Ant Communities Research Articles

Composition and inter-species relationships within ant communities across differentially anthropized urban environments: a case study

Composition and inter-species relationships within ant communities across differentially anthropized urban environments: a case study

Differential response of fire on the community dynamics of five insect taxa in a tropical mountaintop forest archipelago.

The Earth's most diverse group of organisms is facing an imminent crisis, as recent investigations suggest a remarkable decline in insect diversity. Within this context, altimontane forest islands might emerge as important refuges holding an invaluable diversity of species that would be doomed to disappear. Here, we aimed to examine the impact of fire on the temporal variation of ant, bee, butterfly, dung beetle, and wasp communities in natural and highly threatened altimontane forest islands. We predicted that fire incidence would increase the natural variation in the structure of these insects' communities over time. Furthermore, we predicted that each taxon would respond accordingly to their ability to move between forest islands (i.e., vagility). We sampled these five bioindicator taxa in the rainy seasons of 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2020 within 14 forest islands in southeast Brazil. We assessed the incidence (presence/absence) of fire occurrence on each forest island toward the end of the dry season in each sampling year. We found an influence of fire incidence on the species composition changes over time (temporal β-diversity) in the less vagile insect groups: ants, and dung beetles. Nevertheless, we found no influence of fire incidence on shifts in species composition of highly vagile insects: bees, butterflies, and wasps. Importantly, species turnover was the primary component of temporal β-diversity driving the interannual variation of all insect taxa examined in this study. Our results highlight the distinct responses of more-or-less vagile insect groups to fire in forested ecosystems and shed light on the drivers of vulnerability and resilience of these groups to this critical anthropogenic pressure. By understanding and elucidating the intricate responses of distinct insect communities to global stressors, we can strengthen our capacity to predict future trends in biodiversity decline and provide valuable insights for conservation efforts and environmental management strategies.

Contact toxicity and proximate effect of fipronil on insect pest and predatory ant community structure in cocoa agro-ecosystem

Although usage persists in some countries, fipronil is banned or restricted in many others. Prior to its ban on cocoa in Ghana, concerns about its effect on non-target insects and secondary outbreak of Anomis leona were conflicting. This study, which predates the ban, assessed the toxicity and the short-term effect of fipronil on specific insect community structure in the cocoa agro-ecosystem alongside bifenthrin and a non-insecticide control. Although the insecticides induced a high mortality (90-100%) on the target (mirid: Sahlbergella singularis, stink bug: Bathycoelia thalassina and coreid bug: Pseudotheraptus devastans) and non-target (ants: Oecophylla longinoda, Crematogaster africana, Pheidole megacephala and Camponotus consobrinus) insects, the knockdown to fipronil was very low compared to bifenthrin. On the field, fipronil was more detrimental to the ants. Insecticide-treated plots recorded relatively lower post-treatment pest diversity compared to the control, except the last sampling month while ant abundance, richness and diversity were lowest on the fipronil-treated plots at the end of the study period. This study demonstrates that although fipronil was effective against pests and did not result in acute secondary pest outbreak, it was harmful to the ants. This effect could potentially be replicated on these ant species in other cropping systems where the insecticide is used, adversely affecting ecosystem service delivery. Hence, research on its impact on non-target organisms in other cropping systems is needed to regulate and monitor its use.

Bacterial diversity in arboreal ant nesting spaces is linked to colony developmental stage

The omnipresence of ants is commonly attributed to their eusocial organization and division of labor, however, bacteria in their nests may facilitate their success. Like many other arboreal ants living in plant-provided cavities, Azteca ants form dark-colored “patches” in their nesting space inside Cecropia host plants. These patches are inhabited by bacteria, fungi and nematodes and appear to be essential for ant colony development. Yet, detailed knowledge of the microbial community composition and its consistency throughout the life cycle of ant colonies was lacking. Amplicon sequencing of the microbial 16S rRNA genes in patches from established ant colonies reveals a highly diverse, ant species-specific bacterial community and little variation within an individual ant colony, with Burkholderiales, Rhizobiales and Chitinophagales being most abundant. In contrast, bacterial communities of early ant colony stages show low alpha diversity and no ant species-specific community composition. We suggest a substrate-caused bottleneck after vertical transmission of the bacterial patch community from mother to daughter colonies. The subsequent ecological succession is driven by environmental parameters and influenced by ant behavior. Our study provides key information for future investigations determining the functions of these bacteria, which is essential to understand the ubiquity of such patches among arboreal ants.

