Ant Ecology
The Chinati Mountains State Natural Area is one of several new Texas parks that are in the final stages of planning. The park has approximately 39,000 acres of undeveloped land not yet opened to the public. As such, it offers a rare opportunity to conduct before-and-after research on species diversity and the effect that park development has on wildlife populations. More specifically the goal of this research is to conduct ant diversity surveys of existing ant populations in the park, particularly those near proposed hiking and biking trails. My research seeks to monitor temporal changes in the number of P. rugosus, P. barbatus and associated species Novomessor cockerelli nests before and after the establishment and use of interior roads, campsites, hiking and biking trails. A secondary goal, but no less important goal of this research is to determine identify any instances of P. anergismus, a workerless parasite ant infrequently collected from the nests of P. rugosus and P. barbatus. Very little is know about P. anergismus, including its Texas distribution or how the species manages to evade recognition. Principle Investigator: Mark Shepherd, Ph.D., QEP. TPWD Research Permit # - pending
Prey Selection
Prey selection by Eciton hamatum in different regions varies depending upon various factors, such as prey abundance. Researchers at La Selva Station reported that leaf cutter ants (Atta spp.) constitute a large proportion of prey. In Ecuador, the formacine ants Gigantiops spp. and Camponotus spp. were the most abundant prey, supplemented by social wasps of the subfamily Polistinae. Scant information exist on the prey preferences of E. hamatum in the Madre de Dios area of Peru. In this study prey deposited in booty caches of E. hamatum and E. Burchelli will be collected and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. The information will be compared to ant surveys conducted in the area to estimate prey preferences and exclusivity. Principle Investigator: Mark Shepherd, Ph.D., QEP; Research collaboration with Geoff Gallice, Ph.D., President of the Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon.
Ant Venoms
Pseudomyrmex spp. Venom Effects on the Mass Raiding Behavior of E. hamatum and E. burchelli
Many tropical Psedomyrmex species (twig ants) are arboreal and in some cases are found in only one species of tree. Twig ants use their venom to defend the colony nest. In humans, the venom produces a short-lived, but painful sting. The venom is also reported to effectively repulse mass raids by Eciton burchelli and Eciton hamatum. In this proposed research study, venom will be collected from Pseudomyrmex species, stabilized, analyzed and used to determine the venoms effect on the mass raiding behavior of E. burchelli and E. hamatum. Principle Investigator: Mark Shepherd, Ph.D., QEP; Research collaboration with Geoff Gallice, Ph.D., President of the Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon.