International Journal of Entomology Research

www.entomologyjournals.com
ISSN: 2455-4758
Received: 18-08-2023, Accepted: 03-09-2023, Published: 19-09-2023
Volume 8, Issue 9, 2023, Page No. 82-86

Diversity of ant species in Yadava College campus, Madurai Tamil Nadu, India
R Gnanamani1*, B Ramanathan2, G Indirarani3
1
Department of Zoology, Yadava College, Madurai, India
2
Department of Zoology, V.O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India
3
Department of Zoology, EMG Women’s college, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract
As one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries and four biodiversity hotspots within its borders, India is home to an
impressive diversity of life forms. However, much work remains to document and catalog India's species and their
geographical distribution, especially for the diverse invertebrate groups. Ants are one of the most diverse and ubiquitous
groups of social insects. Ants (Formicidae) are the largest family under the order Hymenoptera. They act as ecological
indicators and ecosystem engineers. In the present study, the species diversity and distribution of ants in the Yadava College
campus, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, is discussed. The species of ants were collected with the help of hand collection method
from seven zones of the college campus. In the research region, fourteen kinds of ants were found. Three subfamilies were
discovered among the gathered ants. The majority of species were in the Myrmicinae (58%) and Formicinae (35%) followed
by Ponerinae (7%). Of these fourteen ant’s species, 4 species namely Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Camponotus herculeanus,
Crematogaster Scutellaris, Oecophylla smaragdina, were collected from the Canteen and Grass land area, 3 species namely
Camponotus ligniperda, Lasius niger, Megaponera analis were collected from Play Ground area and 3 species Camponotus
pennsylvanicus, Camponotus floridanus, Solenopsis attageminata from Science block area, one species Solenopsis xyloni from
Ladies Garden, 2 species Monomorium minimum, Pheidole megacephala from Garden area, 1 species Pogonomyrmex badius
from IQAC area has been observed. The most specious genera in this study were Camponotus, Solenopsis, Megaponera, and
Crematogaster.

Keywords: Biodiversity, invertebrate, ecological indicators, Formicidae and Hymenoptera

Introduction forms of social organization. Its so difficult to reveal the life

“Ants are everywhere, but only occasionally noticed. They cycle of any species completely [1].
run much of the terrestrial world as the premier soil turners, All living species of ants are eusocial and form highly
channelers of energy and dominatrices of the insect fauna - cooperative societies which is commonly known as a colony
yet receive only passing mention in text books on ecology. [5]
. They establish colonies that can range in size from a few
They employ the most complex forms of chemical of predatory individuals to highly structured colonies that
communication of any animals and their social organization might encompass millions of individuals and occupy huge
provides an illuminating contrast to that of human beings, territory. Because the ants seem to function as a single unit,
but not one biologist in a hundred can describe the life cycle cooperating to support the colony, the colonies are
of any species. The neglect of ants in science and natural frequently referred to as "superorganisms [6]."
history is a shortcoming that should be remedied, for they Among insects, like the bees, ants are considered beneficial
represent the culmination of insect evolution, in the same [7, 8]
. With respect to man, ants are beneficial, harmful or
sense that human beings represent the summit of vertebrate neutral. In fact, the earliest instance of humans using
evolution” [1]. biological control techniques for insect pests is from China,
The word ant is derived from ‘ante’ meaning ‘the biter’. The where people used red ants (Oecophylla sp.) to guard citrus
Latin word for ant, Formica, is the source of the family plantations against pests. Oecophylla smaragdina
name Formicidae. Between 110 and 130 million years ago, (Fabricius) are utilized as biological pest control agents [9].
during the Cretaceous epoch, ants diverged from wasp-like In terrestrial habitats of the tropics, by their sheer
progenitors, which affected the emergence of flowering abundance, ants have been considered to be excellent
plants. They can be recognized by their antennae that are turners of soil [10]. Ants are used in food, medicine, and
bent inward and by a characteristic node-like structure that rituals across a wide range of human cultures. However,
forms a narrow waist anterior to the belly [2]. Ants belong to because they may destroy crops and penetrate houses, ants'
a single large family Formicidae, largest of order capacity to extract resources may put them in conflict with
people. Their direct impact on the ecosystem can readily be
Hymenoptera. It is represented by 26 extant subfamilies
judged from the fact that in a terrestrial ecosystem, their
with 14,711 valid species and 428 valid genera out of these biomass and energy consumption is greater than all the
152 species are listed by IUCN [3]. And from India, 12 vertebrate fauna combined [1].
subfamilies are represented by 87 genera with 652 species Because of their tight evolutionary relationships, especially
[4]
. “Ants represent the culmination of insect evolution, in in tropical environments, ants are an efficient form of
the same sense that human beings represent the summit of defence against herbivorous (phytophagous) animals for
vertebrate evolution”. Mostly ants are having most intricate plants [11]. Ants may quickly dispatch insects and other small

82
International Journal of Entomology Research www.entomologyjournals.com

invertebrates, but they can also irritate larger vertebrates to Materials and methods
the point where they retreat from the intrusion. Thus, it is 1. Study area
clear that ant-hosting plants (myrmecophytes) have a strong Madurai city is hot and dry for four months of the year.
selective advantage, and it is likely that these co- Cold winds are experienced during July to September. The
evolutionary connections have developed [12]. Ants are hottest months are from March to July. The city experiences
causes of biological invasions in continental and island a moderate climate from August to October, tempered by
ecosystems throughout the world that bring economical heavy rain and thundershowers, and a slightly cooler climate
losses in agriculture. Currently at least 150 ant species are from November to February. The average annual rainfall for
invasive [13]. Some species of ants are pests on plants as they the Madurai district is about 85.76 cm. Yadava College
damage the plant by invading it and causing its death or campus is located in Madurai District at geographical
drying. The best example is the Dorylus orientalis location of Latitude:9.9850N; Longitude:78.1380E and 330
Westwood on potato and the extensive studies on it all over feet or 101 meters above the mean sea level. There are
the Orient. The ant is said to bore holes on the tubers several different natural ecosystems on the Yadava College
bringing down the yields value and causing losses up to Campus, including wetlands, meadows, and small and
70% [14]. medium-sized ponds. The entire campus is separated into
Ant colonies on the whole, are generally immune to other seven different study locations: (a) the canteen, (b) the
arthropod attacks as they club a large-scale defence against playground, (c) the science block area, (d) the ladies garden,
any predator by releasing alert, aggregate or defence (e) the garden, (f) the grassy area, and (g) the IQAC area.
pheromones. Renowned ecologists like La Salle and Gauld
[15]
have explained how ants dominate their ecosystems in a 2. Sampling of ants
way that cannot be parallelised with any of the other For collection of ants the standard protocol used with
organism. It is not only the biomass, but also, a multitude of modifications. Various sampling techniques including sugar
mutualistic ant-plant associations that are known to ensure baits, leaf litter technique, beating vegetation, hand
the survival of many plant species. They explain how ant collection was carried out for sampling of ants. From
mosaics constitute a dominant ant species which not only November 2021 to February 2022, the survey was run. Five
affects and controls the distribution of non-dominant ones, 10 meter transects were chosen at each study location, and
but also influence both the species composition and samples were taken along them using various sampling
abundance of other arthropod taxa. techniques. Each transect had six sugar baits, spaced two
Ants are diverse, abundant, easily found, and can be reliably meters apart. An area of 5 meters on either side of the
sampled and visually monitored. They are relatively transect was manually collected by looking for ants on
sedentary, with majority in a colony being wingless, with decaying logs, stumps, dead and live branches, twigs, low
restrictive ranges but are responsive even to small-scale vegetation, termite mounds, and beneath stones. An area of
ecological changes in both space and time [16]. Since ants 5 meters to the left and right of the transect was used to
can be a source of information for communication behavior, gather ants while hitting the foliage to move the ants off the
foraging behaviour, nesting, development, division of labour plants onto the sheets.
and regulation of different castes etc., many have used ants
as model organisms for their studies as they can be easily 3. Identification of ants
cultured in the laboratory and manipulated [17]. In Using a microscope and an identification key, the collected
conclusion, ants exhibit impressive adaptive techniques and ants were identified. The collected ants are identified using
specializations, including establishing fungi gardens, a variety of taxonomic keys, including body color, pilosity,
gathering seeds, herding and milking other invertebrates, the presence of a petiole and postpetiole, the presence of
constructing communal nests, hunting in packs, social spines in the propodeum and petiole, the number of
parasitism, and creating slaves [18, 19]. segments on the antennae, the position of the antennae, etc.
Despite the high number of species and the great importance
4. Data analyses
of ants, they are a difficult group to identify. Their potential
To calculate the richness and evenness of ant species at
use in land management and conservation is undermined by
various altitudes, standard methodologies were used. Using
our incomplete knowledge of their taxonomy, diversity
the Ludwig and Reyonlds software package, the diversity
patterns, evolution, and ecology. Ants are underrepresented
indices were calculated [22]. The Simpson's index (λ) which
in science and natural history, which is a flaw that needs to responds to changes in the most prevalent species in a
be fixed1. Losing biodiversity of ants would be a global community, and Shannon's index (H1), which responds to
ecological experiment without match [20]. Understanding the changes in the abundance of uncommon species in the
intricate relations of ants with their habitat that encompasses community, are the two indices needed to calculate Hill's
their dynamics, plant associations, interspecific associations diversity numbers.
and abiotic impacts on them is an almost immediate
necessity. Effective conservation of this taxon is essential Results
given the significance of ants in ecological systems. Ants Seven research areas on the Yadava College campus—the
that depend on relationships with other creatures must be Canteen area, Playground, Science Block, Ladies Garden,
protected with special care [21]. Hence, this present study Garden, Grass Land, and IQAC area—were selected for the
with the aims, to estimate the diversity of ant species in study of the ant population after fourteen species of ants
Yadava College campus, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. This were found there. Three subfamilies of ants were formed
list could also aid in locating the main under-sampled from the entire collection. The Myrmicinae (58%) and
regions where future taxonomic and sampling efforts should Formicinae (35%) families had the bulk of species, followed
focus. by the Ponerinae (7%). There were 8 species in subfamily