Naturally Occurring Vegetation Connectivity Facilitates Ant-Mediated Coffee Berry Borer Removal.

Vegetation connectivity is an essential aspect of the habitat complexity that impacts species interactions at local scales. However, agricultural intensification reduces connectivity in agroforestry systems, including coffee agroecosystems, which may hinder the movement of natural enemies and reduce the ecosystem services that they provide. Ants play an important role in regulating the coffee berry borer (CBB), which is the most damaging coffee pest. For arboreal ant communities, the connections between trees are important structures that facilitate ant mobility, resource recruitment, foraging success, and pest control ability. To better understand how connectivity impacts arboreal ants in coffee agroecosystems, we conducted an experiment to assess the impact of artificial (string) and naturally occurring vegetation (vines, leaves, branches) connectivity on Azteca sericeasur behavior on coffee plants. We compared ant activity, resource recruitment, and CBB removal rates across three connectivity treatments connecting coffee plants to A. sericeasur nest trees: vegetation connectivity, string, and control (not connected) treatments. We found higher rates of ant activity, resource recruitment, and CBB removal on plants with naturally occurring vegetation connections to A. sericeasur nest trees. Artificial connectivity (string) increased the rates of resource recruitment and CBB removal but to a lesser extent than vegetation connectivity. Moreover, vegetation connectivity buffered reductions in ant activity with distance from the ant nest tree. These results reinforce how habitat complexity in the form of vegetation connectivity impacts interspecific interactions at the local scale. Our results also suggest that leaving some degree of vegetation connectivity between coffee plants and shade trees can promote ant-mediated biological pest control in coffee systems.

One ant's trash is another ant's treasure: Army ant middens provide resources for diverse ant assemblages

AbstractThe army ant Eciton burchellii boasts more animal associates than any other animal species yet described, but the relationship between army ants and other ant species has only been studied in the context of predation. The waste deposits (middens) of army ant colonies are nitrogen‐rich, a potentially high‐value nutrient source for leaflitter arthropods. We explored this bottom‐up role of army ant middens in the context of tropical ant communities. Our three main questions were the followings: (1) Which ant species forage on army‐ant middens? (2) How does the bi‐phasic life cycle of army ant colonies (affecting midden size, persistence, and abundance) affect which and how many ant species a midden boasts? (3) How do the ants that forage on army ant middens differ across elevations? Across 39 bivouacs, we found 36 species of ants foraging on army ant middens. These included highly predatory ants, nitrogen‐limited arboreal ants, and fungus‐farming ants. Per‐midden richness was significantly lower for the usually smaller middens deposited during the nomadic phase and was higher for the typically larger middens deposited during the statary phase. Per‐midden richness was not significantly different across elevations, but there was far greater species turnover across elevations than across phases within the same elevational site. Our results suggest that army ant middens are an important resource for a wide variety of tropical ants, informing a better understanding of the complex network of associations revolving around this keystone species.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material

Diversity and abundance of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as indicators of sugarcane agroecosystem stability in Blitar, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Sujak, Rahardjo BT, Muhammad FN, Rizali A. 2023. Diversity and abundance of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as indicators of sugarcane agroecosystem stability in Blitar, East Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 5336-5342. The abundance of ant communities can be used as an indicator of stability in agroecosystems. This study was designed to evaluate the diversity and abundance of ant in three sugarcane cultivation ecosystems. The research was conducted in Ngembul Village, Binangun Subdistrict, Blitar, East Java, Indonesia from August 2021 to February 2022 The three observed sugarcane ecosystems were Ratoon Cane (RC) without tillage, Replanting Ratoon Cane (PRC) with tillage, and Newly Cultivated Plant Cane (NPC) with tillage. Ant collections were made using the pitfall trap method. In each field, pitfalls were systematically placed at 5 points. Pitfall traps were set for 24 hours, and samples were collected every 2 weeks. Identification was done at the genus level and further separated based on morphology (morphospecies). The research obtained 2,920 ant individuals belonging to 3 subfamilies, 7 genera, and 9 morphospecies. The highest diversity and abundance were found in the RC ecosystem compared to the PRC ecosystem and the NPC agroecosystem. The most dominant ant species was Crematogaster sp.1. The ant population in the RC ecosystem has more population growth compared to the PRC and NPC ecosystems. The results of the ANOSIM analysis indicated differences in ant community composition among the treatments. In conclusion, the ratoon sugarcane ecosystem sustains diversity and abundance of ants more compared to the other two ecosystems.

