Annotated Checklist of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Urban Area of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico
Ants urban zone Zacatecas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32870/dugesiana.v33i2.7409Keywords:
Urban myrmecofauna, abundance, richness, frequencyAbstract
Urbanization triggers a series of side effects on habitat quality; urban green spaces exhibit lower stress levels and less disturbance than gray spaces. This environment presents few abundant species, which tend to be the same throughout the urban space. Ants are successful insects in terrestrial ecosystems and are present in urban areas. To determine the myrmecofauna of the urban zone of Zacatecas, collections were made at 27 points distributed throughout the city, grouped into five environments: residential houses, vacant lots, parks or green areas, roundabouts, and schools, using direct collection and bait traps with tuna and nut. A total of 1,620 individuals belonging to 13 species, eleven genera, and three subfamilies were collected. Of these, ten species are native to the region and three are introduced. The subfamily Myrmicinae presented the highest richness, while the genus Pheidole exhibited the highest abundance. Parks or green areas were the places with the highest average abundance and richness, with 64.2 individuals and nine species. Schools, with an average of seven individuals and a single species, were the place with the lowest abundance and richness. The species Pheidole obtusospinosa was the most frequent, while Camponotus maculatus presented the lowest abundance, with only one individual recorded. An inventory of the myrmecofauna of the urban zone of Zacatecas city is now available.References
Organization in North American Ant Communities: A Comparison with Australia. Journal of Biogeography, 24(4): 433-460.
Andersen, A. N. 1997b. Using Ants as bioindicators: Multiscale Issues in Ant Community Ecology. Conservation Ecology, 1(1): 8.
AntMaps. 2025. Zacatecas. Disponible en: https://antmaps.org/?mode=region®ionName=Zacatecas®ionKey=BEN20516. Fecha de consulta: 17 de diciembre de 2025.
AntWeb. 2025. Zacatecas. https://www.antweb.org/adm1.do?name=Zacatecas&country=Mexico. Fecha de consulta: 17 de diciembre de 2025
Baena, M. L., F. Escobar and J. E. Valenzuela. 2019. Diversity snapshot of green-gray space ants in two Mexican cities. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 40: 239-250.
Bhatkar, A. P. 1992. Mating success in Monomorium minimum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 65(3): 244-250.
Bolund, P. and S. Hunhammar. 1999. Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas. Ecological Economics 29(2): 293-301.
Borowiec, M. L. and S. Salata. 2022. A Monographic Review of Ants of Greece (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Department of Natural History Upper Silesian Museum, Bytom, Polonia.
Buczkowski, G. and D. S. Richmond. 2012. The Effect of Urbanization on Ant Abundance and Diversity: A Temporal Examination of Factors Affecting Biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 7(8): e41729.
CONABIO. 2023. México megadiverso. Disponible en: https://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/pais/quees.html. Fecha de consulta: 30 de junio de 2025.
Creighton, W. S. 1930. The New World Species of the Genus Solenopsis (Hymenop. Formicidae). American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 66 (2): 39-152.
Creighton, W. S. 1969. Studies on Camponotus (Myrmaphaenus) andrei Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). American Museum Novitates, 2393: 1-6.
Dejean, A. 1988. Prey Capture by Camponotus maculatus (Formicidae-Formicinae). Biology of Behaviour, 13:97-115.
Del Toro, I., J. A. Pacheco and W. P. Mackay. 2009. Revision of the Ant Genus Liometopum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology, 53 (2): 299-370.
DuBois, M. B. 1986. A revision of the Native New World Species of the Ant Genus Monomorium (minimum group) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The University of Kansas Science Bulettin, 53(2): 65-119.
Espadaler, X. and N. Ortiz de Zugasti. 2019. Cardiocondyla obscurior Wheeler, 1929 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Catalonia (NE Spain), with Comments on Exotic Ant Species. Butlletí de la Institució Catalana d’Història Natural, 83: 153-156.
Fernández, F., R. J. Guerrero and T. Delsinne. 2019. Hormigas de Colombia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Folgarait, P. J. 1998. Ant biodiversity and its relationship to ecosystem functioning: a review. Biodiversity and Conservation, 7: 1221-1244
Friedman, D. A., M. J. Greene and D. M. Gordon. 2019. The Physiology of Forager Hydration and Variation Among Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) Colonies in Collective Foraging Behavior. Scientific Reports, 9: 5126.
Grimm, N. B., S. H. Faeth, N. E. Golubiewski, C. L. Redman, J. Wu, X. Bai and J. M. Briggs. 2008. Global change and the Ecology of Cities. Science, 319: 756-760.
