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Agrociencia
versión On-line ISSN 2521-9766versión impresa ISSN 1405-3195
Agrociencia vol.52 no.3 Texcoco abr./may. 2018
Wildlife
New records of ants for Oaxaca, Mexico: their agricultural importance in sugarcane crops
1Universidad Veracruzana, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Camino Peñuela-Amatlán km. 1, Peñuela, Amatlán de Los Reyes. 94945. Veracruz, México.
The myrmecofauna is little studied in some regions of Mexico, so state inventories continue to increase. In the northeastern region of the state of Oaxaca, the collection of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was performed directly by hand and using traps in sugarcane crops (Saccharum officinarum L.) to contribute to the inventory of Formicidae and its agricultural importance. We identified thirteen species of ants, of which five were not documented in Oaxaca. The new records add agroecological value to the known species in Oaxaca since some ants act as direct and indirect pests, while others play the role of natural enemies of certain pests. Although some of the species reported in this study are common in terms of abundance in cane crops, they were not reported or identified in these agroecosystems. The presence of non-native species, which inhabit the sugarcane agroecosystems and interact positively or negatively with other arthropods associated with these crops highlights the need for knowledge of the myrmecofauna of the state of Oaxaca and, in particular, in sugarcane crops.
Keywords: mirmecofauna; Formicidae; natural enemies; pests; agroecosystems
La mirmecofauna está poco estudiada en algunas regiones de México, por lo cual los inventarios estatales continúan en aumento. En la región noreste del estado de Oaxaca se realizaron recolectas manuales de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) y con trampas en cultivos de caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.) para contribuir al inventario de Formicidae y su importancia agrícola. Trece especies de hormigas se identificaron, de las cuales cinco no estaban documentadas en Oaxaca. Los nuevos registros añaden valor agroecológico a las especies conocidas en Oaxaca puesto que algunas hormigas actúan como plagas directas e indirectas mientras que otras cumplen una función de enemigos naturales de ciertas plagas. A pesar de que algunas de las especies reportadas en este estudio son comunes en términos de abundancia en los cultivos de caña, no se habían reportado ni identificado en dichos agroecosistemas. La presencia de especies no nativas, que habitan los agroecosistemas de caña e interactúan positiva o negativamente con otros artrópodos asociados a estos cultivos, resalta la necesidad del conocimiento de la mirmecofauna del estado de Oaxaca y en particular en cultivos de caña de azúcar.
Palabras clave: mirmecofauna; Formicidae; enemigos naturales; plagas; agroecosistemas
Introduction
Ants are a group of eusocial, terrestrial, abundant and diverse insects in the intertropical regions of the world (Rojas-Fernández, 2011), and there are 21 subfamilies and more than 15 000 described species (AntWeb, 2017). Landero-Torre et al. (2015) indicate the presence of 973 species of ants in 12 subfamilies and 94 genera in Mexico, and the states of Chiapas, Veracruz and Hidalgo have a greater number of species (387, 310 and 229, respectively), Aguascalientes and Tlaxcala have less than 40 records (RíosCasanova, 2013, Landero-Torre et al., 2015, Dubovikoff and Coronado, 2017), and García-Martínez et al. (2015) register 64 species in the state of Oaxaca. The AntWeb v7.0.2 page is one of the most up-to-date databases with records of ant species in the world (AntWeb, 2017). This page records 227 species in 62 genera and 10 subfamilies for Oaxaca, and 1158 species (including subspecies) in 100 genera for Mexico (AntWeb, 2017). The vast majority of these species records for Mexico and Oaxaca are recorded in tropical regions (Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015, AntWeb, 2017). Therefore, it is important to carry out research in natural ecosystems (e.g., temperate forests) and for human use (e.g., agricultural regions and human settlements) that are still poorly explored (Lara-Villalón et al., 2015; Jiménez-Vargas et al., 2017).
