Ant Density Research Articles

A Combination of Camera and Pitfall Traps: A Method for Monitoring Ground-Dwelling Invertebrates in Farmlands

Ground-dwelling invertebrates are crucial for maintaining biodiversity, soil health, and food production in agricultural ecosystems; however, their diversity is declining globally. Despite advancements in data science and modern monitoring technology, conventional methods remain predominant in the current field investigations of ground-dwelling invertebrates in farmlands. This study aimed to develop simple, convenient, and automated methods to assess ground-dwelling invertebrate biodiversity in farmlands. Both camera and pitfall traps were used to monitor ground-dwelling invertebrates in two farmlands in Ningbo City, China. Over four experimental periods, lasting 34 days in the vineyard farmland and 32 days in the watermelon farmland, the camera traps detected a relatively high density of invertebrates, although the relative dominance of ant density was overestimated in both farmlands. Both methods revealed similar temporal dynamics of the ground-dwelling invertebrates during the four periods in the vineyard farmland. However, only camera traps recorded the temporal dynamics of the invertebrates at daily, hourly, and minute resolutions in both farmlands. Conclusively, this study demonstrates that combining camera and pitfall traps provides an effective method for monitoring the temporal dynamics of ground-dwelling invertebrates in farmlands, offering high-quality data useful for ecological research and biodiversity protection in agricultural management.

Fipronil-infused sodium polyacrylate gels provide effective management of Argentine ants in conservation areas.

Various types of hydrogel compounds have recently been developed for controlling invasive and pest ants in a range of environmental settings including agricultural, urban and natural areas. The current study evaluated the potential of sodium polyacrylate (ACR) hydrogels to effectively deliver liquid baits to Argentine ants. Relative to standard polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels, individual ACR hydrogel particles were approximately five-fold heavier; this may affect how ants interact with the bait particles, and further influence bait uptake and efficacy. Additionally, ACR hydrogels had significantly higher water absorption capacity and significantly slower rate of water loss, especially during the first 2 h. The efficacy of ACR hydrogel bait containing 0.005% fipronil and various attractants was evaluated on laboratory colonies. Results demonstrated that ACR hydrogel acceptance is significantly increased by the addition of feeding attractants. In addition, a field trial was performed in a nature reserve invaded by Argentine ants to evaluate the efficacy of ACR hydrogel bait. The field trial demonstrated that ACR hydrogel bait containing 0.005% fipronil with various attractants is highly effective and that ant densities throughout the baited plots declined by >99% within 7 days. The results of this study demonstrate that: (i) fipronil is highly effective for Argentine ant control in natural areas when used in low concentrations (0.005%); (ii) ACR hydrogels are an effective tool for delivering liquid baits to Argentine ants; and (iii) hydrogel baits augmented with various attractants including salt, protein and pheromone are highly attractive to Argentine ants. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Temporal Variability in Weaver Ant Oecophylla longinoda Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Nest Characteristics in Selected Host Plants

Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina and O. longinoda) are famous for their impressive nest constructions where they weave together living leaves on their host plants. Also, they are known to protect tropical tree crops against insect pests and are thus being utilized for biological control. To optimize their use, nest numbers have been used to track weaver ant abundances in plantation, assuming the number of nests reflects ant numbers. In this study we compared nest size, the density of ants and the proportion of workers in nests between three host plants (cashew, citrus and mango) and between two seasons (rainy and dry). Nest size, ant density and worker proportion all differed between host species, whereas only nest size and worker proportion showed seasonal differences and only on mango and citrus, respectively. On hosts with smaller nests (in increasing size order: cashew, citrus mango), ant densities in the nests were higher, and the proportion of workers in the nests seemed to increase during seasons where food production on host trees decreased, or on hosts where more trophobionts were cultured inside nests. These results have implications for the development of methods used to estimate ant numbers and they raise interesting questions about the function of weaver ant nests.

