Document Type : Article
Author
Associate Professor of Entomology; Department of Plant Protection, Yadegar-e-Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shahre Rey Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) within three subfamilies Dolichoderinae, Formicinae and Myrmicinae was studied in forest ecosystems in northern parts of Iran. The sampled areas of the present research were Jangal-e 2000 and 3000 Tonekabon, Dalkhani forest in Ramsar, Khoshrudpey forest in Galogah, Urim forst in Savadkuh (Mazandaran province), Abr forest in Shahrud (Semnan province), Arasbaran forests (East Azarbaijan province), Golestan National Park (Golestan province), and Guisum forest in Talesh (Guilan province). In total, 27 species within 12 genera and three subfamilies Dolichoderinae (two species, one genus), Formicinae (10 species, five genera) and Myrmicinae (15 species, six genera) were collected and identified. Upon the results of this research, the highest niche similarity index was obtained between Abr forest and Golestan National Park (75%), and then Dalkhani forest and Jangal-e 2000 and 3000 (55.5%). Among the collected species, three species Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798), Cataglyphis livida (André, 1881) and Monomorium abeillei André, 1881 with 22, 20 and 18 collected specimens, and 6.89%, 6.26% and 5.64% of abundance percentage, respectively are dominant species in forest ecosystems in northern Iran.
Keywords
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