MOSAIC ANT TERRITORIES IN AN AFRICAN SECONDARY RAIN-FOREST (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE)

A comparison was made of the distribution of ant species in two manmade formations: an old secondary forest and the forest edge. This forest was composed of two kinds of trees: trees belonging to the mature forest prior to clearing and trees of the secondary forest which grew after clearing. The former were occupied by Crematogaster depressa, a forest dwelling species which tolerated numerous nondominant ants in its territories. The others were occupied by the same species and Atopomyrmex mocquerisi, C. clariventris, Pheidole sp. (megacephala group), Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda. One tree was occupied by a society of Tetraponera anthracina, another by Polyrhachis militaris, two species not previously known as dominant, and corresponding here to the subdominant status. These species occupied non-overlapping territories distributed in a mosaic as known in African tree plantations. The forest edge was composed of plants at the pioneer stage. Dominant ant territories are not adjacent and numerous dominant species tolerated nondominant ants in their territories. This situation favored a high diversity of nondominant ants. As a result, large societies of T. anthracina, Cataulachus guineensis, Camponotus brutus and Polyrhachis laboriosa were able to demonstrate dominant-like behavior so that the species can be classified as having subdominant status.