6533b853fe1ef96bd12ad7ce
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Size-related mortality during overwintering in cavity-nesting ant colonies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Sławomir Mitrussubject
survival rate0106 biological sciencesField experimentHymenopteratemnothorax crassispinus010603 evolutionary biology01 natural sciencesSurvival rateOverwinteringInvertebratesocial insectsbiologyEcologysnow coverAnt colonybiology.organism_classificationSnowoverwinteringANTformicidae010602 entomologyQL1-991Insect SciencehymenopteraZoologyhuman activitiesdescription
The ongoing process of climate change will result in higher temperatures during winter and therefore might increase the survival of overwintering invertebrates. However, the process may also lead to a reduction in snow cover and expose overwintering invertebrates to lower temperatures, which could result in higher mortality. During a field experiment, I investigated the effects of a reduction in snow cover on the survival of the ant Temnothorax crassispinus, which overwinters in nests located on the ground. Ant colonies differed in the survival rate of the workers in the experimental (from which snow cover was removed) and control group. In the control group, the survival rate was unrelated to colony size. However, in the experimental group, from which snow was removed after each heavy snowfall, worker survival was lower in small colonies. Such colony size related mortality may affect the fusion of colonies before winter.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-01 | European Journal of Entomology |