by N.E. Stork (Intersept Publ., Andover, 1990), pp. 143–155.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Pollard, J.H., A Handbook of Numerical and Statistical Techniques (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1977; Finansy i Statistika, Moscow, 1982) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  15. Reznikova, Zh.I., “Non-Antagonistic Interactions between Ants Occupying Similar Niches,” Zool. Zh. 54(7), 1020–1031 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Reznikova, Zh.I., Interspecific Interactions in Ants (Nauka, Novosibirsk, 1983) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  17. Reznikova, Zh.I., Populations and Species: a ‘War or Peace’ Concept (Logos, Moscow, 2001) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  18. Reznikova, Zh.I., “A New Pattern of Interspecific Relations in Ants: the Hypothesis of Interspecific Social Control,” Zool. Zh. 82(7), 816–824 (2003) [Entomol. Rev. 83 (9), 1184–1193 (2003)].

    Google Scholar 

  19. Reznikova, Zh.I. and Dorosheva, E.A., “Effect of Red Wood Ants on the Behavior of Ground Beetles: Experiments with Individual Insects,” Doklady Ross. Akad. Nauk 375(4), 571–573 (2000).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Reznikova, Zh. and Dorosheva, E., “Impacts of Red Wood Ants Formica polyctena on the Spatial Distribution and Behavioral Patterns of Ground Beetles,” Pedobiologia 48, 15–21 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Reznikova, Zh.I. and Novgorodova, T.A., “Individual Roles and Information Exchange in Groups of Ant Workers,” Uspekhi Sovrem. Biol. 118(3), 345–356 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Robinson, M.H., “Insect Antipredator Adaptations and Behavior of Predatory Primates,” Congr. Latin Zool. 2, 811–836 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rybalov, L.B., Rybalov, G.L., and Rossolimo, T.E., “Effect of Red Wood Ants on Litter-Dwelling Predators in Kostomuksha Nature Reserve,” Uspekhi Sovrem. Biol. 118(3), 313–322 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Sergeeva, T.K., “Serological Characterization of Trophic Associations and Resource Distribution in the Predatory Ground Beetle Assemblage,” Uspekhi Sovrem. Biol. 112(3), 32–41 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Suvorov, A.A., “Effect of Red Wood Ants on the Community Structure of Litter-Dwelling Invertebrates in Spruce Forests of Moscow Area,” in Edaphic Fauna of Moscow Province (Nauka, Moscow, 1994), pp. 74–99 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  26. Tinbergen, N., The Study of Instincts (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1951).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Zakharov, A.A., “Ecology of Ants,” Itogi Nauki Tekhniki 17, 132–205 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russia

    E. A. Dorosheva & Zh. I. Reznikova

Authors
  1. E. A. Dorosheva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zh. I. Reznikova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Original Russian Text © E. A. Dorosheva, Zh. I. Reznikova, 2006, published in Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 85, No. 2, pp. 183–192.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dorosheva, E.A., Reznikova, Z.I. An experimental study of behavioral mechanisms of relationships between red wood ants and ground beetles. Entmol. Rev. 86, 139–148 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873806020035

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873806020035

Keywords

Search

Navigation