Asymmetric Dispersal and Colonization Success of Amazonian Plant-Ants Queens

The dispersal ability of queens is central to understanding ant life-history evolution, and plays a fundamental role in ant population and community dynamics, the maintenance of genetic diversity, and the spread of invasive ants. In tropical ecosystems, species from over 40 genera of ants establish colonies in the stems, hollow thorns, or leaf pouches of specialized plants. However, little is known about the relative dispersal ability of queens competing for access to the same host plants. We used empirical data and inverse modeling—a technique developed by plant ecologists to model seed dispersal—to quantify and compare the dispersal kernels of queens from three Amazonian ant species that compete for access to host-plants. We found that the modal colonization distance of queens varied 8-fold, with the generalist ant species (Crematogaster laevis) having a greater modal distance than two specialists (Pheidole minutula, Azteca sp.) that use the same host-plants. However, our results also suggest that queens of Azteca sp. have maximal distances that are four-sixteen times greater than those of its competitors. We found large differences between ant species in both the modal and maximal distance ant queens disperse to find vacant seedlings used to found new colonies. These differences could result from interspecific differences in queen body size, and hence wing musculature, or because queens differ in their ability to identify potential host plants while in flight. Our results provide support for one of the necessary conditions underlying several of the hypothesized mechanisms promoting coexistence in tropical plant-ants. They also suggest that for some ant species limited dispersal capability could pose a significant barrier to the rescue of populations in isolated forest fragments. Finally, we demonstrate that inverse models parameterized with field data are an excellent means of quantifying the dispersal of ant queens

A new species of Miconia (Melastomataceae) from Amazonas, Brazil

Miconia manauara has been collected several times in two municipalities in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, and once in nearby Para. It can be recognized among species in Miconia sect. Miconia by the leaves with obtuse to rounded bases, entire margins, cuspidate apices and five basal to shortly suprabasal nerves. The leaves also have glabrous mature adaxial leaf surfaces and the abaxial surface with two indument layers, the first consisting of moderate to dense, ferruginous, sessile stellate trichomes, 0.1-0.2 mm diam., and the second consisting of a dense, granulose-furfuraceous layer. The inflorescences are glomerulate, the 5-merous flowers have a caducous calyx, minutely papillose petals, ten stamens that are ventrally bilobed and with a small dorsal, obtuse tooth, and the ovaries are furfuraceous and usually covered by unbranched trichomes on their apices.632245249NSF [DEB-0818399]NSF [DEB-0818399

Nomenclator botanicus for the neotropical genus Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Miconia has 1057 species and is the largest genus of woody flowering plants with a distribution restricted to tropical America. These species occur from Mexico (79 spp) to Argentina (10) and Uruguay (1), and attain highest richness in Colombia (338 spp), Peru (302), Brazil (274), Ecuador (254) and Venezuela (212). More than half of the species belong to only three sections (Miconia with 245, Cremanium with 223, and Amblyarrhena with 212). The other sections are Chaenopleura (86 spp), Glossocentrum (82), Tamonea (71), Octomeris (59), Jucunda (23), Laceraria (19), Chaenanthera (17), Hartigia (7), and Adenodesma (6), while seven species have not been assigned to any section. In this nomenclator we attempt to enumerate all currently accepted species of Miconia with place of publication, information on types, synonymy, sectional placement, and distributional notes organized by country.10611+Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)NSF [DEB-0818399]Global Biodiversity Information FacilityConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)CNPq [Proc. 302325/2009-3]CAPES [BEX 9095/11-0]NSF [DEB-0818399