Ants Density of Odontomachus sp. and Its Ecological Role in Kendari City Green Open Space

The degradation of environmental quality has become a global problem today. One way to address this is by providing green open spaces that help maintain environmental quality. Kendari city has a number of green open spaces (RTH) including, RTH in Baruga sub-district, Kendari mayor's office area and in Nanga-nanga botanical garden of Kendari city. This study aims to determine the density and ecological role of ants (Odontomachus sp.) in green open spaces in Kendari city. The method used in this study was hand sorting using ring samples with a diameter of 20 cm and a height of 15 cm in a plot measuring 25 m x 25 m consisting of 25 sampling points with a distance of 5 m per point. Data analysis was carried out by calculating the density at each research location, namely Baruga green space, mayor's park and Nanga-nanga botanical garden. The results showed that the highest density of ants (Odontomachus sp.) was found in the mayor's park with 16 ind/m2. The ecological role of ants (Odontomachus sp.) in Kendari city green open space is an important role in bioturbation and natural predators of soil fauna such as termites and earthworms.

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.

Termite cuticular extracts improve acceptance of bait for controlling invasive Asian needle ants, Brachyponera chinensis.

The Asian needle ant, Brachyponera chinensis, is an invasive ant currently spreading in urban and natural habitats throughout the eastern United States. Recent studies have documented the negative impact of B. chinensis on native ecosystems and human health, yet effective control strategies are lacking. Control difficulties are, in part, due to the unique biology of B. chinensis, which is a predatory ant and a termite specialist. Given that subterranean termites are an important nutritional resource for B. chinensis, the current study evaluated the potential of termite cuticular extract to improve the target-specificity and efficacy of commercial bait used for B. chinensis control. The efficacy of bait augmented with termite cuticular extracts was evaluated in laboratory and field trials. In laboratory assays, B. chinensis colonies were offered granular bait treated with termite cuticular extract. Results demonstrated that the acceptance of commercial bait is significantly increased by the addition of termite cuticular extract or synthetic (Z)-9-pentacosene, a major component of termite cuticular extract. Foraging activity of Asian needle ants was significantly greater on baits augmented with termite cuticular extract or (Z)-9-pentacosene relative to standard bait. Furthermore, bait augmented with termite cuticular extract worked substantially faster relative to standard bait. To evaluate population effects, field studies were conducted in forested areas invaded by B. chinensis. Bait treated with termite cuticular extract scattered on the forest floor provided rapid control of B. chinensis and ant densities throughout the treated plots declined by 98% within 14 days. The incorporation of termite cuticular extracts and individual cuticular hydrocarbons such as (Z)-9-pentacosene into traditional baits used for B. chinensis control may offer a novel tool to manage this increasingly problematic invasive ant. © 2023 The Author. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Transient effects of corridors on polygyne fire ants over a decade

Abstract Although corridors are frequently regarded as a way to mitigate the negative effects of habitat fragmentation, concerns persist that corridors may facilitate the spread of invasive species to the detriment of native species. The invasive fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has two social forms. The polygyne form has limited dispersal abilities relative to the monogyne form. Our previous work in a large‐scale corridor experiment showed that in landscapes dominated by the polygyne form, fire ant density was higher and native ant species richness was lower in habitat patches connected by corridors than in unconnected patches. We expected that these observed corridor effects would be transient, that is, that fire ant density and native ant species richness differences between connected and unconnected patches would diminish over time as fire ants eventually fully established within patches. We tested this prediction by resampling the three landscapes dominated by polygyne fire ants 6 to 11 years after our original study. Differences in fire ant density between connected and unconnected habitat patches in these landscapes decreased, as expected. Differences in native ant species richness were variable but lowest in the last 2 years of sampling. These findings support our prediction of transient corridor effects on this invasive ant and stress the importance of temporal dynamics in assessing population and community impacts of habitat connectivity.

