Acorn ant: Difference between revisions
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(Temnothorax curvispinosus) | The Acorn ant (''Temnothorax curvispinosus'') is a well-studied species found in both rural and urban areas of the eastern United States. As their name suggests, acorn ants can live in hollowed-out acorns. | ||
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== '''Description''' == | == '''Description''' == | ||
Temnothorax Curvispinosus | Acorn ants (''Temnothorax Curvispinosus '') are one of North America's most common ant species. An entire colony of these ants (which can be between 100 and 300 ants) can live inside hollow acorns. The acorn ant is amber to yellow in color, and it has 11 segmented antenna, along with a curved propodeal spine. The middle part of their body (mesosoma) is covered in rough ridges (rugae), and their heads have tiny holes, or “studs,” which are separate from their eyes. These ants are temperature-sensitive and quite small in size. They have been observed to show passive behaviors, rather than aggressive ones. | ||
== '''Habitat''' == | == '''Habitat''' == | ||
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=== Range === | === Range === | ||
Acorn ants are native to the eastern United States. Their range extends as far north as Maine, as far south as Florida, and as far west as Arizona. They can also be found in parts of Canada, including Ontario. They are likely to occupy temperate and subtropical northern forests. | |||
=== Nest === | === Nest === | ||
Acorn ant | Acorn ant nests are usually found in hollow stems, insect galls, puffballs, and pinecones. Nests may also be under rocks or in [[soil]], usually at lower elevations. Nests typically consist of 80-100 worker ants, which are female, and sometimes contain multiple queens. Acorn ants are polydomous (meaning they can inhabit several nests), and they can thus change where they reside after any disturbance in or near a nest.<ref> Healey, Christiane I. M., and Stephen C. Pratt. “The Effect of Prior Experience on Nest Site Evaluation by the Ant Temnothorax Curvispinosus.” Animal Behaviour, vol. 76, no. 3, 2008, pp. 893–99, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.02.016.</ref> In the summer, sub-colonies can form from the main colony of a nest and build a new nest nearby. During the winter, sub-colonies coalesce into one colony. But, about half of the colony is lost in the winter, as ants either die off or migrate to start or join a colony. <ref> Pratt, S.C. Behavioral mechanisms of collective nest-site choice by the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus . Insect. Soc. 52, 383–392 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0823-z</ref> | ||
== '''Reproduction''' == | == '''Reproduction''' == | ||
Acorn ants are polygynous | Acorn ants are polygynous. Worker ants reproduce with queens inside the colony. Larvae are usually found inside a nest at any time of the year. New colonies are formed by multiple queens (Pleometrosis), or a new queen can be adopted into an existing colony.<ref> Pratt, Stephen C. “Efficiency and Regulation of Recruitment During Colony Emigration by the Ant Temnothorax Curvispinosus.” Behavioral [[Ecology]] and Sociobiology, vol. 62, no. 8, 2008, pp. 1369–76, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-008-0565-9.</ref> The queen will lay around a dozen eggs in a nest. The eggs hatch into larvae, which go through multiple molting stages as they grow. Eventually, larvae will metamorphose into a pupa and then grow into an adult ant. The queen and male ants have wings while the worker ants (female), do not have wings. | ||
[[File:Worker acorn ant.jpg|200px|thumb|Worker]][[File:Male acorn ant.jpg|200px|thumb|Male]][[File:Queen acorn ant.jpg|200px|thumb|Queen]] | [[File:Worker acorn ant.jpg|200px|thumb|Worker]][[File:Male acorn ant.jpg|200px|thumb|Male]][[File:Queen acorn ant.jpg|200px|thumb|Queen]] | ||
== '''Diet''' == | == '''Diet''' == | ||
Acorn Ants are generalists and eat liquid sugars like honeydew | Acorn Ants are generalists and eat liquid sugars like honeydew from tree and plant leaves. They can also carry seeds back to their nest. These ants also eat protein in the form of small [[insects]], like spring tails and dipterans (flies). [[Foraging]] is usually done in tandem (one ant leading another ant) and is more common in the spring and summer. <ref>Mackay, W. P. (2000). "A review of the New World ants of the subgenus Myrafant, (genus Leptothorax) ([[Hymenoptera]]: [[Formicidae]])". Sociobiology. 36: 265–444</ref> | ||
== '''Adaption''' == | == '''Adaption''' == | ||
Acorn ants are temperature sensitive but colonies that live in urban areas have adapted to tolerate | Acorn ants are temperature-sensitive, but colonies that live in urban areas have adapted to tolerate higher temperatures. The development of cities has caused a rapid rise in environmental temperatures, especially with impervious surfaces. Acorn ants had an evolutionary change in thermal tolerance. Urban ant populations have exhibited greater heat tolerance under the fast rate of temperature change, and this result was correlated with both faster rates of diurnal temperature rise in urban acorn ant nest sites and more rapid spatial changes in temperature across urban foraging areas. <ref>Diamond, Sarah E; Chick, Lacy D; Perez, Abe; Strickler, Stephanie A; Zhao, Crystal (14 June 2018). "Evolution of plasticity in the city: urban acorn ants can better tolerate more rapid increases in environmental temperature". Conservation Physiology. 6 (1): coy030. doi:10.1093/conphys/coy030. ISSN 2051-1434. PMC 6007456. PMID 29977563.</ref> | ||
== '''References''' == | == '''References''' == | ||
Revision as of 17:22, 26 February 2025
The Acorn ant (Temnothorax curvispinosus) is a well-studied species found in both rural and urban areas of the eastern United States. As their name suggests, acorn ants can live in hollowed-out acorns.
