The dynamics of seed harvesting in early successional communities by a tropical ant, Solenopsis geminata

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Abstract
The neotropical ant, Solenopsis geminata, in the moist lowlands of southeastern Mexico was most abundant in agricultural fields and early second growth habitats. It was not found within forest habitats. In addition to its foraging for insects and general scavenging, this ant also harvests seeds. Under field experimental conditions, a wide variety of small seeds, especially grasses, were taken. Nest mound size and number were greatest on plots experimentally seeded to high grass density and low on plots consisting of grass-dicot mixtures, pure dicot stands, or a vegetative grass strain incapable of seed production. Paspalum conjugatum, an important grass weed, was the most common seed encountered in seed storage chambers in the mounds. Under experimental field conditions, Solenopsis geminata reduced seed densities of P. conjugatum and the malvaceous weed, Malachra sp. by 97 percent or more. Seed densities of the composite, Bidens pilosa were unaffected.