Estudo da comunidade de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em um fragmento de Mata Atlântica na Serra da Jiboia, Bahia

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest, a biome considered as one of the 25 hotspots in diversity being explored since the colonial period with devastation. Biodiversity studies are extremely important in characterizing and understanding the functioning of ecosystems. The Serra da Jiboia-BA, a remnant of the Atlantic Forest located between the municipalities of Castro Alves, Santa Terezinha, São Miguel das Matas, Elísio Medrado and Varzedo (BA), and as other fragments of the biome, suffer with anthropogenic degradation. The Insecta class has its importance recognized in a very recurrent way in studies of characterization of ecosystems, since it corresponds to most of the biodiversity of the planet. The Formicidae Family, responsible for diverse roles in an ecosystem and with cosmopolitan distribution, has great value in studies on ecosystems. This work aimed identify and study the diversity in Serra da Jiboia, Bahia. Passive collections were carried out in 6 fragments of Serra da Jiboia (Reserva Jequitibá, Pioneira, Baixa de Areia, Baixa Grande, RPPN Guariru and Fazenda Pancada), using 50 pitfall traps randomly distributed in the area between April and August (10 units of cane molasses mixed with distilled water and alcohol in the proportion 1: 2: 1, 10 units with sardines, 10 with oats and 10 with bananas) and 10 units without bait containing, just mixing water, alcohol and detergent drops, to break the surface tension. The material was collected from the traps after 48 and 96 hours of site stay, totaling a sampling effort of 100 traps per point and 600 in total. After the collection, the insects was transported to the Laboratory of Ecology and Taxonomy of Insects (LETI / CCAAB), Federal University of the Recôncavo of Bahia, where they were screened and identified. A total of 12,390 individuals of the Formicidae family were found, distributed in 8 subfamilies and 40 genera, Myrmicinae being the most diverse subfamily and the genera Camponotus and Solenopsis as the most rich and abundant respectively. The Shannon-Wiener and Equitability J index showed H’ = 1,785 and J = 0,4840. The myrmecofauna of Serra da Jiboia presented similarity with the richness found in Neotropical forests, with representatives of groups most found in surveys of this type.