The scarcity of ant studies carried out in Mexican agroecosystems limits the knowledge of their beneficial or harmful function in crops and the implementation of appropriate management strategies (Rojas-Fernández, 2001, Gonthier et al., 2013, De la Mora et al., 2015). Until now, due to their role as dense-dependent predators, they act as efficient regulators of pest insect populations (Gonthier et al., 2013). Although ants can be a crucial factor in the biological control of pests in crops, they can also act as direct and indirect pests (Rojas-Fernández, 2001, 2011, Landero-Torres et al., 2015a).
In Mexico, services in agroecosystems provided by ants are still little known, as well as their beneficial or harmful functions in various crops. The objectives of this study were to report new records of ants collected in different regions producing sugarcane in Oaxaca and contribute to the knowledge of species in the state. The hypothesis of this research was that systematic sampling of the ant fauna, even in agroecosystems of sugarcane, will increase the number of species in Oaxaca ant inventory (a state with a low number of myrmecofaunistic studies).
Materials and Methods
The study area was the northeastern region of Oaxaca. Most of the landscape coverage is occupied by agriculture and grazing (40 %), followed by remnants of secondary vegetation (13 %) and semi-evergreen forest (11 %). The average annual temperature varies from 20 to 28 °C, the average annual rainfall ranges between 1000 and 1700 mm, and the predominant climate is humid warm with abundant rainfall in summer (Pérez-Irineo and Santos-Moreno, 2012).
Three sites were selected (La Tabla, El Aserradero and Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez) where sugarcane of the CP 72-2086 variety is cultivated with irrigation channels in its perimeter: 1) La Tabla has 1.4 ha, located at 18° 33’ 05” N and 96° 39’ 21” W and is 144 masl; 2) El Aserradero has 6 ha, at 18° 30’ 44” N and 96° 34’ 15” W, and 119 masl; and 3) Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez has 5 ha, at 18° 23’ 29” N and 96° 26’ 27” W and is 92 masl.
The material examined came from collections made between August 2015 and June 2016. The specimens were captured directly by hand in the soil and using pitfall type traps in the ground (some without bait and others baited with tuna), and honey-baited traps in the herbaceous-shrub layer (from 1.5 to 2 m above ground level) (Quiroz-Robledo and Valenzuela-González, 1995). A 200-m-long transect was traced at each site and a set of the three types of traps was placed every 20 m, and the hand collection was carried out (Pérez-Toledo et al., 2016). For identifying the genera we used the key of Mackay and Mackay (1989) and for the species those of Wilson (2003) and Longino (2010). The names of the subfamilies, tribes, genera and species were assigned according to the AntCat classification, online catalog that contains the current taxonomy and phylogeny of the world›s ants (Bolton, 2016). The material examined was deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Institute of Ecology A.C. in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (IEXA, Reg. SEMARNAT: VER. IN.048.0198).The known distribution of the species was determined with the records of Rojas-Fernández (1996, 2001 and 2011), Longino (2010), Coronado-Blanco et al. (2012, 2013), Ríos-Casanova (2013), Vásquez-Bolaños (2011, 2015), Dubovikoff and Coronado (2017) and AntWeb (2017).
Results and Discussion
In total, we reviewed 1641 individuals (of the worker and soldier caste), of 13 species, 12 genera, nine tribes and five subfamilies. Five of the 13 species are new records for Oaxaca, while the other eight are new records of localities in the state.Next, we provided the collection data of the same ones, the world distribution and that of Mexico, according to Rojas-Fernández (1996, 2001, 2011), Longino (2010), Coronado-Blanco et al. (2012, 2013) Ríos-Casanova (2013), Vásquez-Bolaños (2011, 2015), Dubovikoff and Coronado (2017) and AntWeb (2017).
Tribe Leptomyrmecini Emery, 1913
1) Dorymyrmex bicolor Wheeler, 1906
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Cosolapa, La Tabla, # 402001207,18° 33’ 05” N, 96° 39’ 21” W, 144 masl, 07/VIII/2015, Leyva, O. (IEXA, n=10 workers), sugarcane crop, pitfall trap without bait. It is distributed in the United States, Mexico, Belize, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica and Peru (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca (new locality record), Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala and Veracruz (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2012, 2013, Landero-Torres et al., 2014, Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015, Dubovikoff and Coronado, 2017).
