Microchiropteran bat mortality in a harp trap due to Green Tree Ant Oecophylla smaragdina attack

1 Pages·1995·0.1 MB·

by  A S Kutt

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4>B MEMOIRSOFTHEQUEENSLANDMUSEUM
MlCROCHIROPTttUN HAT MORTALITY IN A leavingdropsQfnTOwn fluidthaiactasculanjrsfiEciJIctrail
HARP TRAP DUE TO GREEN TREK ANT markers Previous studies involving the placement ofpot-
OECOPHVUASMAAMGDiNAATTACK.Memoirsofthe plants into territorial areas indicated that worker? actively
QueenslandMuseumW?):42X t9P$ • Microehirpoteranbat enterandsearchnewlyopenedterrain(Holldobler&Wilson,
mortalityinharptrap*hasbeenpreviouslyreportedinVicto- 1990) It issuggestedthattheplacementottheharptraponto
ria (SctiuU & Meggt, 1986. Uunsden. 19*9; Wallis &. Ihetrackreprrsenled new territory that whsrapidlyexplored
La MvOri 1993) and the Northern Temlory (Underwood, andoccupiedduringIhecourseoftheevening,beloicanyhats
c1a9f9te4nVbyInBVuischtoRraitanscHaxiatitnipslfcuis.cSipaens,wewrhci*lieiianLlt<hreJca*r*»eJpfjmrmtl»e wereMtircarpopcehdi.ropieran hats generally demonstrate bimodal
Northern Territory, mortality was due in Green Trer Ani feedingacfivlrypatterns,withpost duskandpre-dawnactiv-
Otuophfilnmarafditiaattack.Thisnotereport*anouV itypeaks(Tayloret»l„198"!"j Intheaboveease,thehuiy |rap
id O smnmvditwattack onaharpfiap whichresultedinthe failedtocaplurrany batsduring the first period of feeding,
mortalityof23LittleBent-wing Bats.Mrnn.y^ruwjuw'rV-v despiteahagh levelofobservedactivity. Therefore the bats
DuringafaunasurveyofcoastalwetlandsinTrinityInlet, SuboeOuea rapped werepossiblycaptureddur.ngIhepre-
Cairns,aharptrapwassetonawalkingtradsimatedonthe dawn feediIng pencil Between Ute final trap checking and
bountti"ip> ofaduneridgecommunityiMeiuU'xcaleucade/adra dawn,largenumbersGreenTreeAntsexploredatidov -tp)n\
owraoreyio IKm. withmixed Inoetirctw-flwijw tryiw the harptrap, utilising Ihe trap-leg* asan access ptanl. U >s
Tpuvilo;£xocdrputfkttifoiw,Termimthamuetteri,Giptfrtiop- hypoiheinted thai when the hats started sinking and falling
nS anucii/dii\LjVs. AimA-inur jp mid storey) and a Cerwps intothe harp trapholdingbag,ihis distillboncecaused
fojWJnmtnated mangrovevuiiimuiHiy.TheCrapwa<placed andaggressivedefenceresponsesintheants.GreenTreeAnts
between tWC fctfge Af* i>ut .u.V'n..1';] and, (I 'fie JUfJuif W»« ute hlghl\ responsive lo substrate vihratmns <C. HU1, pcrs.
awareofIhe pr -ir-i *i 3*£-0l"OeetiTref fefH Htftdc.CSPKWBi : lhe hats wereprohi & hy acombinationvf
UkentwItorestthetrapagainst,orticthe »de-anchor anl-bttes and sccielmns from rhc Circeit Tice Ann- Uftda
ontothesurroundingvegetation.Thetrapwassetatdusk,and wood<1994)incornctly reported Ihsl »hc h»lsha*1hcei» *ap-
alteraperioduftpoil«£hi<nf! and nlffawJnJc hatdetection,ihe f^if.- ,ilv killed by the repeated Mings inflicted by the ants*,
trapwascheckedforihelast limeai 2250hours Nohamwere firccnTruv Anlsdo nui pQRSCfMnbdomlOBl 'stings'busrather
prese.nlinthetrapatthetimeorthelastcheck,despitealarge ii^^'hriiinanilihlesicbitPanilspTavMit Pormii ' idf\DIRtheir
alongeUinc,^Tr»-InVdiIv-i—duakllistfObtelingOGorbeseernvTerdeeHyAinntgswocvrecrohheaacdfatnedd glanVdYsheinndheafrepntsriavpepoirngaitntatcrkoipnicgarleesnpvoinsreosn.mentswhereGreen
».sn the trap. Trtv Antsarepie-seiif.itIseugfitSlCdllldl'"nmhi-rofprecau-