ANT DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF VEGETATION IN A MAINTAINED LOCALITY DESPITE OF DISTURBANCE - THROUGH HABITAT INFILTRATION

This work embodies the analysis of Ants diversity in a small area that has changed through time due to modifications in the natural habitat. The study area comprised of three zones, the undisturbed zone, the maintained zone that had similar varieties of trees of fifty-one species, and horticulture gardens with monoclonal plantations, frequently cultivated. A total number of 4319 trees were screened for the presence of ants, of these 1626 trees had ants remaining 2691 trees were found unoccupied by ants. Forty taxonomic species of ants belong to Twenty six genera and six subfamilies have been identified associated with fifty-one species of trees that exist in different land zones. Comparatively a lesser density of ants were found in the disturbed or maintained area but had species richness and the horticulture patches had less diversity of ant species as well less denser compared to natural or undisturbed area. The undisturbed zones had species abundance. In the present study, we investigated the abundance, species richness, and nature of association with trees existing in this ecosystem along with how the changes in the habitat allow infiltration of the Ants species, through a graphical model.

Species Richness, Density, Activity, and Composition of Ground-dwelling Ants in the Humid Forest Zone of Southern Cameroon: Role of Vegetation Cover and Abiotic Factors.

The destruction of natural habitats is among the major factors responsible for the decrease in species diversity and distribution. This study focused on the effect of vegetation and its interaction with the season on ant species richness, density, activity, and composition in the three dominant habitats - forest, fallow, and mixed crop field - prevailing in southern Cameroon. Ants were sampled using two sampling techniques -pitfall trap and quadrat - in fallows, forest, and mixed crop fields from May 2007 to April 2008. Average ant species richness did not differ between fallow and forest, but the number of species in both habitats was higher compared with mixed-crop field. Species richness was also higher during the short dry season compared with other seasons. Species density was higher in mixed-crop field and in the long dry season. Species activity was similar in the three habitats, but it was higher during the long-wet season. Species richness, activity, and density were lower at low altitude. Vegetation and season affected the composition of ant species, but not the interaction between the two factors. The highest dissimilarity index was observed between mixed crop-field and forest while between seasons, it was between the short-wet and the long dry season. These results suggest that vegetation cover and abiotic factors interact to determine the distribution, density, activity, and composition of ant species. Identifying key drivers among environmental factors could help to understand the response of species to the variation of those factors in the context of climate change.

The abundance, biomass, and distribution of ants on Earth

Knowledge on the distribution and abundance of organisms is fundamental to understanding their roles within ecosystems and their ecological importance for other taxa. Such knowledge is currently lacking for insects, which have long been regarded as the "little things that run the world". Even for ubiquitous insects, such as ants, which are of tremendous ecological significance, there is currently neither a reliable estimate of their total number on Earth nor of their abundance in particular biomes or habitats. We compile data on ground-dwelling and arboreal ants to obtain an empirical estimate of global ant abundance. Our analysis is based on 489 studies, spanning all continents, major biomes, and habitats. We conservatively estimate total abundance of ground-dwelling ants at over 3 × 1015 and estimate the number of all ants on Earth to be almost 20 × 1015 individuals. The latter corresponds to a biomass of ∼12 megatons of dry carbon. This exceeds the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals and is equivalent to ∼20% of human biomass. Abundances of ground-dwelling ants are strongly concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions but vary substantially across habitats. The density of leaf-litter ants is highest in forests, while the numbers of actively ground-foraging ants are highest in arid regions. This study highlights the central role ants play in terrestrial ecosystems but also major ecological and geographic gaps in our current knowledge. Our results provide a crucial baseline for exploring environmental drivers of ant-abundance patterns and for tracking the responses of insects to environmental change.

Impact of invasive little fire ants Wasmannia auropunctata on rainforest soil fauna: implications for conservation of the endangered flightless kagu of New Caledonia

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, is an invasive species known to negatively affect many native species in its introduced range. Here, we studied the effect of little fire ant presence on the biomass of soil fauna in rainforest of New Caledonia to assess if little fire ants have an impact on an endangered endemic flightless bird, the kagu, Rhynochetos jubatus. The average biomass of soil fauna (except for millipedes) was lower in 53 sample plots with little fire ants than in 597 sample plots without little fire ants and the biomass decreased with increasing density of little fire ant nests. Millipedes on the contrary seemed to be positively impacted as their average biomass was higher in areas with fire ants than in areas without, but even millipede biomass decreased with increasing nest density of fire ants. Kagu density decreased with increasing area of rainforest invaded by little fire ants, suggesting, given their observed negative impact on soil fauna biomass, that they may limit food resources for kagu. Little fire ants might therefore transform rainforest into a less suitable habitat for the kagu by reducing the biomass of their prey and thus have a negative impact for kagu conservation.

