ANTS ASSOCIATED TO Cyathea delgadii STERNB. (CYATHEACEAE) IN A MARANHENSE CERRADO FRAGMENT, NORTHEAST, BRAZIL

• Autor(a) principal: Santos Silva, Domingos Lucas dos
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Oliveira, Ronison Ferreira de, da Conceição, Gonçalo Mendes
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biota Amazônia
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unifap.br/index.php/biota/article/view/3790
• topic: Formiga-planta, samambaia arborescente, mimercofilia.

Cyathea delgadii Sternb., is a species of arborescent fern, for presenting this size, is a good example of association with other organisms, as it offers microhabitats for small animals and for other plant species. Due to the lack of studies that register ant species that interact with ferns in Brazil, especially in the phytogeographic domain of the Cerrado, this study aimed to verify the occurrence of ants with interactions with Cyathea delgadii in Cerrado fragments. The research was realized in the Pedras Village (04° 58 ' 43.98 "S and 43° 36 ' 58" W), located in the municipality of São João do Soter. Exemplaries of ants were collected from August to October 2015, with expeditions in six monthly installments of 300 m (30 X 10 m). Was used the method of Entomological umbrella, the specimens collected have been sorted and identified in the laboratory of Myrmecology (LAMIR/CESC/UEMA). Five species were catalogued, distributed into four genera and two subfamilies. The subfamily Myrmicinae presented the greatest species richness. For the registered species of formicides associated to Cyathea deladii are typical of urban environments, individuals reflect that these species indicate the quality of the study area, which features a strong anthropogenic pressure. To this end, new studies of mimercofauna should be carried out in the study area in order to understand the real function of this association.Keywords: Interspecific interactions; Mymercophily; Arborescent ferns.