Ant diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in two districts in the municipality of Barreiras-BA

Abstract

In recent years, attention has focused on studies about myrmecofauna in urban environments, due to its high possibility of causing damage to food storage and household structures. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the genera of ants and analyze their frequency and diversity in two neighborhoods in the municipality of Barreiras-BA. The study was conducted in Riachinho neighborhood, located on the edge of the urban perimeter and in Renato Gonçalves neighborhood in the central area of the city. The ants were collected weekly, using trap baits, in 180 houses, from November 2016 to April 2017. The collected ants were transported to the Zoology and Entomology Laboratory (LaZooEn) in the Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Campus IX. For identification, stereomicroscope and dichotomous key were used. A group of 14,846 ants were collected, of which 9,686 were collected in Renato Gonçalves neighborhood, and 5,160 in Riachinho neighborhood. Three subfamilies were identified, which included ten genera, being Paratrechina, Brachymyrmex and Tapinoma were among the most frequent. Paratrechina was the most representative (85.32%) in Riachinho, and Brachymyrmex, the most frequent in Renato Gonçalves (54.40%). The accumulation curves obtained were satisfactory in both areas, higher than 80%. Regarding Shannon index, it was found that Riachinho presented a lower diversity (H'= 0.663) than in Renato Gonçalves neighborhood (H'= 0.875). Studies addressing the occurrence of myrmecofauna may be paramount to collaborate with conservation practices both in the case of threatened species and for pest control practices.