Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis
Quantifying the degree of ecological specialization of animals is essential for understanding the evolution of resource use in changing environments. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niches of animals and providing insights into their diet. This study...
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Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
2024-10-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Entomology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-202401-0036_seasonal-niche-differentiation-of-camponotus-morosus-and-dorymyrmex-goetschi-hymenoptera-formicidae-in-sandy.php |
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| author | Paulina HIDALGO Isaac PEÑA-VILLALOBOS Hugo TORRES-CONTRERAS Pablo SABAT |
| author_facet | Paulina HIDALGO Isaac PEÑA-VILLALOBOS Hugo TORRES-CONTRERAS Pablo SABAT |
| author_sort | Paulina HIDALGO |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Quantifying the degree of ecological specialization of animals is essential for understanding the evolution of resource use in changing environments. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niches of animals and providing insights into their diet. This study focused on the ecological role of two coastal species of ants, Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi, in Chile. Their seasonal isotopic niches were characterised using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) analysis. This was done on El Tabito Beach, a coastal area with a pronounced seasonality. The results indicated unique niches for each species and variation between them across seasons. While C. morosus maintained a consistent niche breadth throughout the year, D. goetschi displayed a narrower niche in summer. Our analyses showed that terrestrial-derived carbon constituted the primary food resource for both species of ants, with a slight increase in the marine component in summer. Overall, the results highlight seasonal variations in isotopic signatures, niche breadth, and diet composition and underscore the importance of considering temporal dynamics in ant ecology and, in particular, in trophic interactions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e22b943f5fc4173922e4628cf33ec6b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1210-5759 1802-8829 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e22b943f5fc4173922e4628cf33ec6b2024-12-16T15:30:56ZengInstitute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of ScienceEuropean Journal of Entomology1210-57591802-88292024-10-01121134735410.14411/eje.2024.036eje-202401-0036Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysisPaulina HIDALGO0Isaac PEÑA-VILLALOBOS1Hugo TORRES-CONTRERAS2Pablo SABAT3Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile; e-mails: paulina.hidalgo@ug.uchile.cl, isaac.pena@uchile.cl, psabat@uchile.clDepartamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile; e-mails: paulina.hidalgo@ug.uchile.cl, isaac.pena@uchile.cl, psabat@uchile.clDepartamento de Educación, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; e-mail: htoresco@uchile.clDepartamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile; e-mails: paulina.hidalgo@ug.uchile.cl, isaac.pena@uchile.cl, psabat@uchile.clQuantifying the degree of ecological specialization of animals is essential for understanding the evolution of resource use in changing environments. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niches of animals and providing insights into their diet. This study focused on the ecological role of two coastal species of ants, Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi, in Chile. Their seasonal isotopic niches were characterised using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) analysis. This was done on El Tabito Beach, a coastal area with a pronounced seasonality. The results indicated unique niches for each species and variation between them across seasons. While C. morosus maintained a consistent niche breadth throughout the year, D. goetschi displayed a narrower niche in summer. Our analyses showed that terrestrial-derived carbon constituted the primary food resource for both species of ants, with a slight increase in the marine component in summer. Overall, the results highlight seasonal variations in isotopic signatures, niche breadth, and diet composition and underscore the importance of considering temporal dynamics in ant ecology and, in particular, in trophic interactions.https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-202401-0036_seasonal-niche-differentiation-of-camponotus-morosus-and-dorymyrmex-goetschi-hymenoptera-formicidae-in-sandy.phpantsecological specializationisotopic nicheseasonal variationtrophic ecologychile |
| spellingShingle | Paulina HIDALGO Isaac PEÑA-VILLALOBOS Hugo TORRES-CONTRERAS Pablo SABAT Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis European Journal of Entomology ants ecological specialization isotopic niche seasonal variation trophic ecology chile |
| title | Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis |
| title_full | Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis |
| title_short | Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis |
| title_sort | seasonal niche differentiation of camponotus morosus and dorymyrmex goetschi hymenoptera formicidae in sandy beach habitats insights from stable isotope analysis |
| topic | ants ecological specialization isotopic niche seasonal variation trophic ecology chile |
| url | https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-202401-0036_seasonal-niche-differentiation-of-camponotus-morosus-and-dorymyrmex-goetschi-hymenoptera-formicidae-in-sandy.php |
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