Bacterial Isolates Derived from Nest Soil Affect the Attraction and Digging Behavior of Workers of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren.

Simple SummaryPopulations of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) are found throughout the southern United States. Because these invasive ants sting and are highly territorial, they are hazardous to people and livestock and are detrimental to native ant populations. Control of this species generally relies on insecticidal baits that attract and kill the ant. The aim of our study was to determine if bacteria cultured from S. invicta nest soils affected worker ant behaviors and whether the bacteria were attractive or repellent to the ants. Bacterial isolates cultured from nest soils were used in binary choice bioassays that tested for effects of bacterial species and bacterial concentrations on worker ant digging and residing preferences. Arthrobacter woluwensis (Actinobacteria) attracted worker ants while bacteria identified as Firmicutes generally repelled ants. This study provides a basis for the identification of new biologically derived compounds that can be used to alter behaviors of the red imported fire ant and be implemented in novel control strategies.Populations of monogyne and polygyne red imported fire ants (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, are distributed throughout the southern United States. This ant species is hazardous to farm animals and workers, damages infrastructure, and depletes native arthropod populations. Colony expansion is affected by several biotic factors, but the effects of soil microbes on ant behavior related to soil excavation within nest sites have not been investigated. Consequently, we cultured bacteria from RIFA nest soils. The effects of individual bacterial isolates and bacterial cell densities on the choice of digging site as well as digging activity of monogyne and polygyne RIFA worker ants were evaluated in two-choice bioassays. Based on phylogenetic analysis, 17 isolates were selected and tested initially at 5 × 108 cells/mL and 20 workers per assay. Firmicutes (Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus) repelled the ants, but Arthrobacter woluwensis strongly attracted ants. Subsequently, the six isolates having the greatest positive or negative effects on ant behavior were evaluated at a lower bacterial cell and worker ant densities. Ant responses to these bacteria generally decreased as cell densities declined to 5 × 106 cells/mL. Observations of ant behavior during a three-hour, two-choice bioassay revealed that ants generally visited both control and bacteria-treated sand prior to making a digging site choice. Our research results indicate that soil bacteria may mediate ant nest expansion or relocation and foraging tunnel construction. Identification of bacterial metabolites that affect RIFA digging behavior merits additional research because these compounds may provide a basis for novel management strategies that repel RIFA away from sensitive infrastructure or attract fire ants to insecticidal baits.

Impact of Number of Artificial Ants in ACO on Network Convergence Time: A Survey

Due to the dynamic nature of computer networks today, there is need to make the networks self-organized. Selforganization can be achieved by applying intelligent systems in the networks to improve convergence time. Bio-inspired algorithms that imitate real ant foraging behaviour of natural ants have been seen to be more successful when applied to computer networks to make the networks self-organized. In this paper, we studied how Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) has been applied in the networks as a bio-inspired algorithm and its challenges. We identified the number of ants as a drawback to guide this research. We retrieved a number of studies carried out on the influence of ant density on optimum deviation, number of iterations and optimization time. We found that even though some researches pointed out that the numbers of ants had no effect on algorithm performance, many others showed that indeed the number of ants which is a parameter to be set on the algorithm significantly affect its performance. To help bridge the gap on whether or not the number of ants were significant, we gave our recommendations based on the results from various studies in the conclusion section of this paper

Formation of Ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Communities on Rock Dumps of an Open-Pit Coal Mine in SW Siberia

We studied the formation of ant communities on rock dumps at coal mine dump sites of different ages and in natural environments in southwestern Siberia. The species composition and diversity were studied by means of plot sampling and line-transect surveys, while the nest density of ants was determined using pitfall traps. Soil pH, turf extent, and vegetation cover were measured and their effects on the formation of ant communities were evaluated. Our results revealed that ants' density and species diversity increased with progressing recovery of the dumps. In the first succession phase, the soil at the dumps was alkaline and sites were inhabited primarily by Tetramorium caespitum. The density and the number of Myrmica sp. and Formica sp. nests increased with here was an increase in with increasing soil acidity. Lasius sp. ants were the first to form significant clusters of nests and to become numerically dominant at all the studied sites.

