Two Cleptoparasitic Ant Crickets (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) That Share Similar Host Ant Species Differentiate Their Habitat Use in Areas of Sympatry in Japan

Sociobiology

Munetoshi Maruyama³  Takao Itino²  Takashi Komatsu¹ 

[1] Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan;Institute of Mountain Science, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, JapanDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan;The Kyushu University Museum, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

关键词: co-existence;    habitat preference;    host specificity;    interspecific competition;    Myrmecophilus;   

DOI  :  

来源: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brazil

【 摘 要 】

Myrmecophiluscrickets (Myrmecophilidae, Orthoptera) are typical ant guests. In Japan, about 10 species are recognized on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic frameworks. We focused on two of these species,M. kinomuraiandM. kubotai , and compared their host and habitat use. Previous work based on a limited sampling effort suggested that these two species share some ant species as hosts, but that their habitat (open versus shaded) preferences differ. Here, on the basis of exhaustive sampling across Japan, we confirmed thatM. kinomuraiandM. kubotaido not differ in their host ant preferences: both prefer formicine ants as hosts. As for habitat preferences,M. kubotaioccurred significantly more often in open habitats than in shaded ones ( P< 0.05). In contrast,M. kinomuraishowed no habitat preference in areas whereM. kubotaidid not occur. However,M. kinomuraishowed an obvious preference for shaded environments in areas of sympatry with its potential competitorM. kubotai . This pattern suggests that interspecific competition betweenM. kinomuraiandM. Kubotaiis a factor causing habitat differentiation in areas of sympatry.

【 授权许可】

Unknown