My Biological Diversity class (BIO 106) collected 8 species of ants in
Moon Woods, which is slightly less than the 9 species we collected
(with equal sampling intensity) at other forested sites on
campus. (Although we did not collect any fire ants in Moon
Woods, they are almost certainly present, albeit in low density.)
The ant community in Moon Woods is more typical of one in undisturbed
woodlands, with three species of Camponotus
and one ponerine. Disturbed sites, such as a clear cut on
Lavender Mountain and the Victory Lake Basin, had ant communities
dominated by Solenopsis invicta
and Paratrechina vividula.
Table 1. Ant species of Moon Woods, collected by pitfall trap and
active search (BIO 106).
Ponerine
unknown species 1
Myrmicinae
Aphaenogaster rudis group
Crematogaster ashmeadi
Solenopsis invicta (Red Imported Fire Ant) [Not collected
in our pitfalls, but almost certainly present.]
Formicinae
Camponotus castaneus (Carpenter
Ant)
Camponotus pennsylvanicus (Carpenter
Ant)
Camponotus sp.
Formica pallidifulva
Prenolepis imparis
(Honey Ant)
Carabid beetles are often useful indicators of disturbance.
We only collected one species of carabid beetle in Moon Woods.
Some of our other sites on campus had as many as 5 species of carabids.
Notably absent from our pitfall samples were scorpions (Vejovis carolinianus), daddy
longlegs (2 species of Opiliones), and several millipedes (Polydesmida
and Spirobo). These are all very common in forests on the
Mountain Campus.
Figure 1. Wet weight of arthropods from pitfall traps in Moon
Woods is
approximately the same as that for other forested sites on campus, such
Martha's Meadow (near Victory Lake Basin) and Upland Forest near the
Old Mill. Forested sites had considerably less wet biomass than
an Upland Clear Cut and Victory Lake Basin.
Data is from my Biological
Diversity class (Fall 2003).
Updated 7 February 2005