Warm and arid regions of the world are hotspots of superorganism complexity.

Biologists have long been fascinated by the processes that give rise to phenotypic complexity of organisms, yet whether there exist geographical hotspots of phenotypic complexity remains poorly explored. Phenotypic complexity can be readily observed in ant colonies, which are superorganisms with morphologically differentiated queen and worker castes analogous to the germline and soma of multicellular organisms. Several ant species have evolved 'worker polymorphism', where workers in a single colony show quantifiable differences in size and head-to-body scaling. Here, we use 256 754 occurrence points from 8990 ant species to investigate the geography of worker polymorphism. We show that arid regions of the world are the hotspots of superorganism complexity. Tropical savannahs and deserts, which are typically species-poor relative to tropical or even temperate forests, harbour the highest densities of polymorphic ants. We discuss the possible adaptive advantages that worker polymorphism provides in arid environments. Our work may provide a window into the environmental conditions that promote the emergence of highly complex phenotypes.

Red wood ants in Bulgaria: distribution and density related to habitat characteristics

The only National Inventory of red wood ants in Bulgaria was carried out about 50 years ago (1970–1973). Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761, F. pratensis Retzius, 1783, F. lugubris Zetterstedt, 1838 and F. polyctena (as F. polyctena x rufa hybrid) were found in a current monitoring programme. This study presents data on their current distribution and nest density, and provides more details about the habitat requirements for conservation purposes. Field studies were carried out by the transect method along the main mountainous areas in Bulgaria. We found 256 nests of red wood ants along 172 transects. The most abundant species was F. lugubris, followed by F. rufa and F. pratensis. Among the environmental variables, the elevation, exposure, ecological groups of plants, stone cover, grass cover, canopy cover and forest age appeared as significantly related to the presence and nest density of red wood ants.

Re-established grasslands on farmland promote pollinators more than predators

Agricultural intensification is among the major threats to farmland biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Agri-environment schemes in Europe aim to counteract the continuous decrease of permanent grassland habitat and related decline of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. We established new grasslands adjacent to permanent old grasslands to study effects on arthropod pollinators and predators. Over three years, we assessed the effects of newly established grasslands on activity density, species richness and assemblages of pollinators (syrphids, bumblebees, solitary bees) and ground-dwelling predatory arthropods (carabids, spiders, ants). Pollinator activity density and species richness of all three pollinator groups approximately doubled in newly established grasslands compared to old grasslands, indicating suitability of new grasslands as pollinator feeding habitat. Predator responses were less consistent. Species richness and activity density of carabids and ants did not increase in new grasslands, indicating slower adaptation to new habitats. Spider activity density increased in the newly established grasslands and in adjacent cereal fields, but no significant differences in species richness compared to old grasslands were observed. Bumblebees and solitary bees showed distinct distance decays in cereal fields. Syrphid activity density declined in cereal fields far away from the newly established grasslands, but not nearby. Carabids increased and ants decreased in species richness and activity density with increasing distance from old grasslands in cereal fields and newly established grasslands alike. In contrast, spider species richness and activity density decreased with increasing distance from old grasslands in cereal fields only, but there was no distance decay in newly established grasslands. While pollinators utilized the additional floral resources within the whole area of newly established grassland quickly, predators reacted much slower. Even after three years, there was no measurable response of carabid and ant activity density and only a minor response of spiders. This clearly shows that short-term measures are not sufficient to sustainably conserve farmland biodiversity. The conservation of permanent grassland and landscape heterogeneity should be prioritized. However, the restoration of new grassland should also be encouraged by agri-environment schemes as a supplement, to enhance functional biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

Ant System Algorithm in Renewing Pheromone for Completing Quadratic Assignment Problem

Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) is often encountered with facility layout issues. Facility layout is a matter of assigning n facilities to n locations to minimize the total cost of the assignment. The QAP application examined in this research is the layout of the production facilities at PT. Slamet Langgeng. The search for QAP solutions uses the Ant System algorithm by examining three pheromone update algorithms, namely the Ant Cycle, Ant Density, and Ant Quantity algorithms. The simulation of the three algorithms in the completion of QAP uses the help of Matlab 7.0.4 software. Based on the results of the QAP completion simulation, the best QAP solution offered by the Ant Cycle, Ant Density, and Ant Quantity algorithms produce different minimum distances. The best QAP solution with the smallest minimum distance is offered by the Ant Cycle algorithm of 4,967.2 m for 1,000 iterations. The QAP solution has the same minimum distance with an optimal distance of 4,967.2 m so that the layout of the production facilities at PT. Slamet Langgeng in 2019 is optimal in terms of the distance of labor between production processes. The Ant Density algorithm produces the best QAP solution of 5,271.4 m for 2,000 iterations. The Ant Quantity algorithm produces the best QAP solution of 5,471.6 m for 500 iterations.

Effects of time-since-fire on ant-plant interactions in southern Brazilian grasslands

Abstract Grasslands and savannas are dynamic ecosystems, strongly regulated by environmental disturbances such as fire. Maintaining disturbance regimes in these ecosystems are of great conservation concern, and require studies with the use of ecological indicators. Biotic interactions are a major component of biodiversity that are particularly sensitive to environmental changes, and therefore should be considered in ecosystem assessment and monitoring. One of the most common interactions between insects and plants is mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), where ants use food resources from plants in exchange for protection against herbivores. Here, we explored variations on this ant-plant interaction across a post-fire successional gradient (i.e., few months to more than two years since the last fire) in eleven grassland patches in South Brazil. We evaluated time-since-fire effects on (i) the grassland habitat structure, (ii) an EFN-bearing plant population: Chamaecrista repens, (iii) the EFN-visiting ant communities, and (iv) the ant-plant ecological networks. We expected fire-induced habitat changes to benefit this plant population, and to produce positive cascading effects on interacting ants, thus influencing the structure of ant-plant networks. Freshly-burnt sites presented increased C. repens abundance, and larger individuals with more reproductive structures and EFNs in comparison with sites longer without disturbances. Plant abundance and size were inversely related to the cover of dominant grasses along the habitat gradient. The density of EFN-visiting ants, but not their species richness, increased in freshly-burnt sites, stimulated by the greater resource offer and the habitat openness, which probably facilitated ant activity. Moreover, with increasing time-since-fire, ants interacted with fewer plants, and few species formed the network generalist core. These results could further suggest that the defense service against herbivory provided by ants is also diminished in grasslands longer without disturbances. Overall, by using a series of indicators of habitat change from multiple ecological levels, this study highlights the importance of disturbance for grassland biodiversity and their ecological interactions, helping to improve management decisions.

Effects of vineyard inter-row management on the diversity and abundance of plants and surface-dwelling invertebrates in Central Romania

Vineyard inter-rows are important biodiversity hotspots within agricultural landscapes, especially when they are covered with vegetation. However, little is known on the effects to management intensity on a broad range of surface-dwelling invertebrates and their interaction with vegetation. We assessed the diversity and activity density of ants, beetles, millipedes, mites, spiders, springtails and woodlice using pitfall traps in vineyards with either high management intensity (HI) consisting of frequently tilled inter-rows or low management intensity (LO) with alternating tillage in every second inter-row. The study was performed in the Târnave wine region in Central Romania. We wanted to know whether, (i) vineyard management intensity affects the diversity of plants and invertebrates, and (ii) local habitat characteristics affect species richness of different functional guilds and taxa. Species richness of some invertebrate taxa (Coleoptera, Araneae, Formicidae) did significantly differ between HI and LO vineyards. Only phytophages (some Coleoptera) increased in species richness and activity density with vegetation cover. Vineyard soil properties (organic matter content, pH, P, and K) did not significantly differ between HI and LO vineyards. We conclude that vineyard inter-row management can affect both the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of biodiversity-driven ecosystem services.