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Temnothorax |
| Species: | T. curvispinosus |
| Source: Bug Guide [1] | |
Description
Acorn ants (Temnothorax Curvispinosus ) are one of North America's most common ant species. An entire colony of these ants (which can be between 100 and 300 ants) can live inside hollow acorns. The acorn ant is amber to yellow in color, and it has 11 segmented antenna, along with a curved propodeal spine. The middle part of their body (mesosoma) is covered in rough ridges (rugae), and their heads have tiny holes, or “studs,” which are separate from their eyes. These ants are temperature-sensitive and quite small in size. They have been observed to show passive behaviors, rather than aggressive ones.
Habitat
Range
Acorn ants are native to the eastern United States. Their range extends as far north as Maine, as far south as Florida, and as far west as Arizona. They can also be found in parts of Canada, including Ontario. They are likely to occupy temperate and subtropical northern forests.
Nest
Acorn ant nests are usually found in hollow stems, insect galls, puffballs, and pinecones. Nests may also be under rocks or in soil, usually at lower elevations. Nests typically consist of 80-100 worker ants, which are female, and sometimes contain multiple queens. Acorn ants are polydomous (meaning they can inhabit several nests), and they can thus change where they reside after any disturbance in or near a nest.[2] In the summer, sub-colonies can form from the main colony of a nest and build a new nest nearby. During the winter, sub-colonies coalesce into one colony. But, about half of the colony is lost in the winter, as ants either die off or migrate to start or join a colony. [3]
Reproduction
Acorn ants are polygynous. Worker ants reproduce with queens inside the colony. Larvae are usually found inside a nest at any time of the year. New colonies are formed by multiple queens (Pleometrosis), or a new queen can be adopted into an existing colony.[4] The queen will lay around a dozen eggs in a nest. The eggs hatch into larvae, which go through multiple molting stages as they grow. Eventually, larvae will metamorphose into a pupa and then grow into an adult ant. The queen and male ants have wings while the worker ants (female), do not have wings.
Diet
Acorn Ants are generalists and eat liquid sugars like honeydew from tree and plant leaves. They can also carry seeds back to their nest. These ants also eat protein in the form of small insects, like spring tails and dipterans (flies). Foraging is usually done in tandem (one ant leading another ant) and is more common in the spring and summer. [5]
Adaption
Acorn ants are temperature-sensitive, but colonies that live in urban areas have adapted to tolerate higher temperatures. The development of cities has caused a rapid rise in environmental temperatures, especially with impervious surfaces. Acorn ants had an evolutionary change in thermal tolerance. Urban ant populations have exhibited greater heat tolerance under the fast rate of temperature change, and this result was correlated with both faster rates of diurnal temperature rise in urban acorn ant nest sites and more rapid spatial changes in temperature across urban foraging areas. [6]
References
- ↑ “Species Temnothorax Curvispinosus.” BugGuide.Net, https://bugguide.net/node/view/328106/tree.
- ↑ Healey, Christiane I. M., and Stephen C. Pratt. “The Effect of Prior Experience on Nest Site Evaluation by the Ant Temnothorax Curvispinosus.” Animal Behaviour, vol. 76, no. 3, 2008, pp. 893–99, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.02.016.
- ↑ Pratt, S.C. Behavioral mechanisms of collective nest-site choice by the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus . Insect. Soc. 52, 383–392 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0823-z
- ↑ Pratt, Stephen C. “Efficiency and Regulation of Recruitment During Colony Emigration by the Ant Temnothorax Curvispinosus.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 62, no. 8, 2008, pp. 1369–76, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-008-0565-9.
- ↑ Mackay, W. P. (2000). "A review of the New World ants of the subgenus Myrafant, (genus Leptothorax) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Sociobiology. 36: 265–444
- ↑ Diamond, Sarah E; Chick, Lacy D; Perez, Abe; Strickler, Stephanie A; Zhao, Crystal (14 June 2018). "Evolution of plasticity in the city: urban acorn ants can better tolerate more rapid increases in environmental temperature". Conservation Physiology. 6 (1): coy030. doi:10.1093/conphys/coy030. ISSN 2051-1434. PMC 6007456. PMID 29977563.
- ↑ Bender, Eric (21 March 2022). "Urban evolution: How species adapt to survive in cities". Knowable Magazine. Annual Reviews. doi:10.1146/knowable-031822-1.
- ↑ Tate Holbrook. "Individual Life Cycle of Ants". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 17 Dec 2009. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 4 May 2023. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/individual-life-cycle
- ↑ “Temnothorax Species - Acorn Ants.” Ant Antics, https://www.antantics.co.uk/product-page/temnothorax-species-acorn-ants
- ↑ “Acorn Ants and Allies (Genus Temnothorax).” INaturalist United Kingdom, https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/424607-Temnothorax#cite_note-Snelling_et_al_2014-5