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Survey of ants in dry forests of southwestern Ecuador (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract:

Two dry forests of southwestern Ecuador separated 43 km from each other, one situated at 460 m above sea level and the other at 680 m, are surveyed for ants giving a total of 28 species collected manually and from pitall traps. Eleven species are shared between the sites whilst four are exclusive to one site and 13 to the other. Differences in humidity, rainfall seasonality, and disturbance regimes may account for at least part of the differences observed between the ant communites of the two sites. Dorymyrmex pyramicus peruvianum Wheeler, 1919 and Pseudomyrmex kuenckeli (Emery, 1890) are reported from Ecuador for the first tme. Cardiocondyla emeryi Forel, 1881 and Camponotus conspicuus zonatus Emery, 1894 are reported from mainland Ecuador for the first tme. The genus Dorymyrmex Mayr, 1866 is recorded from Ecuador for the first time.