Eur. J. Entomol. 121: 347-354, 2024 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2024.036

Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysisOriginal article

Paulina HIDALGO ORCID...1, 2, Isaac PEÑA-VILLALOBOS ORCID...1, Hugo TORRES-CONTRERAS ORCID...3, Pablo SABAT ORCID...1, 2, *
1 Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile; e-mails: paulina.hidalgo@ug.uchile.cl, isaac.pena@uchile.cl, psabat@uchile.cl
2 Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
3 Departamento de Educación, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; e-mail: htoresco@uchile.cl

Quantifying the degree of ecological specialization of animals is essential for understanding the evolution of resource use in changing environments. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niches of animals and providing insights into their diet. This study focused on the ecological role of two coastal species of ants, Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi, in Chile. Their seasonal isotopic niches were characterised using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) analysis. This was done on El Tabito Beach, a coastal area with a pronounced seasonality. The results indicated unique niches for each species and variation between them across seasons. While C. morosus maintained a consistent niche breadth throughout the year, D. goetschi displayed a narrower niche in summer. Our analyses showed that terrestrial-derived carbon constituted the primary food resource for both species of ants, with a slight increase in the marine component in summer. Overall, the results highlight seasonal variations in isotopic signatures, niche breadth, and diet composition and underscore the importance of considering temporal dynamics in ant ecology and, in particular, in trophic interactions.

Keywords: Ants, ecological specialization, isotopic niche, seasonal variation, trophic ecology, Chile

Received: June 4, 2024; Revised: September 3, 2024; Accepted: September 3, 2024; Published online: October 8, 2024  Show citation

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HIDALGO, P., PEÑA-VILLALOBOS, I., TORRES-CONTRERAS, H., & SABAT, P. (2024). Seasonal niche differentiation of Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in sandy beach habitats: Insights from stable isotope analysis. EJE, 121, Article 347-354. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2024.036
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