Folia faunistica Slovaca 20 (1) 2015: 63–66

Records of Hypoponera ergatandria (Forel, 1893) from Slovakia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Ponerinae)

Milada Holecová, Mária Klesniaková & Alena Pavlíková

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina B–1, SK – 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
[holecova@fns.uniba.sk, klesniakova@fns.uniba.sk, pavlikova@fns.uniba.sk]

Abstract: Records of the tropical and subtropical tramp species Hypoponera ergatandria (Forel, 1893) are given from Slovakia. This non-native ant was found in heated greenhouses of Botanical Gardens in the towns of Košice and Bratislava, Slovakia.

Key words: Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae, Hypoponera ergatandria, heated greenhouses, Slovakia.

Introduction

Hypoponera ergatandria (Forel, 1893) [syn. Hypoponera schauinslandi (Emery, 1899)] is a cosmopolitan tramp species of tropical and subtropical origin (Figs 1, 2). Its antropogenous introduction into the north temperate zone started in the 19th century, when tropical plants and animals were imported in higher numbers and could be kept in greenhouses with stable heating conditions throughout the year (Seifert 2013). This small hypogeic species has been reported in several countries of Europe (e.g. Belgium, England, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the Czech Republic) and other parts of the world (e.g. Hawaii, Indonesia, Japan, Tanzania) (Babik 2010, Boer & Viebergen 2008, Czechowski et al. 2012, Pech 2014, Seifert 2003, 2013). In Europe, it is restricted to different kinds of heated buildings offering some sort of moist soil substrate or decomposing organic matter. The majority of its nest sites is associated with greenhouses of botanical and zoological gardens, butterfly parks, plant stores, museums etc. (Seifert 2013). Outdoor nesting was not confirmed in the north temperate zone. This small ponerine species was redescribed as H. schauinslandi (Emery, 1899) by Seifert (2003) and separated from H. punctatissima (Roger, 1859). Bolton & Fischer (2011) synonymised both species but Seifert (2013) confirmed the separation of both taxa and synonymised H. schauinslandi with H. ergatandria.

Material and Methods

In 2014, we studied biodiversity of ant fauna at three indoor study plots of the Botanical Garden in Bratislava (Figs 3–5):

1 – the greenhouse of tropical and subtropical decorative plants (average air temperature of 22–24 °C and 75–80% humidity);

2 – the greenhouse with lotus, water lily and royal victoria plants oriented on hygrophilous flora of tropical rain forests (average air temperature of 24–26 °C and 75-85% humidity);

3 – the palm house containing a collection of palms, cycads and araucaria plants (average air temperature of 18–22 °C and 65-70% humidity).

To study epigeic and hypogeic fauna we applied three methods – formaldehyde pitfall traps, soil samples and individual collecting. Soil invertebrates were collected from February to December 2014 at regular monthly intervals.

Results and Discussion

The first finding of H. ergatandria in Slovakia came from greenhouses of the Botanical Garden in Košice (48°44’7” N, 21°14’16” E, altitude 227 m) (Suvák 2011).

The following records are from heated greenhouses of the Botanical Garden in Bratislava (48°08’49” N, 17°04’21” E, altitude 153 m). Hypoponera ergatandria was recorded from all three heated greenhouses investigated. In total 250 specimens were collected. This ant species markedly preferred the greenhouse of tropical and subtropical decorative plants with an average temperature of 22–24 °C and a humidity of 75–80%. The lowest abundance of H. ergatandria was recorded in the palm house with an average temperature of 18–22°C, 65–70% humidity and heavier clay-loam soil (Fig. 6). Wingless ergatoid queens with well developed ovarioles and spermathecae were observed on 20. 11., 4. 12. and 19. 12. 2014. In the greenhouses, H. ergatandria was accompanied by other ant species, all being native: Solenopsis fugax (Latreille, 1798), Myrmecina graminicola (Latreille, 1802), Temnothorax parvulus (Schenk, 1852), Tetramorium cf. caespitum, Lasius bicornis (Förster, 1850), Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1792) and Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758) (Table 1, Fig. 6). Occurrence of H. ergatandria was not observed in outdoor parts of the Botanical Garden in Bratislava.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank to Dr. Peter Vďačný for reviewing the text, to Dr. Anna Šestáková and Assoc. Prof. Peter Fenďa for the photographs.