Heinze, J. 2017. Life-history Evolution in Ants: The Case of Cardiocondyla. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284: 1-8.
Heinze, J. and J. Delabie. 2005. Population Structure of the Male-Polymorphic Ant ardiocondyla obscurior. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 40 (3):187-190.
Hobbs, R. J., S. Arico, Aronson, J., J. S. Baron, P. Bridgewater, V. A. Cramer, P. R. Epstein, J. J. Ewel, C. A. Klink, A. E. Lugo, D. Norton, D. Ojima, D. M. Richardson, E. W. Sanderson, F. Valladares, M. Vilá, R. Zamora and M. Zobel. 2006. Novel ecosystems: theoretical and management aspects of the new ecological world order Global Ecology and Biogeography, 15: 1-7.
Hölldobler, B. and E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Harvard University Press, Cambridge. Huang, M.H. 2010. Multi-phase Defense by the Big-headed Ant, Pheidole obtusospinosa, Against Raiding Army Ants. Journal of Insect Science, 10(1): 1-10.
INEGI. 2020. Información por entidad.Disponible en: https://cuentame.inegi.org.mx/monografias/informacion/zac/default.aspx?tema=me&e=32. Fecha de consulta: 25 de noviembre de 2024.
Kallal, R.J. and J.S. LaPolla. 2012. Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the World, Part II: Nylanderia in the Neartic. Zootaxa, 3508 (1): 1-64.
Lach, L., C. L. Parr and K. L. Abbott. 2010. Ant ecology. Oxford University Press, Cambridge.
Macgregor-Fors, I. 2011. Misconceptions or misunderstandings? On the standardization of basic terms and definitions in urban ecology. Landscape and Urban Planning, 100: 347-349.
Lessard, J. P. and C. M. Buddle. 2005. The effects of urbanization on ant assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) associated with the Molson Nature Reserve, Quebec. The Canadian Entomologist, 137(2): 215-225.
Mackay, W. P. and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The Ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, Nueva York.
McIntyre, N. E., K. Knowles-Yánez and K. Hope. 2000. Urban Ecology as an Interdisciplinary Field: Differences in the use of “Urban Between the Social Natural Sciences. Urban Ecosystems, 4: 5-24.
Mazurkiewicz, P. J., A. Wagner-Ziemka, A. Mirecka and E. J. Godziriska. 2016. Behavior of Intranidal and Extranidal Major Workers of the African Carpenter Ant Camponotus maculatus Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) During Dyadic Nestmate Reunion Tests. African Entomology, 24 (2): 307-320.
McKinney, M. M. 2002. Urbanization, Biodiversity, and Conservation. BioScience, 52 (10): 883-890.
Morrone, J. J. 2019. Regionalización biogeográfica y evolución biótica de México: encrucijada de la biodiversidad del Nuevo Mundo. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 90: e902980.
Ottonetti, L., L. Tucci, F. Frizzi, G. Chelazzi and G. Santini. 2010. Changes in ground-foraging ant assemblages along a disturbance gradient in a tropical agricultural landscape. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 22(1): 73-86.
Park, S.-H. and Moon, T.-Y. 2020. Structure of ant assemblages on street trees in urban Busan, Korea. Entomological Research, 50: 131–137.
Perfecto, I. and S. M. Philpott. 2023. Ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) and ecosystem functions and services in urban areas: a reflection on a diverse literature. Myrmecological News, 33: 103-122.
Ramírez-Cepeda, C. E. y M. Vásquez-Bolaños. 2025. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Zacatecas, México. Visupra, visión científica, 17 (1): 27-35.
Ramos-Elorduy de Conoconi, J., B. Delage-Darchen, N. F. Galindo Miranda y J. M. Pino Moreno. 1988. Observaciones Biotecnológicas de Liometopum apiculatum M. y Liometopum occidentale var. Luctuosum W. (Hymenoptera-Formicidae). Anales del Instituto de Biología, Serie Zoología, 58 (1): 341-354.
Ríos-Casanova, L. 2014. Biodiversidad de hormigas en México. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 85 (1):392-398.
Ribas, C. R., R. B. F. Campos, F. A. Schmidt and R. R. C. Solar. 2012. Ants as Indicators in Brazil: A Review with Suggestions to Improve the Use of Ants in Environmental Monitoring Programs. Psyche, 2012: 636749.
Santos, M. N. 2016. Research on Urban Ants: Approaches and Gaps. Insectes Sociaux, 63 (3): 359-371.
Schmidt, C. V., A. Schrempf, A. Trindl and J. Heinze. 2016. Microsatellite Markers for the Tramp Ant, Cardiocondyla obscurior (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Journal of Genetics, 95 (1): 1-4.
