Arachnologische Mitteilungen
https://arages.de/zeitschrift/arachnologische-mitteilungenFloren A & Otto S
Beeinflusst die Anwesenheit der Waldameise Formica polyctena Foerster die Artenzusammensetzung und Struktur von Spinnengemeinschaften auf Eichen?
Is there an influence of the red wood ant Formica polyctena Foerster on species composition and structure of spider communities of oak trees?
Heft 24
We collected spider communities of oak trees in a Bavarian forest (Germany) by insecticidal knockdown fogging and investigated how communities changed on trees where predacious Formica polyctena ants were dominant. Spider communities of 'ant-trees' harboured significantly more spiders, mostly juveniles, and were different in familial- and species composition. In particular, Clubionidae, Salticidae, Araneidae and Linyphiidae were sampled in higher abundances from trees with ants. In contrast, lower numbers of Theridiidae (mostly Enoplognatha ovata) and Anyphaenidae were collected. Within Linyphiidae, which dominated all communities in terms of individuals and species numbers, Linyphia triangularis (only juveniles) was found in much higher numbers on oak trees with ants.
ant predation; canopy fogging; community structure; oak trees; Germany