Predation and interference competition between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and arboreal termites (Isoptera: Termitidae).

Abstract

One of the most apparent biological interactions affecting termites is predation by vertebrates and invertebrates. Ants are the most important predators of other invertebrates and are the most active and effective predators of termites. Also, ants and termites might heavily compete for nesting space. Considering the potential of ants as competitors and predators of termites and the scarce knowledge of how they interact we tested the effects of the presence of ants on the activity of arboreal termites. Predatory ants had a negative effect on arboreal termite activity, and non-predatory ants had no effect. Specialized predatory ants are an important disturbance factor in resource exploitation by termites. Perhaps competition with non-predatory ants did not occur in our study because the foraging territories of ants and termites maybe do not overlap. Hence, it is clear that predation has a big impact on activity of termites, but the role of competition in shaping termite communities still needs further study, especially the competitive interaction between termites and ants.