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Article Reference First inventory of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with detection of potentially invasive species in National Park of Ehotilés islands, Côte d’Ivoire
Estuarine and wetland ecosystems are becoming increasingly altered by the concentration of human population near the coastline. A major threat to biodiversity related to this is the introduction of invasive alien species. This is particularly the case for isolated ecosystems like islands where the invasion of non-native species is often harmful. The National Park of Ehotilés Islands is an archipelago of 6 islands and a RAMSAR site subjected to disturbances, namely agriculture, illegal fisheries, and tourism. These factors often act as an accelerator for the introduction of invasive species. However, there is a lack of research on insects, specifically ants, on these islands. This study aimed to inventory the present ant fauna and estimate the vulnerability to tramp and potential invasive ant species. Ants were collected using Winkler, pitfall, and funnel traps on five islands. In total, 76 ant species were recorded. These species are distributed into 20 genera and five subfamilies: Dolichoderinae (5 species), Formicinae (11 species), Myrmicinae (49 species), Ponerinae (11 species) and Proceratiinae (1 species). We also detected two tramp and potentially invasive species: the ghost ant Tapinoma melanocephalum and the big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala. Ant communities are dominated by six species, namely Odontomachus troglodytes, Oecophylla longinoda, Nylanderia lepida, Pheidole sp.2, Monomorium invidium, and the invasive ghost ant Tapinoma melanocephalum. This work is the first to inventory ants on the Islands of Ehotilés National Park and may serve as a basis for conservation decisions as it demonstrates that this park is not spared from the introduction of invasive ant species.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference Where are we now with European forest multi-taxon biodiversity and where can we head to?
The European biodiversity and forest strategies rely on forest sustainable management (SFM) to conserve forest biodiversity. However, current sustainability assessments hardly account for direct biodiversity indicators. We focused on forest multi-taxon biodiversity to: i) gather and map the existing information; ii) identify knowledge and research gaps; iii) discuss its research potential. We established a research network to fit data on species, standing trees, lying deadwood and sampling unit description from 34 local datasets across 3591 sampling units. A total of 8724 species were represented, with the share of common and rare species varying across taxonomic classes: some included many species with several rare ones (e.g., Insecta); others (e.g., Bryopsida) were repre sented by few common species. Tree-related structural attributes were sampled in a subset of sampling units (2889; 2356; 2309 and 1388 respectively for diameter, height, deadwood and microhabitats). Overall, multi taxon studies are biased towards mature forests and may underrepresent the species related to other developmental phases. European forest compositional categories were all represented, but beech forests were over represented as compared to thermophilous and boreal forests. Most sampling units (94%) were referred to a habitat type of conservation concern. Existing information may support European conservation and SFM strategies in: (i) methodological harmonization and coordinated monitoring; (ii) definition and testing of SFM indicators and thresholds; (iii) data-driven assessment of the effects of environmental and management drivers on multi-taxon forest biological and functional diversity, (iv) multi-scale forest monitoring integrating in-situ and remotely sensed information.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Notes on the myrmecophilous spider Mastigusa arietina (Thorell, 1871)
We provide records of the rarely detected ant-associated spider Mastigusa arietina (Thorell, 1871) in northwest Belgium and discuss how to locate and capture this spider. We show that this myrmecophilous spider is much more common than currently presumed but it is often missed in common spider surveys due to its obligate association with ant nests. We also summarise and illustrate the recently gained insights into its ecology, behaviour, and interactions with its host and other ant associates.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference La pratique de l’entomologie du terrain au conservatoire ou l’essentiel est de bien transmettre
The principles and conventions concerning research, killing, treatment, preparation and classification of insects in collections are discussed in this note. A special attention to the labeling and related items are recalled with the aim of harmonizing practices and correcting drifts observed over the time.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference De loopkever Amara strenua en zijn recente uitbreiding in Nederland en België (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Na lange tijd niet te zijn waargenomen, lijkt de loopkever Amara strenua weer in toenemende mate voor te komen in Nederland en België. Voor ons was dat een unieke gelegenheid om meer te weten te komen over deze internationaal schaarse soort. We hebben gekeken naar de verspreiding van A. strenua, de karakteristieken van zijn habitat en naar zijn biologie. Door middel van kweekproeven kon voor het eerst de larve (stadium II) beschreven worden. Ten slotte beschrijven we een nieuw kenmerk om A. strenua van A. kulti te onderscheiden.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Article Reference Remarks on Hymenoptera on urban green roofs in Belgium
In this paper we discuss all Hymenoptera (10.085 specimens) caught on several urban green roofs in Belgium during 2020 and 2021. We thereby try to connect species’ ecology and the specific habitat of extensive green roofs. Based on these findings we suggest what life communities can indeed be expected there. Six species on 120 taxa discovered are first reported for Belgium: Gonatopus lunatus (var. bifasciatus) Klug, 1810 (Aculeata: Dryinidae); Synacra paupera Macek, 1995 (Parasitica: Diapriidae); Alysia lucicola Haliday, 1838, Idiasta dichrocera Konigsmann, 1960 and Leiophron deficiens (Ruthe, 1856) (Parasitica: Braconidae) and Gelis declivis Forster, 1850 (Parasitica: Ichneumonidae).
