Crematogaster peringueyi

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Black cocktail ant
Crematogaster peringueyi, workers, Peter Slingsby, a.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Genus: Crematogaster
Species:
C. peringueyi
Binomial name
Crematogaster peringueyi
Emery, 1895
Carton nest
Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa Cocktail ant (Crematogaster peringueyi) carton nest.jpg
Carton nest
Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Clockwise from top left: Worker, queen, alarmed worker, nest, pupa, larva, eggs Crematogaster peringueyi03.jpg
Clockwise from top left: Worker, queen, alarmed worker, nest, pupa, larva, eggs

Crematogaster peringueyi is a southern African arboreal species of ant. They are commonly known as the black cocktail ant or swartwipgatmier (Afrikaans) for their colour and habit of arching their abdomens when alarmed.

Contents

Habits

They make their nests in old Protea flowers, [1] dead, hollow branches, and under tree bark, also making nests constructed of well-chewed vegetable matter with the consistency of papier-mâché. The outer walls of these nests are blackened by the salivary secretions, and are thin, with the interior divided into irregular, connected cells, like a coarse sponge. These more or less spherical nests, ranging in diameter from 10–30 cm, are built in a fork or among the branches, some of the branches passing through the nest. [2] Workers are glossy black and 3–5 mm long, and the larger queen is about 8 mm long, both having heart-shaped abdomens.

Defense

Pheromone alarms are common among the social Hymenoptera. Some of these have been chemically identified, but the number is still small compared with the large number of species making use of them. The ketone octan-3-one is seen as the major component of the pheromone complex secreted from the heads of C. peringueyi. [3]

The sting or venom gland of other ant species has evolved in C. peringueyi into a gland secreting a smelly and irritant fluid, which, together with the ant's painful bite, is a strong deterrent to predation or attack.

Symbiosis

Butterflies belonging to the family Lycaenidae, like the Common Opal ( Chrysoritis thysbe ), Dickson's Copper ( Chrysoritis dicksoni ) and other members of this genus, have a mutualistic relationship with various species of Crematogaster. [4] [5] The Lycaenidae and Crematogaster spp. are strongly associated with the fynbos growing in the Natal Drakensberg, and on Table Mountain Sandstone in the western and southern Cape. C. peringueyi also occurs at Jagersfontein, De Aar, Willowmore, Clanwilliam, Garies, Springbok, and Laingsburg. [6]

Various honeydew-producing insects such as aphids, scale insects and mealybugs are diligently protected by the ants. Common Opal larvae also produce honeydew from a gland on the back, leading to their being constantly guarded from predators such as parasitic wasps. The larvae at first feed and rest among the young leaves of the foodplant, but with the 3rd instar move to the plant's base. Here the ants extend their protection and hospitality by constructing papery daytime shelters for the larvae which feed by night on plants such as Bietou, and species of Aspalathus , Osteospermum and Zygophyllum . The larvae use these same shelters for pupating, the pupae also producing honeydew to ensure ant protection. [7]

Interactions with humans

Crematogaster peringueyi – and other ants with a similar location and lifestyle, Linepithema humile and Formica perpilosa – are indirect pests of South African viticulture. [8] :299 Addison & Samways 2000 and Mgocheki & Addison 2009 find that these ants interfere with the natural biological control of Planococcus ficus provided by various natural enemies. [8] :299 The ants and the mealybug have a pre-existing mutualistic (honeydew) relationship and so provide them with a refuge. [8] :299 In their next work Mgocheki & Addison 2010 find that managing the ants did indeed lead to increased parasitism on the mealybug and decreased crop injury. [8] :299

General

The genus of Crematogaster, created by Peter Wilhelm Lund in 1831 (Lettre sur les habitudes de quelques fourmis du Brésil, adressée a M. Audouin. Annales des Sciences Naturelles 23: 113-138) is diverse, widespread and abundant, distributed over tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate regions throughout the world. Greek: 'kremastos' + 'gaster' = 'suspended stomach', which would make the literal generic spelling 'Cremastogaster', but Lund set it as 'Crematogaster', which is preserved by priority. [9]

The whistling thorn of East Africa is fiercely protected by at least three species of Crematogaster which occupy the swollen thorns and, in exchange for nectar from the tree, vigorously attack browsers.

Trail-laying amongst cocktail ants involves shuffling their hind legs without touching of the soil with their abdomens, as is common with other ant species. This results in a setting of footprints for other foragers to follow. The hind leg's tendon to the claw is swollen where it passes through the tibia into a spindle-shaped reservoir containing the pheromone, an oil-like, relatively nonvolatile substance. [10]

Synonyms

Publications

Related Research Articles

Dickson's copper or Dickson's strandveld copper is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is only known inland from Witsand in a single spot in fynbos. Previously, it was also found north of Cape Town. It is sometimes separated in the monotypic genus Oxychaeta.

<i>Chrysoritis pyramus</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis pyramus, the Pyramus opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found on the northern slopes of the Swartberg, the Kammanassie Mountains and the Langeberg in the Western Cape.