83
International Journal of Entomology Research www.entomologyjournals.com

Myrmicinae, 5 species in the subfamily Formicinae, 1 Of these fourteen ant’s species, 4 species namely
species in Ponerinae. The genus and species levels of these Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Camponotus herculeanus,
14 ant species were determined. In this study region, Crematogaster Scutellaris, Oecophylla smaragdina, were
Myrmicinae ants were the most numerous and diversified collected from the Canteen and Grass land area, 3 species
group (8 Species) (Table 1). namely Camponotus ligniperda, Lasius niger, Megaponera
Table 1: Total number of ant species collected from seven places analis were collected from Play Ground area and 3 species
in Yadava College Campus Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus floridanus,
S.No Sub family Species name Solenopsis attageminata from Science block area, one
1. Myrmicinae Pogonomyrmex rugosus species Solenopsis xyloni from Ladies Garden, 2 species
2. Formicinae Camponotus herculeanus Monomorium minimum, Pheidole megacephala from
3. Myrmicinae Crematogaster Scutellaris Garden area, 1 species Pogonomyrmex badius from IQAC
4. Myrmicinae Oecophylla smaragdina area has been observed. The most specious genera in this
5. Formicinae Camponotus ligniperda
study were Camponotus, Solenopsis, Megaponera, and
6. Formicinae Lasius niger
7. Ponerinae Megaponera analis Crematogaster. The seven ecosystems had slightly varying
8. Formicinae Camponotus pennsylvanicus species diversity indices. The garden area had the highest
9. Formicinae Camponotus floridanus index (1.35), followed by the canteen area (1.09), the
10. Myrmicinae Solenopsis xyloni grassland (1.08), the science block and play area (1.07), the
11. Myrmicinae Solenopsis attageminata ladies garden (1.05), and the IQAC area (0.73). The garden,
12. Myrmicinae Monomorium minimum
canteen area, and grassland were found to have the highest
13. Myrmicinae Pheidole megacephala
14. Myrmicinae Pogonomyrmex badius levels of the richness and evenness indices (Table 2).

