Spatial distribution of structure infesting ant species inhabiting urban housing developments of different ages

The distribution of ant colonies within a community is often well defined, yet this distribution can change due to changing environmental conditions, resource availability, and colony growth. In this study, structure infesting ant communities were sampled for one year within three Puerto Rican housing developments of different ages. These developments represented environments in different stages of recovery after a disturbance (secondary succession). Spatial mapping was used to plot the distribution and abundance of ant communities within these developments. At the beginning of the study, the youngest housing development (1 year since construction), had the fewest number of species present (ave. 1.6 per house). The second housing development (4 years old) had a greater number of species (ave. 2.6 per house), and a greater sampling frequency (the same species collected at multiple houses) than Site 1. The oldest development (8 years old) had both the greatest number of species (ave. 2.7 per house), and sampling frequency of the three sites. In all developments, the number of species, sampling frequency, and ant biomass increased throughout the year as colonies grew and foraging ranges expanded. It was observed in all developments, that species coexistence also increased throughout the year. As colony populations increased, there was a greater occurrence of multiple species being collected at the same sample house. In the youngest development, the two most dominant species increased in numbers during the year and began to be collected from the same sample houses. Spatial diagrams documented that multiple species in the older housing developments (later stages of succession), also shared a common distribution. Even the most dominant species (S. invicta) in all three sites, did not exclude additional species from foraging within its established range.