2) Dorymyrmex flavus McCook, 1880
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, El Aserradero, # 402001206, 18° 30’ 44” N, 96° 34’ 15” W, 119 masl, 04/IX/2015, Landero, I. (IEXA, n=9 workers), sugarcane crop, hand collection. Known only from the United States and Mexico. Distribution in Mexico: Coahuila, Nayarit, Oaxaca (new record) and Tamaulipas (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013; Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015; AntWeb, 2017).
3) Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, El Aserradero, # 402001208, 18 ° 30’ 44” N, 96° 34’ 15” W, 119 masl, 04/IX/2015, Landero, I. (IEXA, n=26 workers), sugarcane crop, trap baited with honey. This species was introduced in the following zoogeographic regions: Afrotropical, Australasia, Indomalaya, Malagasy, Nearctic, Oceanic, and Palearctic (AntWeb, 2017). In the Americas it is distributed in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay (Longino, 2010, AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Mexico City, Chiapas, Guanajuato, Hidalgo and Oaxaca (new record) (Vásquez-Bolaños 2011, 2015; AntWeb, 2017).
Tribe Tapinomini Emery, 1913
4) Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, San Miguel Sayaltepec, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, # 402001201, 18 ° 23’ 29” N, 96° 26’ 27” W, 92 masl, 15/VI/ 2016, Murguía, J. (IEXA, n=593 workers), sugarcane crop, trap baited with honey. This species was introduced in the following zoogeographic regions: Afrotropical, Australasia, Indomalaya, Malagasy, Nearctic, Oceanic, and Palearctic (AntWeb, 2017). In America, it is distributed in: Belize, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, French Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela (AntWeb, 2017; Longino, 2010). Distribution in Mexico: Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca (new record), Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan and Zacatecas (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013; Vásquez-Bolaños, 2011, 2015; AntWeb, 2017).
Tribe Ectatommini Emery, 1895
5) Gnamptogenys strigata (Norton, 1868)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, El Aserradero, # 402001141, 18° 30’ 44” N, 96° 34’ 15” W, 119 masl, 04/IX/2015, García, M. (IEXA, n=8 workers), sugarcane crop, pitfall trap baited with tuna. It is distributed in Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Aguascalientes, Chiapas, Morelos, Oaxaca (new town record), Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz (Landero-Torres et al., 2014, Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015, AntWeb, 2017).
Tribe Camponotini Forel 1878
6) Camponotus novogranadensis Mayr, 1870
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Cosolapa, La Tabla, # 402001139, 18° 33’ 05” N, 96° 39’ 21” W, 144 masl, 07/VIII/2015, Leyva, O. (IEXA, n=1 soldier and 4 workers), sugarcane crop, trap baited with honey. In the Americas it is distributed in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, and Venezuela (AntWeb, 2017; Longino, 2010). Distribution in Mexico: Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca (new town record), Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Veracruz (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2012, 2013; Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015; AntWeb, 2017).
Tribe Plagiolepidini Forel, 1886
7) Brachymyrmex depilis Emery, 1893
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Cosolapa, La Tabla, # 402001202, 18° 33’ 05” N, 96° 39’ 21” W, 144 masl, 07/VIII/2015, Galindo, M. (IEXA, n=15 workers), sugarcane crop, trap baited with honey. It is distributed in Canada, the United States and Mexico (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Durango, Guerrero, Oaxaca (new record), Puebla, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala and Veracruz (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013; Landero-Torres et al., 2014; Vásquez -Bolaños, 2015).
8) Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, El Aserradero, # 402001142, 18° 30’ 44” N, 96° 34’ 15” W, 119 masl, 04/IX/2015, Landero, I. (IEXA, n=29 workers), sugarcane crop, trap baited with honey. This species was introduced in the following zoogeographic regions: Afrotropical, Australasia, Indomalaya, Malagasy, Nearctic, Oceanic, and Palearctic (AntWeb, 2017). In the Americas it is distributed in Barbados, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, the United States, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Mexico City, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca (new town record), Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Yucatan (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013; Landero-Torres et al., 2014; Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015).