<i>Chrysoritis rileyi</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis rileyi, the Riley's opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is known only from hill slopes and river flats at the east end of the Brandvlei Dam in the Western Cape.

<i>Crematogaster</i> Genus of ants

Crematogaster is an ecologically diverse genus of ants found worldwide, which are characterised by a distinctive heart-shaped gaster (abdomen), which gives them one of their common names, the Saint Valentine ant. Members of this genus are also known as cocktail ants because of their habit of raising their abdomens when alarmed. Most species are arboreal (tree-dwelling). These ants are sometimes known as acrobat ants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trophobiosis</span>

Trophobiosis is a symbiotic association between organisms where food is obtained or provided. The provider of food in the association is referred to as a trophobiont. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek τροφή (trophē), meaning "nourishment", and -βίωσις (-biosis), which is short for the English word symbiosis.

<i>Vachellia drepanolobium</i> Species of legume

Vachellia drepanolobium, more commonly known as Acacia drepanolobium or whistling thorn, is a swollen-thorn acacia native to East Africa. The whistling thorn grows up to 6 meters tall. It produces a pair of straight spines at each node, some of which have large bulbous bases. These swollen spines are naturally hollow and occupied by any one of several symbiotic ant species. The common name of the plant is derived from the observation that when wind blows over bulbous spines in which ants have made entry and exit holes, they produce a whistling noise.

<i>Acromyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Acromyrmex is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. This genus is found in South America and parts of Central America and the Caribbean Islands, and contains 33 known species. Commonly known as "leafcutter ants" they comprise one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini, along with Atta.

Chrysoritis zonarius, the donkey daisy copper or Coetzer's daisy copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, along the coast and inland from the Cape Peninsula, north-west to Paleisheuwel and Lambert's Bay and along the hills to the Western Cape.

<i>Chrysoritis felthami</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis felthami, the Feltham's opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa. It was originally described by Roland Trimen under the name Zeritis felthami. This species was named in honour of Henry Louis Langley Feltham.

<i>Chrysoritis palmus</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis palmus, the water opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.

<i>Chrysoritis thysbe</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis thysbe, the opal copper or common opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.

Chrysoritis violescens, the violet opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa.

<i>Chrysoritis beaufortius</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis beaufortius, the Beaufort opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa.

Chrysoritis brooksi, the Brook's opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa.

<i>Chrysoritis plutus</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis plutus, the Plutus opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa.

<i>Acropyga acutiventris</i> Species of ant

Acropyga acutiventris is an ant in the subfamily Formicinae. It lives underground in tropical regions and forms a mutualistic association with the mealybug, Xenococcus annandalei.

<i>Crematogaster scutellaris</i> Species of ant

Crematogaster scutellaris is a species of ant belonging to the family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae.

<i>Crematogaster carinata</i> Species of ant

Crematogaster carinata is a species of ant in the tribe Crematogastrini. It was first described by Gustav Mayr in 1862. It is native to Central and South America, where it is a common species, forming large colonies in the canopy of the forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrmecophily in Staphylinidae</span>

Many species of Staphylinidae have developed complex interspecies relationships with ants, known as myrmecophily. Rove beetles are among the most rich and diverse families of myrmecophilous beetles, with a wide variety of relationships with ants. Ant associations range from near free-living species which prey only on ants, to obligate inquilines of ants, which exhibit extreme morphological and chemical adaptations to the harsh environments of ant nests. Some species are fully integrated into the host colony, and are cleaned and fed by ants. Many of these, including species in tribe Clavigerini, are myrmecophagous, placating their hosts with glandular secretions while eating the brood.

<i>Manica rubida</i> Species of ant

Manica rubida is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

References

  1. jferrer (28 July 2012). "Ants inside a King Protea". iSpot (southern Africa).
  2. "Guide to the insect species of Southern Africa - Cocktail Ants, Genus Crematogaster". Eco Travel Africa. Archived from the original on 2013-07-08.
  3. "Identification of an Alarm Pheromone in the Ant Crematogaster peringueyi". Researchgate.net. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  4. "Lepidopterists Society of Africa". Lepsoc.org.za. Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  5. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to the Butterflies of South Africa - Steve Woodhall. p. 236. ISBN   9781868727247 . Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  6. "Crematogaster peringueyi" (PDF). Metamorphosis. 21, 3: 122–5. September 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. "Module 9 - predation and competition". Archived from the original on 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Bostanian, Noubar J.; Vincent, Charles; Isaacs, Rufus (26 June 2012). Arthropod Management in Vineyards : Pests, Approaches, and Future Directions. Dordrecht. pp. xvi+505. ISBN   978-94-007-4032-7. OCLC   798568502.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ISBN   978-94-007-4031-0. ISBN   978-94-007-9436-8.
  9. "Ohio State University". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  10. Leuthold, R. H. (18 March 1968). "A Tibial Gland Scent-Trail and Trail-Laying Behavior in the Ant Crematogaster Ashmeadi Mayr". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 75 (3): 233–248. doi: 10.1155/1968/73761 .