Examinando por Autor "Murray M., Ana L."

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    Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Zamorano
    (Zamorano: Escuela Agrícola Panamericana, 2024) Murray M., Ana L.; Orozco, Jesús; Aguilar, Katerin
    Ants, as key members of the Formicidae family within the Hymenoptera order, play crucial roles in ecosystems through diverse behaviors such as predation, scavenging, seed collection, and mutualistic relationships. In Zamorano, there is limited knowledge about ant species, therefore, we aimed to document, identify, create an identification guide, and analyze the importance of the ants present on campus. The study was conducted during two collection periods: September to November 2023 and May to July 2024. Direct sampling methods were employed using manual collections with forceps and a pencil brush. Sampling locations were selected to represent the diversity of habitats on campus. In addition, specimens deposited in the Insect Collection were revised. A total of 440 specimens were collected, representing 17 species: Atta mexicana (Smith, F.), Camponotus atriceps (Smith, F.), Camponotus conspicuus (Smith, F.), C. planatus (Roger), C. sp.1, C. sp.2, C. sp.3, Crematogaster crinosa Mayr, C. sp.1, C. sp.2, Ectatomma ruidum Roger, Odontomachus opaciventris Forel, Pachycondyla harpax (Fabricius), Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius), Pseudomyrmex pallidus (Smith, F.), Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius), and S. picea Emery. Among these, Atta mexicana, commonly known as leafcutter ants, is particularly significant due to its impact on agricultural crops. The most common species was S. picea, while P. pallidus was the rarest. The residential areas resulted in having the highest diversity of species on campus while the Indian Mast Tree (Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.)) had the most abundance. Based on the collections and reviewed material in the collection, a total of 25 species are now known in Zamorano. An identification guide for the species in Zamorano was created.