Tribe Attini Smith, 1858
9) Atta mexicana (Smith, 1858)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Cosolapa, La Tabla, # 402001140, 18 ° 33’ 05” N, 96 ° 39’ 21” W, 144 masl, 07/VIII/2015, Galindo, M. (IEXA, n=1 worker), sugarcane crop, trap baited with honey. It is distributed in Colombia, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Aguascalientes, Chiapas, Mexico City, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Estado de Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca (new locality record), Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Zacatecas (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013; Landero Torres et al., 2014; Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015; AntWeb, 2017).
10) Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, San Miguel Sayaltepec, Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez, # 402001203, 18 ° 23 ‘29 “ N, 96 ° 26’ 27” W, 92 masl, 15/VI/2016, Murguía, J. (IEXA, n=74 workers), sugarcane crop, pitfall trap baited with tuna. This species was introduced in the following zoogeographic regions: Afrotropical, Australasia, Indomalaya, Malagasy, Nearctic, Oceanic, and Palearctic (AntWeb, 2017). It is distributed in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, French Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Chiapas, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, Oaxaca (new town record), Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatan (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013, Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015, AntWe, 2017).
Tribe Pheidolini Emery, 1877
11) Pheidole pinealis Wheeler, 1908
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, El Aserradero, # 4020001204, 18° 30’ 44” N, 96° 34’ 15” W, 119 masl, 04/IX 2015, García, M. (IEXA, n=1 soldier), sugarcane crop, manual collection. Known only from the United States and Mexico (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, and Oaxaca (new record) (Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015, AntWeb, 2017).
Tribe Solenopsidini Forel, 1893
12) Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius, 1804)
MEXICO, Oaxaca, San Miguel Sayaltepec, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, # 402001143, 18° 23’ 29” N, 96° 26’ 27” W, 92 masl, 15/VI/2016, Murguía, J (IEXA, n=5 soldiers, 871 workers), sugarcane crop, pitfall trap baited with tuna. It is distributed in Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (AntWeb, 2017). Distribution in Mexico: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Oaxaca (new town record), Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Yucatán (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013; Vásquez-Bolaños 2015; AntWeb, 2017).
Tribe Ponerini Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835
13) Odontomachus laticeps Roger, 1861
MEXICO, Oaxaca, Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, El Aserradero, # 402001205, 18° 30’ 44” N, 96° 34’ 15” W, 119 masl, 04/IX/2015, Landero, I. (IEXA, 3 workers), sugarcane crop, pitfall trap baited with tuna. It is distributed in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Suriname. Distribution in Mexico: Chiapas, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca (new town record), Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Yucatán (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2013, Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015, AntWeb, 2017).
Since the Mexican myrmecofauna has been little studied (Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015), the increase in the number of known species can be considerable when systematic collections are made, as is the case of Oaxaca, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Tlaxcala (Coronado-Blanco et al., 2012, 2013, González-Valdivia et al., 2013, García-Martínez et al., 2015, Landero-Torres et al., 2015b, Ríos-Cruz et al., 2015, Vásquez-Bolaños, 2015; Dubovikoff and Coronado, 2017). With the information provided by Vásquez-Bolaños (2015), García-Martínez et al. (2015), Dubovikoff and Coronado (2017) and the Antweb database (2017) and the five new records, the number of ant species for Oaxaca increases from 229 to 234.
Among the species reported, Gnamptogenys strigata stands out. Although it has an expansion in its geographical distribution within Oaxaca, it also extends its altitudinal distribution range known in Mexico. It may be rare to find this species at low elevations (<500 masl), but this pattern was reported for Pheidole lamia Wheeler, Strumigenys sebesta Bolton, Leptogenys linda Lattke, and Rogeria innotabilis Kugler, which expanded between 400 and 900 masl, below the known altitudinal range (García-Martínez et al., 2015).