I Ik: nap WH( chontcd tl BpptDffimBtety l>600 hours, the i;jn*- ait Inken lo overcome the possibilityofantsaccessing
ne*? ntrar.ing and23 trapped M.auttralis were discovered andoccupyingthetrap,including: minimisingtheOOniaCIof
deadtnthetrap.Anexirerneh. lateenumberofO wwmjt^inri the Irnj xmu.mtdiHM vegetal-an not tying die Wont
(approonrwib; Mil * • 1" Individuals) were present guy rcpes to sunounding vegetation, using surface insect
i,n lite Ofap partvnlarly wiihiit »bc folds and spares l IG lefxlleui on the irap legs or peminox of the Irnp (bill
canvas capture bat; andplasticdividing Haps Ml kits were pMcmlalaccesspivintslnrihcaiil\HinlplanumIheHupk$iIII
cdwlihUrgenuionetfsofants,manyofwhichwerealso smallcontainersofwater
Jr.i.l I | ptfftO* nj '">; ^inviy h.ilu.n^ h«j/andIhe.n theKhall
uScauthorwasattackedandbitten,andfumesexcreted 1ie Acknowledgvments
ants cawed gagging and retching. Accessto the trap t Thanks to Dr Chris Hill (Zoology Department. James
GreenTree \Wt was fromtheground.Thetraphadhern Wl Cook Univcniiy). Trapping wasconducted underIheserms
insimilaranddignitymoredensevcpetaiionontwoprevious and enraiitions ofQueenUand Department ofEnvironment
Th-eGrJeWclnfeThroeUteaAttnatckO,ecophvIlasmtruxilinaiFormk' andHeritage permitnumSerT-01 1S2
is a membersjfa group known as weaver ants due to tneir LttemtureCited
aTAbtfiirlJiisctoaytidaDntwdaotrtAlsudtsftgUrCaellniuaars.boiasrnewdaildfceosorpmmrsmeualnadiryttehyrdoneeuesgethnsotuoitfnlwttorsovepdeinccaollmehAaisv'ieC*as... luMldobAlna*r.UJB*.i"1f9'8h3y.lhT.cr\rmiulnoinxailltbneuh)aviBoiouTr.uijnMii.haeGIr:o}mJ.T2n4r1e*
250.
oafndupquteoei5l00l,afrXvXa)e!inrdeipvriedsueanltsin(gwomraknerys,hulnadrivacedswootrkneersst,sqmutereeness ll.Mlrlob!cr.B.&Wilson,E.0. 1990.TheAnts.Bclkiupl>rrss,
mcGourvneeierenianTtgrieoaenreAaannstdsocvaoer-reorpIeeDrn0ao0twirnvneeTd(sHol6cori1a!tldheosiWyreshftiegAmhslyWwieilvnsocolnhv,eidn1c0o0r0a).- LionsdoSef^nr.hiaLnt.gseRcra-pV1te9ir8vl9ea.giP,nrcaBdeharatlriinopntrl>a>pBMHaucsrhoRdaeifrtmiafr5//.ItJ/-*4wiZpev
tSainrahlcotoaelirrnoatmnnnhadohrnleedmsnrapfeliocontnantasnelaedisgdnleTiaxstdpntheldaefoineorrcndaelctoareiureogrcneartnruShadtiioDtlBmsfmc,oeegonrttderefgafiuncs,roggaleaillctle(hacHidttoeeiitvovolenenddlOosobfbylpylcselrtdua.ejucm1i0!osdmcabfoni-pd TSachyttinlr-.mwbPcaha.tKio,Msed:1Jrut2vg.n1,i:OidaMe'lnenN1?dgte0igiM9pfsl-rail.1coc.a1crRt9eM.io,eo.ddn1Ge,i9,nr8gdm6&siasPotkr2frf:eijtabd6hura7etid-i!Ro6ooon8nrv.,iaaoflnn,ldSio1ac9nri8ape7ti.turyraarpoliufs*Thpmia'aS>sInOm,i-reaay--n.-
ccrononomtnpeeonsst,ist,biosodtneyrannjadelrikgdilenangtnidtdyissoepcflrtaehtyeissoenascn,hdemmatianccdtaiillbeuslisgatnriamlausllaaartreimocnop.lhoeTnrhsoe-- Uoitehrawrcpntdr»ap&in19t9r4o.picNaolteAusotnratlhiea.deAautshtroaflabsaitasntHrwarpp(etodcaitniay
cossAnhpafuneocnttcrxhiftoPneficrticiascshoitptyitma(mpMaHcaocfe>ttfkc;hlerleaoitslencrdrskdoluKobnntseliohedeumwaxr.betlp.s&RleteeocdqWrecWguoierieelrulinaiksntonto^efdmndrpee.aG»natarxt1ttn*ee9htcsr9esuton0ntpsf)u,ye.ttTx8eharpueSleinCobeeCearsntiwfAasnlnlrgslitipnoOatwtbhclhioiCeeisouldiehtonieaegeirrayiprciTavttaiueornesrraeeydyp A4sW.n8eia1'Sr1.ic,"hA.K.cNktuateiVsip.wJlttts,aarilfavmiAele1eut:i1sstaitueIn;Irrrtaanf3oslOh:dioaJeakr1unnp6,nIaCtLtr'.'a't1t""p9''i.9t'r$A1f.u9sf9to*rralTAarnsooiptaihnccaiBlaptFicrSdtoacit^ikfew.t/ay't/eN'trMefMbwVRfisteit--uf
periodically toiteh their alxloinen tips to the new BUbstratt