Ausbreitung

Zum Thema Ausbreitung der Ameisen, z. B. während eines Hochzeitsfluges, „zu Fuß“ bei flügellosen bzw. nicht fliegenden Arten, oder passiv durch Verschleppung, gibt es eine umfangreiche Literatur.

Hier werden provisorisch ein paar Arbeiten genannt. Ergänzungen sehr wünschenswert!

• Duelli, P., Näf, W., Baroni-Urbani, C. (1989) Flughöhen verschiedener Ameisenarten in der Hochrheinebene. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft. 62:29-35.

Abstract: The flight of ant species in the German/Swiss Rhine Valley 20 km east of Basel was investigated by means of sticky wire mesh traps mounted at different heights up to 150 m on a metereological mast. From the flight phenology and vertical distribution of sexuals collected it is concluded that in the genus Myrmica several species move along in dense female dominated swarms around prominent land marks such as the mast. Several regionally rare and endangered ('red list') ant species were collected at considerable heights, indicating a marked faunal influence with westerly winds from areas with a different ant fauna.

Keywords: ant, Formicidae, mating, nuptial, flight, conservancy, swarming, transport, dispersal, Switzerland, Germany, Lasius niger, Lasius fuliginosus, Myrmica ruginodis, Lasius brunneus, Lasius flavus, Lasius bicornis, Myrmica sulcinodis, Camponotus truncatus, Myrmecina graminicola, Myrmica gallieni, Lasius carniolicus, Lasius meridionalis, Lasius rabaudi, Lasius umbratus, Camponotus ligniperda, Formica lemani, Lasius mixtus, Myrmica rubra, Polyergus rufescens, Tetramorium impurum, Tetramorium caespitum

• Eine weitere Arbeit, speziell zu Camponotus:

B. Hölldobler, U. Maschwitz 1965: Der Hochzeitsschwarm der Rossameise Camponotus herculeanus L. (Hym. Formicidae). Z. Vergl. Physiol. 50:551-568.

Schwarmflug zwischen 17:00 und 19:00, Zuerst Männchen, dann noch während Abflug der Männchen kommen die Weibchen, ausgelöst von Mandibeldrüsensekret der Männchen. Weibchen klettern hoch auf Baumwipfel, von wo sie abfliegen. Weibchen sind schlechte Flieger. Sie fliegen optisch orientiert exponierte Punkte an (hohe Baumkronen, dort Kopula, auch auf dem eigenen Nestbaum). – Das ist auch in Hölldobler & Wilson: The Ants (1990) dargestellt.

• Und noch etwas zum Thema Geschlechter-Findung, zu dem man auch heute (2008) noch nicht arg viel weiß:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/a521h5067616382v/

J. Noordijk , R. Morssinkhof, P. Boer, A. P. Schaffers, Th. Heijerman and K. V. Sýkora 2008: How ants find each other; temporal and spatial patterns in nuptial flights.

Abstract: Reproduction is a key factor in understanding population ecology and therefore species occurrence. However, patterns in reproductive behaviour for distinct ant species remain insufficiently known. In this paper strategies in mate finding are studied for six ant species (Lasius niger, Lasius umbratus, Temnothorax nylanderi, Myrmica rubra, Myrmica ruginodis, Stenamma debile) in a forest – forest edge – agricultural field gradient. Using window traps, we studied whether these species had a restricted nuptial flight season, displayed swarming behaviour, and whether the alates aggregated at the forest edge. The flight season was limited to one month or less for L. niger, T. nylanderi, M. rubra, M. ruginodis and S. debile. Swarming behaviour occurred in all but one (L. umbratus) species. Although none of the six species seemed to have highest nest density at the forest edge, three of them, M. rubra, M. ruginodis and S. debile, showed male aggregations there, indicating this to be the main reproduction site. This last finding could be due to a more suitable micro-climate, but most likely, edges are conspicuous land marks which are used by ants to meet mates. The behavioural patterns of ant sexuals at the forest edge can influence dispersal possibilities in fragmented landscapes, reproductive success and nest densities.