Hilda Eulalia Lee-Espinosa

An Ornamental Heliconias Crop as a Reservoir of the Native Myrmecofauna: A case of Tropical Horticulture in Central Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract. Currently there is an increase in tropical crops dedicated to ornamental horticulture. This study is the first assessment of the role of a Heliconia spp. ornamental plant cultivation in Mexico as habitat for insect biodiversity conservation, using ant assemblages as bioindicators. A total of 9,022 ant workers belonging to seven subfamilies, 14 tribes, 27 genera, and 55 species was captured. Conversion of native vegetation to tropical ornamental agriculture affects the richness, diversity and dominance of ants, but not assemblages’ composition. The importance of species composition as a predictor parameter of functional changes in the landscape is highlighted.

Alpha Diversity of the Myrmecofauna of the Natural Protected Area Metlac from Fortin, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract. Although the State of Veracruz is a megadiverse entity, it has the highest annual deforestation rates. Protected natural areas are considered strategic to preserve local biodiversity. In this paper, composition and alpha diversity of ant assemblages were analyzed in the natural protected area ‘Metlac’ near Fortin, Veracruz, Mexico. Sampling was conducted at four transects using baited pitfall traps and hand-collection. In total 3,204 ant workers belonging to 36 species, 21 genera, 12 tribes, and seven subfamilies were collected. The average alpha diversity was 16 species and no significant differences between recorded richness in each transect were found. Average sampling completeness was above 80%. Locally, Solenopsis geminata and Nylanderia steinheili dominate the epigeous and shrub strata due probably to their biological, behavioral and ecological plasticity that allows them to easily adapt to disturbed environments. This paper shows that for the small area sampled, the relict of tropical semi-evergreen forest is of great biological value despite heavy human intervention and the space-geographic context in which it is found.

Myrmecofauna from Three Ornamental Agroecosystems with Different Management and a Forest Remnant in Ixtaczoquitlán, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract. Ornamental horticulture is the commercial exploitation of fresh or preserved species that satisfy the visual tastes of consumers. This report compares the alpha and beta diversity associated with the myrmecofauna of ornamental crops of zingiberaceae, heliconias, and palms with different agricultural management practices and a remnant of forest in Ixtaczoquitlán, Veracruz, Mexico. A total of 965 ant workers belonging to 37 species, 25 genera, 16 tribes, and seven subfamilies was collected. Richness, diversity and evenness of species decreased significantly as the degree of management and agricultural intensification increased. The myrmecofauna composition from the forest was significantly different from that found in the three ornamental crops. The impact of ornamental horticulture on biodiversity may be due to farm management. Excessive use of agrochemicals generates local loss of species diversity. Ornamental crops with low intensification of agricultural management could represent a habitat that offers resources and conditions to different ant guilds and other invertebrates.

New State-Wide Records of Ant Species Collected in Tizatlan Botanical Garden, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico

Summary With the goal of increasing the known myrmecofauna of the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico, specimens were collected in soil and shrub vegetation using different collecting techniques. Seventeen species belonging to 14 genera, 10 tribes and 5 subfamilies are reported for the first time increasing the total number of species known to occur in Tlaxcala to 20, genera to 17, and tribes to 12. These results demonstrate the scarcity of knowledge regarding the myrmecofauna of Tlaxcala state. Systematic sampling is recommended to further the knowledge of species inhabiting this region of Mexico.