Biology subjects

Sanchez-Garcia, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Sanchez-Garcia, D..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Uncovering Ant Diversity Across Forest Successional Stages in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (DRC): Insights from Winkler and Pitfall Trap Sampling

Litter ant communities are an important component of biodiversity in tropical regions. They are currently used in several ecosystem management programmes to assess forest health. The aim of this study was to uncover the ant diversity across forest successional stages (fallow, secondary forest and primary forest) in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, The Democratic Republic of the Congo. These three forest habitats were sampled in six localities with pitfall traps and Winkler extractions. The discovered ant communities, the species typical of each habitat and the effectiveness of both sampling methods are discussed. The results showed that 190 species belonging to 50 genera and 8 sub-families of Formicidae were sampled in the Yangambi region. Ant diversity was lowest in fallow land, higher in secondary forests, and highest in primary forests, reflecting a clear pattern along the successional gradient. A relatively small proportion of ant species were shared among all three habitats, while each habitat also supported a distinct set of species. Primary forests hosted the highest number of exclusive species, followed by secondary forests and fallow land. Winkler extractors captured substantially more ant species than pitfall traps, with nearly 50% greater species richness observed. However, a significant portion of the ant fauna in Yangambi likely remains undocumented, and additional sampling methods could help provide a more complete picture of its biodiversity.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Ongoing coevolution between reintroduced Phengaris teleius butterflies and their Myrmica host ants

Coevolutionary interactions between parasites and hosts are key drivers of biological adaptation. In this study, we explore the evolutionary response of the social parasitic butterfly Phengaris teleius to its host ant, Myrmica scabrinodis, taking advantage of a unique opportunity: the reintroduction of the butterfly in the Netherlands thirty years ago. We compared the degree of host mimicry and behavioural performance of caterpillars between the reintroduced and the Polish source population. After about thirty generations, chemical and vibroacoustical signal profiles have diverged. Chemical mimicry remained limited during the pre-adoption phase for both groups; however, in the post-adoption phase, the source population showed significantly higher chemical similarity to their local hosts. In contrast, reintroduced pre-adoption caterpillars evolved vibroacoustic signals closely resembling local hosts, also resulting in a stronger response from their local host ants. This suggests that adoption is driven by acoustics and subsequently serves as a selective filter promoting post-entry chemical refinement. Behavioural data evince that despite the differences between the different communication channels, the combination of signals remains sufficient to ensure recognition and integration in both host-parasite systems. These results illustrate how social parasites involved in multisensory mimicry can rapidly recalibrate strategies to remain functional in new ecological contexts.

ecology↗