Complexity of cacao production systems affects terrestrial ant assemblages

Given the rapid changes in tropical agricultural production, the evaluation of different management practices has gained interest to determine the effects of land-use change on biodiversity. The conversion of forests into agricultural land is one of the main drivers of diversity loss. Agroforestry systems have been shown as a promising option to provide suitable yields in addition to conserving biodiversity. In this study we compared species richness and community composition of terrestrial ants in six different systems in a long-term experimental site established in 2009 in Bolivia: a full-sun monoculture and an agroforestry system under conventional management, a full-sun monoculture and an agroforestry system under organic management, a highly diverse and dense agroforestry system without external inputs and a secondary forest. Using pitfall traps, we sampled ants four times during a seven-year period (2015-2021). We collected a total of 85 ant species belonging to 6 sub-families and 41 genera. More than 80% of the species were recorded in less than 10% of the traps. Species richness did not significantly differ between the systems. However, species composition mainly differed between the fallow and the production systems, and within the latter, it followed the management intensity gradient, i.e., complex agroforestry, agroforestry and monocultures. The indicator species analysis clearly showed species exclusively associated with one or more production systems, whereas others were only associated with the secondary forest. Species with specialised trophic roles were more frequent in forest and agroforestry systems. Our results showed that the disturbance generated by cultivation was the main driver differentiating ant communities, but also reinforced the importance of the complexity and management intensity of the production system. These results have strong implications for landscape management and highlights the importance of preserving natural patches of forest but also diverse and complex agroforestry systems within the agricultural matrix for ant diversity conservation.

The effects of land use change on ant communities in New England

Abstract Urbanisation and agricultural expansion are two of the most prevalent and intense forms of land use change worldwide and can have dramatic consequences on biodiversity and biotic community structure. Ants are extremely widespread, ecologically diverse and small ectotherms that are sensitive to changes from a wide range of environmental factors. Therefore, ants make an ideal study organism to examine the effects of anthropogenic land use change on biotic communities. In this study, we examined differences in ant species richness and community composition between urban parks, farms and forest fragments, and related these differences to environmental factors that vary among each of these three habitat types. We sampled 46 sites across Worcester County and found farms have significantly lower ant species richness than parks, and all habitat types had different ant community compositions. We also identified higher plant species richness is associated with higher ant species richness, and both plant species richness and air temperature are associated with differences in community composition. Our findings support that habitats affected by human land use will host different assemblages of ant species compared to those found in nearby natural habitats, as seen in our New England forest fragments.

The effects of anthropogenic disturbance and seasonality on the ant communities of Lang Tengah Island.

Anthropogenic disturbances and seasonal changes significantly impact diversity and community composition of ants, but their effects are often intertwined. We investigated these drivers on Lang Tengah Island, a location with a pronounced monsoon season and three resorts that close during this period. We surveyed four sites, two disturbed and two undisturbed, before and after the monsoon season, using pitfall traps to sample epigaeic ant communities. Undisturbed habitats had higher species diversity, but both habitats (undisturbed and disturbed sites) have a high proportion of ants with characteristics of being encroached by generalist and invasive/tramp ant species. Post-monsoon sampling yielded an increase in species richness and diversity. Seasonal changes, such as monsoonal rains, can temporarily alter ant interactions and resource distribution, potentially maintaining diversity. Future studies should validate these findings for ant communities under similar pressures, using ant composition and functional roles for conservation and management purposes.

Breakdown in seasonal dynamics of subtropical ant communities with land-cover change.

