Species Richness And Seasonal Variation In Ground Foraging Ants (hymenoptera: Formicidae) Of Baruipur Area, Southern West Bengal, India

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Authors

  • Mahuya Patra Purkait
     Department of Zoology, Sonarpur Mahavidyalaya, Kolkata-700149 ,IN

Keywords:

Species composition, Seasonal fluctuation, Environmental factors, Ants.

Abstract

Ants are one of the most abundant insects in terrestrial habitats and are also important components in the ecosystems. A study of the species composition, seasonal fluctuation and population sizes of ant fauna was carried out in suburban farmland areas of Baruipur, West Bengal in 2016. A one-year sampling using different traps, and hand picking revealed a total of 2956 individuals consisting of 11 species belonging to 9 genera of four subfamilies, viz., Myrmecinae (6 spp.), Formicinae (2 spp.), Ponerinae (2 spp.) and Cerapachyinae (1 sp.). Maximum number of species and individuals were recorded during rainy and summer seasons, and minimum during the winter season. Incidence of availability of the individuals and species in different seasons were highly linked with the resource availability in ecosystem and adaptability of ants with their surroundings.

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Published

2022-06-01

Issue

Vol 19, No 1 (2022)

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Articles

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