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Article Reference Faunistic survey of myrmecophilous and other ant-associated beetles and spiders in the Belgian province of Limburg (Araneae, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Many researchers have been fascinated by the social organisation within an ant colony. They have noticed that several other invertebrates are found in or near the ants’ nests, notably a variety of Coleoptera and to a lesser extent, some spiders. Many of these observations have been written down, some just as a brief statement but sometimes a detailed report of these interactions as a result of accurate and prolonged monitoring was published. All this information allowed us to make a comparison with the ant species associated with beetles and spiders in the Belgian province of Limburg. We will discuss a large number of species within their respective families and mention in particular a certain connection between the guest and its host, a relationship which cannot necessarily be called myrmecophilous
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Under pressure: the relationship between cranial shape and burrowing force in caecilians (Gymnophiona)
Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, with the exception of one aquatic family, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls with fused bones and tight sutures, as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits. However, although their cranial osteology is well described, relationships between form and function remain poorly understood. In the present study, we explored the relationship between cranial shape and in vivo burrowing forces. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) data, we performed 3D geometric morphometrics to explore whether cranial and mandibular shapes reflected patterns that might be associated with maximal push forces. The results highlight important differences in maximal push forces, with the aquatic Typhlonectes producing a lower force for a given size compared with other species. Despite substantial differences in head morphology across species, no relationship between overall skull shape and push force could be detected. Although a strong phylogenetic signal may partly obscure the results, our conclusions confirm previous studies using biomechanical models and suggest that differences in the degree of fossoriality do not appear to be driving the evolution of head shape.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference The relationship between head shape, head musculature and bite force in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Caecilians are enigmatic limbless amphibians that, with a few exceptions, all have an at least partly burrowing lifestyle. Although it has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance has been demonstrated to date. However, the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism and the osteological variability of their temporal region suggest a potential relationship between skull shape and feeding mechanics. Here, we explored the relationships between skull shape, head musculature and in vivo bite forces. Although there is a correlation between bite force and external head shape, no relationship between bite force and skull shape could be detected. Whereas our data suggest that muscles are the principal drivers of variation in bite force, the shape of the skull is constrained by factors other than demands for bite force generation. However, a strong covariation between the cranium and mandible exists. Moreover, both cranium and mandible shape covary with jaw muscle architecture. Caecilians show a gradient between species with a long retroarticular process associated with a large and pennate-fibered m. interhyoideus posterior and species with a short process but long and parallel-fibered jaw adductors. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between form and function of this jaw system. Further studies that focus on factors such as gape distance or jaw velocity will be needed in order to fully understand the evolution of feeding mechanics in caecilians.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Impact of chemical fertilizers on diversity and abundance of soil-litter arthropod communities in coffee and banana plantations in southern Rwanda
Few studies explored effects of chemical fertilizers on diversity and abundance of soillitter arthropods in the tropics. To fill this gap, a study focussed on the abundance of soil-litter arthropods and selected soil physicochemical properties in coffee plantations treated with chemical fertilizers and in plantations of coffee and banana treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches in southern Rwanda. Each land use was replicated three times. Soil-litter arthropods were collected using pitfall traps and hand collection. They were identified to the family level using dichotomous keys. Soil have been collected using auger and taken to the laboratory for the analysis of soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorus, and cation exchange capacity. Findings indicated a total of 12,945 individuals distributed into 3 classes, 16 orders, 50 families and 92 morphospecies, with higher abundance and diversity in coffee plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches. Collected soil-litter arthropods were mainly classified in the class Insecta, dominated in numbers by ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), while Coleoptera and Hemiptera had more families. However, soil under coffee plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches was acidic compared with the soil under coffee plantations treated with inorganic fertilizers and banana plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches. The relationships between soil-litter arthropods and soil physicochemical properties suggest that soillitter arthropods respond to the land use independently from soil physicochemical properties. We recommend further studies in coffee and other crop plantations in other regions of Rwanda to verify the findings of this study.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023