Concerns about widespread human-induced declines in insect populations are mounting, yet little is known about how land-use change modifies both the trends and variability of insect communities, particularly in understudied regions. Here, we examine how the seasonal activity patterns of ants-key drivers of terrestrial ecosystem functioning-vary with anthropogenic land-cover change on a subtropical island landscape, and whether differences in temperature or species composition can explain observed patterns. Using trap captures sampled biweekly over 2 years from a biodiversity monitoring network covering Okinawa Island, Japan, we processed 1.2 million individuals and reconstructed activity patterns within and across habitat types. Forest communities exhibited greater temporal variability of activity than those in more developed areas. Using time-series decomposition to deconstruct this pattern, we found that sites with greater human development exhibited ant communities with diminished seasonality, reduced synchrony and higher stochasticity compared with sites with greater forest cover. Our results cannot be explained by variation in regional or site temperature patterns, or by differences in species richness or composition among sites. Our study raises the possibility that disruptions to natural seasonal patterns of functionally key insect communities may comprise an important and underappreciated consequence of global environmental change that must be better understood across Earth's biomes.

The influence of illumination regimes on the structure of ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) community composition in urban habitats

The reliance on visual cues can vary among ant species living in different habitats, and is mostly influenced by the level of ambient illumination and the morphological adaptations of ant species that can determine their period of daily activity. Thus, different illumination regimes might affect ant community composition in habitats with different ambient illumination intensities. Despite this, in the literature, information is scarce about the effects of ambient illumination on ant activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ambient illumination intensity on the activity of ant species and their community composition under herbaceous and woody plants in 24 localities from Kyiv and Kyiv region, Ukraine. Our results showed that the ambient illumination properties of the habitat type affect the presence of ant species and the activity of their workers. In open habitats, the maximum ambient illumination had a negative effect, whereas in closed, woody habitats the maximum ambient illumination and tree circumference generally had a positive effect on the number of non-dendrobiotic ant individuals found on individual plants. The dendrobiotic species were less affected by the maximum illumination intensity. Although, in closed habitats, the effect of the previous variables and their interaction had species-specific aspects. Based on the former, we can tell that more structured forest habitats can provide broader illumination intensity ranges, allowing more ant species to coexist. However, similar illumination intensity ranges can lead to overlaps in the activity of ant species under the same illumination conditions, especially in open habitats. The outcomes of these interactions are highly influenced by larger trees that besides lowering illumination intensities, can enhance ant worker activity and promote species coexistence.

Temporal and spatial variation in extrafloral nectar and associated ants in Canavalia rosea (Fabaceae) on coastal dunes along the Gulf of Mexico

ABSTRACT Extrafloral nectar production can vary depending on the structure of the plant in which it is found, as well as environmental conditions. This can in turn influence plant-ant interactions. We evaluated the role of extrafloral nectaries of Canavalia rosea as ant attractants in a coastal zone of the Gulf of Mexico. We compared the productivity of the extrafloral nectaries present on leaves and inflorescences, as well as between day and night, and described the associated ant community. Nectar volume and concentration were higher in inflorescences than in leaves, and the rate of ant visitation was higher in inflorescences during the day. These results suggest congruence with the Optimal Defense Hypothesis. Nectar volume was generally greater during the night in both structures, but sugar concentration did not differ between day and night. We found a turnover in the ant species visiting C. rosea, with S. geminata being the most abundant species. The extrafloral nectar of C. rosea attracts several ant species and probably other arthropods, providing a valuable resource in a stressful system.

Wood-pastures promote environmental and ecological heterogeneity on a small spatial scale

Wood-pastures harbor critical natural and social values and are among the most ancient land use forms of Europe. The crucial conservation value of these silvopastoral systems is generally contributed to their characteristic landscape elements, the solitary trees, which provide microhabitats for a variety of organisms. However, by accommodating four habitat types (grasslands, solitary trees, forests, and forest edges) on a relatively small spatial scale, wood-pastures might host functionally and compositionally distinct arthropod communities, thus enhancing the landscape-level biodiversity. To test this, we assessed the fine-scale microclimatic conditions of the four different habitat types of three wood-pastures and investigated the effects of these conditions on ant activity and community organization patterns. Besides microclimate, niche breadths (quantified by four-dimensional niche hypervolumes), niche overlaps, and interspecific interactions were also considered to assess the importance of interspecific competition in shaping the studied ant communities. The four habitat types showed notable differences in the previous aspects, which resulted in different patterns of ant activity and community organization. Posing ideal conditions (high solar irradiance and temperatures above 25 °C) for ant activity, the grasslands were monopolized by usually 2–3 dominant species with large hypervolumes, while the subordinates mostly occurred under environmental extremities. Despite their vicinity to the grasslands, solitary trees showed a different pattern, where in total 8 subordinate species associated with specific microclimates were present. The forest edges hosted the most species-rich communities, with 18 species in total, where interspecific interactions played a major role in shaping the activity patterns. A similar result was obtained for forests, although the mild environmental conditions of these habitat types resulted in low overall ant activity. Our results unveil that by posing various microclimatic and structural conditions, wood-pastures enable the coexistence of four ecologically and functionally distinct communities, which makes them ideal targets for biodiversity conservation.