Table 2: Ecological indices of ant species structure in the seven different habitats
Richness Evenness
S.No Place Shannon index(H) Simpson index(D)
R1 R2 E1 E2 E3
1. Canteen -1.09 0.48 2.25 0.7 0.86 0.02 -0.16
2. Play Ground -1.07 0.3 2.2 0.7 0.70 0.01 -0.15
3. Science Block -1.07 0.3 2.1 0.7 0.70 0.02 -0.15
4. Ladies Garden -1.05 0.2 2.2 0.7 0.80 0.02 -0.16
5. Garden -1.35 0.5 2.0 0.5 0.95 0.01 -0.16
6. Grass Land -1.08 0.4 2.1 0.6 0.80 0.02 -0.16
7. IQAC -0.73 0.1 2.1 0.6 0.33 0.03 -0.05

Discussion they are the only terrestrial and arboreal taxa. These
On the campus, gardening has been done every year as a findings are consistent with our observations on campus:
regular process leading to digging, changing of soil, Pheidole nested in dirt, Crematogaster nested in dead wood
replacement of soil, additional manuring, burning of litter, on trees, Myrmicaria nested at tree bases, and Solenopsis
changing of plants and grass that has resulted in change of nested beneath rocks and rotten logs. In the research region,
topological profile of ant's ecos. The Yadava college Formicinae were the most numerous. The Formicinae
campus is about 52 years old, and the campus area has subfamily, which has five species, demonstrated great
undergone several modifications in the form of floral dominance in this investigation. Seasonal differences in
cultivations and extension of permanent structures, which Formicinae were insignificant. Nest construction may be
has become more rapid in the past few years. impacted by humidity. Four species of the genus
As ants could be gathered from this campus each year Camponotus have been identified. Everywhere, Camponotus
without any discernible changes in their availability, it was a species that was regularly encountered. The
appears that none of the factors connected to air or soil Camponotus had the highest number of individuals.
pollution have altered the existence of the ants or their Carpenter ants are so named because of their "Nesting
abundance in the campus. 14 species of ants, representing 3 behaviors" [24]. The Garden and Canteen area included the
subfamilies, were discovered on the Yadava College majority of the ant species. Food supplies might have been
campus in Madurai. The Myrmicinae (58%) and Formicinae crucial23. Of these, Oecophylla smaragdina, a truly arboreal
(35%) families had the most species, followed by the species, was the most prevalent. These ants built their nests
Ponerinae (7%). The most specious genera in this study in shaded areas and needed large leaves to cover it. All
were Camponotus, Solenopsis, Megaponera, and known species of Lasius niger are arboreal and live in
Crematogaster. untouched environments. Although not to the same level of
In this study region, Myrmicinae ants were the most labor, this study also found that these ants built their nests
numerous and diversified group (8 Species). This family had on the ground. The Ponerinae subfamily had more
a large seasonal difference that has been seen by others. The specialized eating habits and a particular market [25]. They
number of people increased during the rainy season [23]. consume a variety of foods. Food resources might have had
They built their nests in the humus of the soil, inside the a significant impact on the population of Ponerin.
nuts of woody plants, hollow twigs, under bark, and galls. Megaponera analis nestled in the ground or even inside
Therefore, it is not strange that we accumulated more of decaying wood. To build their nests, leptogenys seek
them. Because food and breeding locations were readily openings in logs or big branches. Physical or seasonal
available, these ants were highly specialized. Additionally, variations had no impact on the population of this group.

