Estudos sistemáticos e comportamentais de formigas (hymenoptera: formicidae) em galerias do fuste de montrichardia linifera (araceae)

Abstract

Ants are extremely adaptable insects and are able to establish colonies in places of difficult access. Montrichardia linifera (Aninga-açú), presents a massive, long and partially submerged stem; the large number of ant specimens found inside this plant, implies evolutionary explanations by which this species developed. The present work attempts to show the plant/insect interaction and the ant/coleoptera relationship. The collection of material was carried out in four (4) areas of aningas (Curuazinho, Boca do Curuá and Enceada do Cafezal), in a stretch of the Curuá River and in the Bay of Caxiuanã, near the ECFPn. Stems with signs of borers were collected from the plant, by cutting them at the emergent region; they were taken to the laboratory where the ants were separated and mounted for further identification. It was observed that species of Camponotus sp, Azteca sp and Crematogaster sp colonize the galleries made by the beetles (borer); species of Cephalotes sp, Zacryptocerus sp coexist with Coleoptera larvae and species of Camponotus and Crema togas ter prey on Coleoptera pupae (Curculionidae); they are still being separated into morpho-species. It is believed that the ants reach the aninga trees through the canopy, the wind or by nuptial flight, but hardly by land, since the areas of the aningas are constantly flooded, leaving these ants vulnerable to predation by fish, since it was evidenced during field collections the voracious predation of ants by fish as they accidentally fall into the water.