Effects of solar energy development on ants in the Mojave Desert

AbstractLand‐use change from solar energy development may affect desert ecosystems and the soils, plants, and animals therein, yet our understanding of these interactions is nascent. With their ubiquity, criticality as ecosystem constituents, and sensitivity to environmental variation, ants may be useful study organisms for elucidating ecological effects of solar energy development in deserts. Our objectives were to disentangle the response of a desert ant community to solar energy development decisions and test the efficacy of ants as bioindicators at a solar power facility (392 MW) in the Mojave Desert, USA. We used pitfall traps to collect ants in treatments representing different solar energy development decisions, including variably intense site preparation practices: blading (i.e., bulldozing) and mowing, and establishment of undeveloped patches in solar fields, replicated across three power blocks comprising the facility and in undeveloped control sites surrounding the facility. We determined that ant abundance, species richness, Shannon Diversity Index, and functional richness were lower in bladed treatments than in all other treatments and controls. For most taxonomic and functional ant responses, we detected no difference between nonbladed treatments and controls; these results suggest that less intensive site preparation and increased spatial heterogeneity (i.e., undeveloped patches in solar fields) can reduce the negative effects of solar energy development on desert ants. However, our results indicate that ants may serve as useful bioindicators of the severity of anthropogenic disturbance from solar energy development in deserts, and indicator analysis signifies that solar energy infrastructure may negatively affect some species with high ecological value (e.g., harvester ants). Negative effects of solar energy development on ants can have significant implications for desert ecosystem function and integrity, but conservation‐minded solar facility design and construction may lead to avoidance of “bottom‐up” ecological ramifications of increased solar production during the renewable energy transition.

Competition and habitat availability interact to structure arboreal ant communities across scales of ecological organization.

Understanding how resource limitation and biotic interactions interact across spatial scales is fundamental to explaining the structure of ecological communities. However, empirical studies addressing this issue are often hindered by logistical constraints, especially at local scales. Here, we use a highly tractable arboreal ant study system to explore the interactive effects of resource availability and competition on community structure across three local scales: an individual tree, the nest network created by each colony and the individual ant nest. On individual trees, the ant assemblages are primarily shaped by availability of dead wood, a critical nesting resource. The nest networks within a tree are constrained by the availability of nesting resources but also influenced by the co-occurring species. Within individual nests, the distribution of adult ants is only affected by distance to interspecific competitors. These findings demonstrate that resource limitation exerts the strongest effects on diversity at higher levels of local ecological organization, transitioning to a stronger effect of species interactions at finer scales. Collectively, these results highlight that the process exerting the strongest influence on community structure is highly dependent on the scale at which we examine the community, with shifts occurring even across fine-grained local scales.

Ant Community Is Not Influenced by the Addition of Olive Mill Pomace Compost in Two Different Olive Crop Managements.

Industrial production of olive oil generates large amounts of solid waste called 'alperujo'. Its compost can fertilize many crops, especially olives. Furthermore, superintensive orchards are increasing their surface globally due to higher production and savings in different costs. Ants are considered an important part of the arthropod community in olive orchards and could even play a significant role in pest control. The tree canopy and ground were sampled to compare the ant assemblage in plots fertilized with compost and mineral products in two groves with different types of crop management (superintensive and traditional) over two years. The numbers of ants in both types of fertilization in each grove were not statistically different (p > 0.05), indicating that the type of fertilization did not have a significant impact on its populations in the ground or in the canopy, but the number of individuals was significantly higher in the superintensive grove than in the traditional grove (both in the ground and in the canopy, p < 0.01). The most frequent species in the ground were Pheidole pallidula, Plagiolepis smitzii and Aphaenogaster senilis (superintensive grove) and Pheidole pallidula, Tetramorium gr semilaeve, Plagiolepis pygmaea, and Tapinoma nigerrimum (traditional grove). In the canopy, the most frequent species were Plagiolepis spp. in both groves. Differences in ant densities and species between the groves could be due to the different management, especially of the soil, but it must be confirmed using more replicas and longer periods of study.

