TY - JOUR AU - Markov, Alexander AU - Gilev, Alexsey AU - Putyatina, Tatyana PY - 2017/09/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Structure of mound-building ant settlements (genus Formica) in Kuzokotsky Peninsula (northern Karelia) JF - Biological Communications JA - BioComm VL - 62 IS - 2 SE - Full communications DO - 10.21638/11701/spbu03.2017.205 UR - https://biocomm.spbu.ru/article/view/25 SP - 93–102 AB - <p>The spatial distribution of obligate dominant ant species, which includes four species of the genus <em>Formica</em>: <em>F. exsecta, F. lugubris, F. aquilonia</em> and <em>F. uralensis</em>, and differentiation of multispecies settlements has been studied in the eastern Kuzokotsky Peninsula (northern Karelia, Russia). <em>F. exsecta</em> and <em>F. lugubris</em> were present in remote single colonies, groups of two or three nests, single-species complexes of no more than ten nests, or larger multispecies settlements. <em>F. aquilonia</em> formed a small complex within one of the multispecies settlements. The nests of <em>F. uralensis</em> were single. Significant preference of <em>F. exsecta</em> to aggregate with <em>F. lugubris</em> was revealed in two permanent multispecies settlements; such a preference is atypical for these species in other areas. The nests of <em>F. aquilonia</em> were aggregated only with the nests of their own species. Presumably, the settlement of <em>F. lugubris</em> was facilitated by capturing the active nests of <em>F. exsecta</em>. This is confirmed by the reported case of capture of one <em>F. exsecta</em> nest by an adjacent colony of <em>F. lugubris</em>, as well as by similar cases repeatedly described by other authors. The change of the host species did not violate the spatial structure of the settlement. Thus, a unique structure of settlements of obligate dominant ant species with complicated interactions among them has been described in northern Karelia.</p> ER -