84
International Journal of Entomology Research www.entomologyjournals.com

These solitary foragers build their nests in logs that have 5. Oster GF, Wilson EO. Caste and Ecology in the Social
rotted and fallen dead wood. Insects. (Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton), 1978.
The Garden and Canteen are dominated by the genera 6. Wheeler WM. Zoological results of the Abor
Crematogaster, Pheidole, and Camponotus. The fact that Expedition, 1911–1912, XVII. Hymenoptera, II: Ants
IQAC has the lowest dominance score suggests that there (Formicidae). Records of the Indian
are no dominating ant species. Some of the ant genera have Museum,1910:8:233–237.
single species that are consistently recorded from one or two 7. Brinkley CK, Ervin RT, Sterling WL. Potential
places. Ants play a variety of ecological activities that are beneficial impact of red imported fire ant to Texas
advantageous to people, such as controlling insect cotton production. Biological Agriculture and
populations and preventing soil erosion. The results of the Horticulture. Department of Finance, State of
current investigation will provide important details about ant California. 2000. City/County Population and Housing
availability in the area. Estimates, 1991-2000 with 1990 Census Counts.
Compared to other invertebrates, ants show stronger Sacramento, California,1991:8:145-152.
tolerance to toxins, including industrial pollutants [26, 27]. 8. Albrecht MC. Spatial and temporal investigations of an
Only 10% of ants are outside during the day's active period, Oklahoma grassland ant assemblage. Ph.D thesis,
which is one reason for this type of resistance and University of Oklahoma, USA, 1996, 17-42.
adaptability, and another is that ants alter their activity 9. Verghese Abraham, Poluru Venkata Rami Reddy,
patterns in response to exposure to pollutants16; frequently, Krishnappa Nagarathna Chandrasekhara, Hospete
the density of activity decreases as pollution levels rise. The Kenchaiah Roopa. Pest Dynamics and Potential
diversity of the biomass of invertebrate, microbial, and plant Emergence of New Biotypes Under Climate Change
species has been linked to the richness [28, 29]. Scenario in Horticultural Crops in Climate-Resilient
Despite all the crimes committed against the ant colony on Horticulture: Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies,
the Yadava College campus, the ants have shown signs of 2013, 279-286.
persistence and have survived for many generations. This 10. Folgarait Patricia J. Ant biodiversity and its relationship
study's findings about the rich diversity of ants suggest that to ecosystem functioning: a review Biodiversity and
there are sufficient nesting sites, food sources, and foraging Conservation,1998:7:1221-1244.
opportunities. This location is a good habitat for ants as 11. Rowe DJ. Ant-plants: Arboreal Wonders of Nature.
evidenced by the large diversity of ants found there. This Distributed by the Australian Cactus and Succulent
study demonstrated that ants might persevere in the face of Society DVD-Book, 2010.
adversity, and the study area functioned as a small-scale 12. Cushman JH, Addicott JF. Conditional interactions in
model to investigate the persistence of different ant species ant plant herbivore mutualisms. In Ant plant
in a given area. interactions ed. C. R. Huxley and D. F. Cutler. Oxford
University Press, 1991, 92-103.
Conclusion 13. Holway DA, Lach L, Suarez AV, Tsutsui ND, Case TJ.
Ants can be found in a variety of settings, including dirt, The causes and consequences of invasions. Annual
dead logs, leaf litter, and trees. Ants are effective habitat Review of Ecology and Systematics,2002:33:181-233.
invaders and bioindicators. Ants are employed to compare 14. Dash CK, Hassan K, Pramanik MEA, Rashid MH,
habitats and ecosystems to estimate biodiversity. They Choudhury AR. Development of management strategies
perform crucial ecological functions such seed distribution, against red Ant Dorylus Orientalis Westwood of Potato,
nitrogen cycling, and controlling the population of other Universal J. of Plant Sci,2013:13:74-77.
insects. Ant colonies are able to divide labor, communicate 15. La Salle J, Gauld ID. Hymenoptera and Biodiversity.
among members, and resolve complex issues. Pheromones, Wallingford, UK: CAB International, 1993.
noises, and touch are all used by ants to communicate with 16. Ward PS. Broad-scale patterns of diversity in leaf litter
one another. Humans utilize ants in food, medicine, and ant communities. In: Agosti, D.; Majer, J.D.; Alonso,
ceremonies. Some species are prized for their capacity to act L.E.; Schultz, T.R., eds. Ants: standard methods for
as natural pest controllers. According to the data provided measuring monitoring biodiversity. Smithsonian
here, ants function as excellent environmental indicators. Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA,2000:8:99-
We think the findings of this early study support the 121.
beginning of more thorough ant research. 17. Stadler B, Dixon AFG. Ecology and evolution of
aphid–ant interactions. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol.
References Syst,2005:36:345–372.
1. Holldobler B, Wilson EO. The Ants. Massachusetts: 18. Holldobler B, Wilson EO. The Super-Organism: The
Harvard University Cambridge, Belknap press, 1990. Beauty elegance and Strangeness of Insect Societies.
2. Forel A. Formicides du Musée National Hongrois. New York–London: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009.
Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis 19. Lech L, Parr CL. Ant Ecology, Oxford University
Hungarici,1978:5:1–42. Press, 2010.
3. Bolton B. Identification Guide to the Ant Genera of 20. Brown WL. Diversity of ants. In: Agosti, D., Majer, J.
World. Cambridge: Oxford University press, 2011, D., Alonso, L. E. and Schultz, T. R. eds. Ants: standard
137-156. methods for measuring and monitoring biodiversity.
4. Bharti B, Guenad B, Bharti M, Economo EP. An Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, 2000, 45-
updated checklist of the ants of India with their specific 79.
distribution in Indian states (Hymenoptera, 21. Andersen AN, Sparling GP. Ants as indicators of
Formicidae),’’Zoo keys,2016:551:1-83. restoration success: relationship with soil microbial