Seifert, B. 2003. The Ant Genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta:Hymenoptera: Formicidae) A Taxonomic Revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior Species Groups. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie, 104:203-338.
Seifert, B. 2023. The Ant Genus Cardiocondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): The Species Groups with Oriental and Australasian Origin. Diversity, Systematics and Evolution of Hymenoptera, 15 (1): 1-60.
Taylor, B., N. Agoinon, A. Sinzogan, A. Adandonon, Y. N´da Kouagou, S. Bello, R. Wargui, F. Anato, I. Ouagoussounon, H. Houngbo, S. Tchibozo, R. Todjhounde, and J. F. Vayssiéres. 2018. Records of Ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) from the Republic of Benin, with Particular Reference to the Mango Farm Ecosystem. Journal of Insect Biodiversity, 8 (1): 6-29.
Trager, J. C. 1991. A Revision of the Fire Ants, Solenopsis geminata Group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 99 (2): 141-198.
Varela-Hernández, F., B. Medel-Zosayas, E. O. Martínez- Luque, R. W. Jones and A. De la Mora. 2020. Biodiversity in Central Mexico: Assessment of Ants in a Convergent Region. Southwestern Entomologist, 45(3):673-686.
Vásquez-Bolaños, M., G. Castaño-Meneses, A. Cisneros-Caballero, G. A. Quiroz-Rocha y J. L. Navarrete-Heredia. 2013. Formicidae de México, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2015. Taxonomía de Formicidae (Hymenoptera) para México. Métodos de Ecología y Sistemática, 10(1): 1-53.
Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2020. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). (pp. 191-193). In: Cruz Angón, A., D. López Higareda, K. C. Nájera Cordero, E. Daniela Melgarejo y D. Hernández Ramírez (Coords.). La biodiversidad en Zacatecas. Estudio de Estado. CONABIO, México.
Vásquez-Bolaños, M., X. Vásquez-Alcalá and M. A. Soto-Cárdenas 2024. La desconocida diversidad de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): el caso del Parque Nacional Sierra de Órganos, Zacatecas, México. Boletín de la Asociación Mexicana de Sistemática de Artrópodos, 8(2): 32-37.
Wetterer, J. K., A. L. Wild, A. V. Suarez, N. Roura-Pascual and X. Espalder. 2009. Worldwide Spread of the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News, 12: 187-194.
Wetterer, J. K. 2011. Worldwide Spread of the Tropical Fire Ant, Solenopsis geminata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News, 14: 31-35.
Wheeler, W. M. 1911. The North American Ants of the Genus Camponotus Mayr. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 20 (1): 295-354.
Whitford, W. G., P. Johnson and J. Ramirez. 1975. Comparative Ecology of the Harvester Ants Pogonomyrmex barbatus (F. Smith) and Pogonomyrmex rugosus (Emery). US/IBP Desert Biome Research Memorandum, 3:29-37.
Uno, S., J. Cotton and S. M. Philpott. 2010. Diversity, abundance, and species composition of ants in urban green spaces. Urban Ecosystems, 13: 425-441.
Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus. Harvard University Press, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
1. Proposed policy for open access journals
Those authors who have publications with this journal, accept the following terms:
- The authors will retain their copyright and will guarantee to the journal the right of first publication of their work, which will be simultaneously subject to the Creative Commons Recognition License, which allows third parties to share the work whenever their author is indicated and His first publication is this journal.
- Authors may adopt other non-exclusive license agreements to distribute the version of the published work (eg to be deposited in an institutional telematic file or published in a monographic volume) provided the initial publication is indicated in this journal .
Authors are encouraged and encouraged to disseminate their work through the Internet (eg in institutional telematic files or on their web page) before and during the sending process, which can produce interesting exchanges and increase appointments Of the published work. (See The effect of open access).
2. Proposed policy for journals that offer open deferred access
Those authors who have publications with this journal, accept the following terms:
- The authors will retain their copyrights and will guarantee to the journal the right of first publication of their work [SPECIFY PERIOD OF TIME], which will be simultaneously subject to the Creative Commons Recognition License that allows third parties to share the work always That its author and his first publication be indicated this journal.
- Authors may adopt other non-exclusive license agreements to distribute the version of the published work (eg to be deposited in an institutional telematic file or published in a monographic volume) provided the initial publication is indicated in this journal .
- Authors are encouraged and encouraged to disseminate their work through the Internet (eg in institutional telematic files or on their web page) before and during the sending process, which can produce interesting exchanges and increase appointments Of the published work. (See The effect of open access).
