Abstract
Individual ants of Aphaenogaster carolinensis Wheeler were placed in two way combinations with four sympatric ant species (Aphaenogaster lamellidens Mayr, Crematogaster lineolata Say, Pachycondyla chinensis Emery and Prenolepis imparis Say) to determine whether their interspecific behavior was dependent upon the ant species they were confronted with. The tendency of A. carolinensis to initiate and terminate interactions, and the durations of those interactions, were measured for all combinations. There was no significant effect of species on initiation or termination. There was a significant effect of species on the duration of interactions that were both initiated and terminated by A. carolinensis. Durations of interactions with A. lamellidens were significantly longer than with other species. The conclusion is that the interspecific behavior of A. carolinensis is dependent in part on the species it is interacting with.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Bradley Greene in recording and analyzing interactions, and of Joe McGown of the Mississippi Entomology Museum in identifying ant species. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the Department of Natural Sciences at Piedmont College and Dr. Rocky Hardy for the use of his video camera. Two anonymous reviewers contributed significantly with their comments on the original version of this manuscript.
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Menzel, T.O. Interactions Between Aphaenogaster carolinensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Four Sympatric Ant Species. J Insect Behav 25, 486–493 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-011-9315-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-011-9315-3