85
International Journal of Entomology Research www.entomologyjournals.com

biomass in the Australian seasonal tropics. Rest.

Ecol,1997:7:109-114.
22. Ludwig JA, Reynolds JF. Statistical Ecology: A Primer
on Methods and Computing. Wiley-Interscience Pub.,
New York, 1988.
23. Watanasit S, Bickel TO. Diversity of Ants from Ton
Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary, Songkhla, Thailand,
2000, 187-194.
24. Chavhan A, Pawar SS. Distribution and Diversity of ant
species in and around Amravati city of Maharashtra,
India, 2011, 395-400.
25. Ramachandra TV, Chandran S, Joshi NV. Ant species
composition and diversity in the Sharavathi river Basin-
Central Western Ghats, 2012, 1-51.
26. Torossian C, Causse R. E ets des radiations gamma sur
la fertlitea et la longea vitea des colonies de
Dolichoderus quadripunctatus. Compte rendu du
Colloque``Isotopes and radiation in entomology''.
International Atomic Energy Agency. Vienna, 1968,
155-164.
27. Le Masne G, Bonavita Cougourdan A. Premiers rea
sults tsdune irradiation prolongea e au cea sium sur les
populations de fourmis en Haute-Provence. Ekologia
Polska,1972:20:129-144.
28. Majer JD, Sartiori M, Stone R, Perriman WS.
Recolonization by ants and other invertebrates in
rehabiliated mineral sand mines near Enebba, Western
Australia. Recl. and Reveg. Res,1982:1:63-81.
29. Andersen AN, Sparling GP. Ants as indicators of
restoration success: relationship with soil microbial
biomass in the Australian seasonal tropics. Rest.
Ecol,1997:7:109-114.

86