Diversity of ants on Guabiroba trees (Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg) of Mixed Ombrophilous Forest

There are many types of interactions between ants and plants, and many of these are first discovered by the observation and identification of the ants on particular plant species. Therefore, studying the diversity of ants on different strata of a plant species, for example, is indispensable to identify interactions and their ecological implications. In this study we evaluated the diversity of visitor ants on two strata of Guabiroba trees ( Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg), a tree species from Mixed Ombrophilous Forest that possess ecological, economical, medicinal, and for food importance. We sampled the ant species from lower plant strata (in the plant surroundings) by collecting them manually in 97 sites; and from higher strata through pitfall traps, suspended in branches and leaves of 117 Guabiroba trees. We identified 30 ant morphospecies on Guabiroba trees (Manual Sobs = 22; Sest = 46,74; Pitfall Sobs = 21; Seat = 21.89) and our results estimated increased ant richness if a higher sampling effort was applied. Nylanderia fulva was the most abundant species, followed by Camponotus crassus , Ca. rufipes , and Ca. melanoticus , which occurred very abundantly, frequently and constantly on Guabiroba trees, acording to the faunal analysis. More than half of the recorded species only occasionally visited Guabiroba trees. Our results indicated an overlap in composition of ant species from both studied strata, suggesting regular visitation of some ants and perhaps interactions between them and the plant. Our study contributes adding information on the ants from Mixed Ombrophilous Forest and ecological relations between Guabiroba trees and their visitor ants.