Since Mexico is the seventh largest producer of sugarcane in the world, sugarcane agroindustry has economic and social relevance because it generates more than two million jobs. This industry is developed in 15 states and 227 municipalities and generates an approximate primary production value of $30 billion Mexican pesos (Aguilar et al., 2012, SIAP, 2016). This crop has pest management programs focused on reducing the impact on yield (Ruiz-Montiel et al., 2015), but until now there are few studies on beneficial and harmful insects in the different sugar regions, particularly ants.
During the samplings carried out in our study, the species Linepithema humile, Paratrechina longicornis, Solenopsis geminata, Tapinoma melanocephalum, and Wasmannia auropunctata were repeatedly observed foraging on the sugarcane stems of the crops. These species are classified as invasive aliens that can cause severe ecological impacts. When they invade, they cause disturbances in the native invertebrate fauna to the degree of generating turnover in assemblage of native species (Wetterer et al., 2009). In addition, they can generate negative effects on the cultivation of cane by the interactions they hold with sucking insects of the plant phloem. For example, L. humile causes severe indirect damage to crops because it feeds on the molasses secreted by different aphids (Wetterer et al., 2009).
Among the ants not yet reported as invasive exotic but with agricultural relevance, is Dorymyrmex flavus. This species was collected directly by hand on the stems of the sugarcane, where it was tending at least two morphospecies of mealybugs (Dysmicoccus spp.; Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). This finding represents the first report of the association between an ant of the genus Dorymyrmex and the species of pseudococids (Carabalí-Banguero et al., 2013). This mutual interaction is highly reported for the ants Solenopsis geminata and Pheidole megacephala (F.) cataloged as invasive aliens (Carabalí-Banguero et al., 2013).Therefore, particular attention should be paid to the management of D. flavus since it could increase the populations of its mutualist Dysmicoccus spp. causing economic losses in the sugarcane crops.
The agroecological importance of T. melanocephalum stands out when considering the pest called the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticeae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) observed during the samplings. Tapinoma melanocephalum is reported in Florida, United States, as a potential predator of T. urticeae (Osborne et al., 1995) and in Mexico is proposed within the integrated management plans of T. urticeae as a natural enemy of this pest in various crops (SIFUPRO, 2013). However, T. melanocephalum can also act as a pest because it holds interactions with phloem-sucking hemiptera insect populations such as aphids, scale insects and malybugs (Wetterer, 2009).Hemiptera cause damage by limiting the nutrients of cultivated plants and increasing the occurrence of diseases, including viral and fungal infections (Wetterer, 2009). Therefore, the use of this species of ant as a biological control agent in sugarcane crops should be taken with caution.
The Mexican leaf-cutting ant (Atta mexicana) is a pest for the sugarcane foliage (personal communication with growers), especially during the dry season (from March to May) in the region. This pest species has an economic impact in Mexico because it generates important losses in the yield of trees, citrus, fruits, cocoa, coffee, and corn crops as well as pastures (Pérez-Torres et al., 2009, 2011; Lara-Villalón et al., 2015; Valdés-Rodríguez et al., 2015). Therefore, it is very important to carry out studies that allow us to estimate the damages and quantify the costs caused by the foraging intensity of this ant in sugarcane crops.
On certain occasions, opportunistic omnivorous ants such as Solenopsis geminata, Odontomachus laticeps and Gnamptogenys strigata depredate nymphs of the spotted spittlebug, Aeneolamia contigua Walker (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) (according to eventual reports by sugarcane workers in the northeastern region of Oaxaca). In addition, the fire ant (S. geminata) was reported as an annoying insect by sugarcane workers. When a worker accidentally disturbs one of the abundant mounds of this species, the worker ants represented by the soldier caste attack quickly and in raids, aggressively biting repeatedly.
Conclusions
The findings reported in this study add a value of agroecological importance to the ant species collected in sugarcane crops in the northeastern state of Oaxaca. Despite their notorious presence and importance in sugarcane crops, they remained unidentified until now. Five species of ants represent new records for Oaxaca, with a known total of 234 species reported so far. This study documents some species of ants that can provide agroecological services to sugarcane crops, but it is necessary to study the function of these ants since some of them are exotic and invasive species.
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Received: February 2017; Accepted: January 2018
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