Effects of dominant ant species on ant community structure and ant–hemipteran interactions

Ants often interact aggressively for resources (e.g. nest sites and food) with members of their own or another species. In these competitive interactions, dominant ant species exert a strong influence on ant species coexistence and plant‐associated arthropod community structure. However, few studies have experimentally manipulated the relative abundance of dominant ant species on plants, preventing a mechanistic understanding of the effects of ant competitive interactions on ant community structure as well as on their interactions with other insects, particularly mutualistic hemipterans. In this study, we performed a field experiment in a tropical dry forest in Brazil to investigate the effects of two dominant ant species (Camponotus crassus and Cephalotes pusillus) on the structure ant communities and the abundance of the ant‐tended hemipteran Enchenopa brasiliensis in Solanum lycocarpum plants. For this, we identified and quantified all ant species foraging on plants and estimated the number of egg masses, nymphs and adults of the mutualistic hemipteran before and after experimentally removing nests of both two dominant ant species. Our results showed that removal of C. pusillus nests significantly changed ant community structure, whereas removal of C. crassus nests did not. We also found that nest removal of both dominant ant species had significant effects on hemipteran abundance. In particular, plants generally hosted more hemipteran eggs, nymphs and adults after (vs before) nest removal of both dominant ant species. Overall, this study demonstrates that dominant ant species can play a pivotal role in structuring ant communities and the interactions between ants and honeydew‐producing hemipteran insects.

Nutrient use by tropical ant communities varies among three extensive elevational gradients: A cross‐continental comparison

AbstractAimMany studies demonstrate that climate limits invertebrates along tropical elevational gradients, but we have only a rudimentary understanding of the role of nutrient limitation and climatic seasonality. Here we examined the relationships between ant community structure, nutrient use and season along three undisturbed elevational gradients, each from a different continent.LocationEcuador (South America), Papua New Guinea (PNG: Oceania), Tanzania (Africa).Time period2011–2014.Major taxa studiedAnts.MethodsAlong each of the three gradients, we placed six distinct nutrient types (amino acid, sucrose, sucrose + amino acid, lipid, NaCl, H2O). In total, we distributed 2370 baits at 38 sites from 203 m to 3972 m. We used generalized linear models to test for the effects of elevation and season on ant species richness and activity and relative nutrient use. We also tested if changes in ant trophic guilds corresponded to changes in the use of particular nutrients.ResultsBoth species richness and activity decreased with elevation along each gradient. However, there were significant interaction effects among elevation, region and season, as ant activity in the dry season was higher in Ecuador and Tanzania but lower in PNG. Relative nutrient use varied among regions: ant preference for some nutrients changed with increasing elevation in Ecuador (decrease in lipid use) and Tanzania (decrease in amino acid and H2O use), while season affected nutrient use in PNG. There were common trends in trophic guilds along the three elevational gradients (e.g. proportional increase of predators), but these did not explain most of the nutrient use patterns.Main conclusionWhile the structure of ant communities changed similarly with elevation, both the seasonal and elevational effects on nutrient use by ants differed between continents. We argue that regional differences in climate and nutrient availability rather than ant functional composition shape nutrient use by ants.

Effects of canopy connectivity on the arboreal ant community in coffee shade trees

AbstractCanopy connectivity influences foraging, movement, and competition in arboreal ant communities. Understanding how canopy connectivity affects arboreal ant communities could inform the development of management practices that maximize services from known biocontrol agents. We experimentally manipulated connectivity between the crowns of large shade trees to investigate the effects of canopy connectivity on arboreal ant species richness and composition in a coffee agroecosystem. A linear mixed‐effects analysis showed that the number of species observed at baits set in tree crowns increased significantly after the crowns had been connected with nylon ropes. Crowns that were connected increased in similarity of ant species composition, particularly between adjacent connected crowns. Connectivity may increase the number of species present in tree crowns by allowing ants to move and forage in the canopy while bypassing trunks with more aggressive, territorial species such as Azteca sericeasur. Because twig‐nesting species in the upper canopy have been shown to act as biocontrol agents of herbivores, an increase in species richness in tree crowns could have positive implications for agricultural pest‐control services.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.