This study was published with the financial support of VEGA (Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education and the Slovak Academy of Sciences), grant number 2/0035/13.

References

Babik H, 2010: Tramp species Hypoponera schauinslandi (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Poland. Polish Journal of Entomology, 79 (3): 469–474.

Boer P & Viebergen P, 2008: Exotic ants in The Netherlands. Entomologische Berichten, 68 (4): 121–129.

Bolton B & Fisher BL, 2011: Taxonomy of Afrotropical and West Palaearctic ants of the ponerine genus Hypoponera Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa, 2843: 1–118.

Czechowski W, Radchenko A, Czechowska W & Vepsäläinen K, 2012: The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae, Vol. 4. Museum and Institute of Zoology Polish Academy of Sciences. Natura optima dux Foundation, Warszawa, 496 pp.

Pech P, 2014: Faunistic records from the Czech Republic – 364. Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Klapalekiana, 50 (1–2): 129.

Seifert B, 2003: Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger) and H. schauinslandi (Emery) – two morphologically and biologically distinct species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseum Görlitz, 75 (1): 61–81.

Seifert B, 2013: Hypoponera ergatandria (Forel, 1893) – a cosmopolitan tramp species different from H. punctatissima (Roger, 1859) (Hymenoptera,: Formicidae). Soil Organisms, 85 (3): 189–201.

Suvák M, 2011: Predatory and parasitic insects in greenhouses of Botanical Garden of P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia. Thaiszia – J. Bot., Košice, 21: 185–205.

© Faunima, Bratislava, 2015

e–ISSN 1336–4529 ISSN 1335–7522

Table 1. Survey of ant species collected in the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden in Bratislava during 2014.

Species/study plot	1	2	3	Σ	%	Month of occurrence
Hypoponera ergantandria (Forel, 1893)	115	80	55	250	26.77	III-XII
Myrmecina graminicola (Latreille, 1802)	12	0	12	24	2.57	IV, VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XII
Solenopsis fugax (Latreille, 1798)	195	318	72	585	62.63	III-XII
Temnothorax parvulus (Schenk, 1852)	0	0	2	2	0.21	III
Tetramorium cf. caespitum	22	14	2	38	4.07	III, IV, V, VI, VIII, IX
Lasius bicornis (Förster, 1850)	0	3	0	3	0.32	V
Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1792)	13	10	2	25	2.68	III-XII
Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758)	7	0	0	7	0.75	VII
Total number of collected individuals	364	425	145	934	100.00
Total number of species	6	5	6	8

Figure 1. Hypoponera ergatandria – the habitus of a worker, lateral view (photograph by A. Šestáková).

Holecová M et al.: Records of Hypoponera ergatandria from Slovakia

Figure 2. Hypoponera ergatandria – the head of a worker, frontal view (photograph by A. Šestáková).

Figure 3. The greenhouse of tropical and subtropical decorative plants (photograph by P. Fenďa).

Folia faunistica Slovaca 20 (1) 2015: 63–66

Figure 4. The greenhouse with lotus, water lily and royal victoria plants oriented on hygrophilous flora of tropical rain forests (photograph by P. Fenďa).

Figure 5. The palm house containing a collection of palms, cycads and araucaria plants (photograph by P. Fenďa).

Figure 6. Hypoponera ergatandria – total number of individuals (SUM), number of individuals in pitfall traps (PT), in soil samples (SS) and in individual collecting (IC) in three greenhouses examined in 2014.

Holecová M et al.: Records of Hypoponera ergatandria from Slovakia