COMPLEXES OF MYRMECOPHYTES DISTRIBUTED BY ANTS FORMICA RUFA AND F. POLYCTENA IN THE UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS

Abstract

Study of myrmecochory in the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians in fact has not been carries out. Only several publications have been dedicated to the problems of myrmecochory in the forests of Ukraine. Taking this into account and a great number of myrmecophytes in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests of the temperate zone, the aim of the work was to identify myrmecophytes which are connected with Formica rufa and F. polyctena, in different types of forests on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians.The observation was carried out during the field season of 2009-2011 in the vicinity of ant hills of two types of insects on the territories of the coniferous forest of Vorokhtianskoie forestry, mixed forest of Nadvirnianskoie forestry and deciduous forest of Beregivske forestry.In the three studied types of the forest 53 species of myrmeciphytes, which belong to 30 families, 26 orders and 5 classes, were identified. The largest number of myrmecophytes belong to orders Rosales and Lamiales (respectively 19.6 and 13.5 %).No sharp change in the number of myrmecophytes was observed in the coniferous and deciduous forests in representatives of F. polyctena and F. rufa, with only 2 species of myrmecophytes: European dewberry (Rubus caesius) and ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria) being found in the mixed forest. Aegopodium podagraria and Rubus caesius are universal myrmecophytes for ants on the studied territories, independently on the type of forest.In the coniferous forest 24 species of myrmecophytes are connected with F. rufa, 26 – with F. polyctena – ; in deciduous – 13 and 16 respectively; and in the mixed on – 2 and 16 species.