CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF ANTS (HYMENOPTERA : FORMICIDAE) OF CHANDAKA-DAMPARA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, ORISSA

Ants have greater degree of adaptability, which has ensured their survival since Oligocene period. They range from pests to predators. Besides this, they have also been utilized as a source of biological control to check the menance of agricultural pests, for example, OecophyUa smaragdina (Fab.) against control of citrus fruit, Solenopsis germinata (Fab.) on natural enemiesof lac insects and Camponotus sericeus (Fab.) found very effective in control of cutworms in lawns.


INTRODUCTION
Ants have greater degree of adaptability, which has ensured their survival since Oligocene period.
They range from pests to predators.Besides this, they have also been utilized as a source of biological control to check the menance of agricultural pests, for example, OecophyUa smaragdina (Fab.) against control of citrus fruit, Solenopsis germinata (Fab.) on natural enemiesof lac insects and Camponotus sericeus (Fab.)found very effective in control of cutworms in lawns.
In terrestrial ecosystem, ants biomass and energy consumption is greater than all the vertebrate fauna taken together (Wilson, 1990) and hence, they have got direct impact on terrestrial ecosystem.
"Ants can be seen to dominate ecosystems in a way unequated by any other organism.In addition to their sheer biomass, greater degree of mutualistic ant-plant associations have been observed, which ensure the survival of many plant species, and ant mosaics have been noticed in which dominant ant species cannot only affect and control the distruction of non-dominant ant species, but also influence both the species composition and abundance of other arthropods" (LaSalle and Gauld, 1993).
Present work deals with the study of ants, collected from Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary.The entire collection was made by the second author, during his research work on elephants in Chandaka during the period 1995-1999.Ants particularly attracted the attention of the collector while making observation of elephants dung, leaf litters, bark left over by elephants while feeding in the forest area.The ants were found devouring on cow and elephant dungs, carrying undigested food particles from the dung to their nests.While studying the feeding behaviour of elephants, the author noticed how carefully the elephants avoided the ants while eating the twigs and barks of the plants, by forceful shaking of the plant's parts or blowing of air through the nostri I of the trunk.The collection was made from various spots, frequently visited by elephants and some other local ities of the Sanctuary during tracking for elephants by the second author during his study period.
the mid-eastern portion is mostly gentle to moderately sloppy with abrupt steep slopes at places.North-eastern and Central portions are relatively flat with little undulation.The altitude varies and is 42 m at Chandaka, 46 m at Dampara, 100 m at Nuakua and 217 m at Pandari mundia (the highest peak in the reserve) above mean sea level (Mishra and Sarangi, 1984).

Climate
Chandaka has a sub-tropical climate.Temperature, relative humidity and rainfall are the three important parameters that have been recorded from 1995 to 1998.

Temperature
The average maximum temperature recorded was during May, being around 37.1 °C in Godibari and around 35.5°C in Kumarkhunti.The maximum temperature recroded was 45.9°C in May, 1998.
The average minimum temperature is around December-January being 14°C in the core area and 16°C in Godibari.The absolute minimum telnperature recorded in the core area was 8.5°C in 1997 and 12°C in 1996.The temperature thus varies between 10°C to 45°C.

Humidity
The average relative humidity of the study area is generally very high.The maximum average relative humidity is between 80-90% during July-September.The average minimum relative humidity is around 50-60% during December-February.

Rainfall
The state of Orissa is the point of convergence of monsoon currents of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.Here the monsoon is brought about by the Southwesterly wind, commonly called the SW-monsoon in summer months and to a little extent by northeasterly wind called the NEmonsoon.
The rainy season in the study area generally starts from mid June.The rain bearing SW-monsoon reaches its peak in the month of August.The average rainfall between June to September was recorded to be 40 cm.Northeast rain is also recorded in this area during October-November.Average rainfall per month during this period was 80 cm in 1998.
The average annual rainfall recorded in this area was 97.76 cm, 108 cm, 190.7 cm and195.7 cm between 1995-1998. Vegetation The vegetation of Chandaka is of the semi evergreen type according to Champion and Seth's classification (1968).But due to severe biotic pressure, edaphic factors and relative humidity, the existing vegetation has lost its original characters (Choudhury, 1975;Panda, 1992;Roy et 01., 1992;Biswal, 1993;Swain, 2000).The Sanctuary is presently covered mostly by bushy/shrubby vegetation.
Woodlands are present in mostly coppice growth form.Based on species composition, the forest is classified into following types : 1) Semi evergreen forest dominated by Xylia xy/ocarpa.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Ants were mostly collected by hand picking with fine forceps and with the help of aspirator.
They were also collected by sweeping method with the help of insect nets along with other insects from foliage of bushes.Ants were also collected by using bates in the form of sugar granules, jaggery and rotten mutton placed near ants nests.
Specimens were mostly preserved in 70% alcohol in glass vials.Larger specimens were preserved in insect envelops with preservatives.Observations were made in field where ants were found moving on the soil surface, twings and foliages and biological notes made that of.
The specimens were relaxed and setting and pinning done in laboratory of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.The larger ants were directly pinned through the thorax and smaller were mounted on triangular paper boards with the help of water soluble adhesives.
Identification of ants are mainly based on worker caste.During study, mandibles and mouth parts were dissected for specific identification.

SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT
Ants belonging to family Formicidae of Order Hymenoptera are widely distributed through out the world, because of its cosmopolitan nature!9538 species of ants under 11 subfamilies, 59 tribes and 296 genera have been reported till date from the world (Holldobler and Wilson, 1990), of these althogether 2479 species have been reported from the classical Oriental regions, which includes Oriental and Indo-Australian regions.The splitted species 770 are recorded from Oriental region and 1709 from Indo-Australian region (Bolton, 1995a).Approximately 600 species of ants have been reported from India.Material examined: India: Orissa: Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary, 6 workers, Ambakhali, 2.i.1996.
Distribution: INDIA: Orissa and whole of continent of India, particularly from Sikkim, Manipur, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi.
Remarks: This species is commonly known as root eating ant, the workers feed on soft parts of root and the tuberous roots are hollowed out.
Green (1903) also agreed with above vegetation behaviour of the said species, but Mukherjee (1933), doubted this.He studied the worker's mouth parts in detail and found them "better adapted for feeding on animal food than on plants.The sharp pointed bristle, spines and setae on the 1 st/ 2nd maxillae, can well pierce the skin of the victim and draw out the nutritive fluid from the body of their prey, which they suck by their mobile tongue" 3. Genus Diacamma Mayr Type-species: Ponera rugosa Le Guillou, 1841 from Borneo (Indonesia).Remarks : It nests in the soil at the base of trees (Seeson, 1941).In Chandaka, it was collected from mango tree, may be the specimens were ascending on the tree for search of mango fruits.This species is known by a number of subspecies (Bolton, 1995).

Remarks:
The second author while moving near Ambilo tower noticed a long que of ants moving very fast in zig zag manner making a procession of ants, carrying the eggs in their lTIouth, most probably taking the eggs to some safer place.

China.
Remarks: This species is most virulent, its sting is most painful and causes considerable inflammation (Bingham, 1903).
Distribution: INDIA: Orissa, distributed irregularly throughout India from Pubjab to Cochin.
Remarks : This is the first record of this specis from the state of Orissa.Elsewhere : Spread pretty nearly over the tropics of the two hemispheres.
Renlarks : This speciemen is collected from resting site of elephants from the soil surface.The elephants were seen blowing air through nostril to remove these ants from the area and this prompted the second author to search for these ants in the resting site.
S. geminata commonly known as "Brown fire ants" has severe sting.It makes its nest on soil surface making tunnel and is reported to be injurious to seedlings, buds and leaves.It is reported to be an important enemy of aphids, soft scales, termites, bed bugs and moth largae and caterpillars of Eublemma amabilia and Holococera pulverea in the lac godowns (Beeson, 1941). 11. Genus Lopllomyrmex Emery 1892. Lophomyrmex Emery, Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova, 22 : 114.
Remarks : lerdon (1951) reported its feeding behaviour and noted that it feeds on vegatable secretion surrounding the seeds.The author also collected it from flower of Madhuca indica.

Meranoplus hieolor (Guerin)
1844.Cryptoeerus hie%r Guerin,Cuv. leonog. Regn. Anim. ins.,3 : 425 Material examined: India, Orissa: Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary: 7 workers, Ambakhali, 7. vi ii .1996;2 workers, Dahanagiria, 11. vi i .199 8. Distribution : INDIA : Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kamataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and mostly throughout India, except the hot dry plains in the North-Western Provinces and Central India.Elsewhere: Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra) and extending to the Malayan subregion.Remarks: The specimens of this species were collected from Jackfj'uit plant.These ants make a specalised type of nest which hang from the twigs of the trees.The nest is made up of leaves which are bound together by fine membranous tissue paper made by the ants by chewing leaves and converting it to sysnthetic tissue.
The eggs of the species have been found to contain high protein and fat and as such, it is used as a supliment to combat the condition of avitaminosis, particularly in case of marasemus condition.It is widely used as a supplement for protein and fat in tribal people and the eggs are sold in weekly market for this purpose.22. Paratrec/z in II 10 ngico rn is (Latreille) 1802.Formica longicornis Latreille, Nat.Hist.Fourmis, 113   2000.Paratrechina longicornis, Mathew and Tiwari, Zool, Surv.India, State Fauna Series 4, Fallna of lvleghalaya,  part 7 : 349.Material examined: India: Orissa: Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary: 1 worker, Ambilo tower, 2.i.1996;5 workers, Godabhangatangaro, 7.iv.I998.Distribution: INDIA : Orissa, West Bengal, Meghalaya, manipur, Tamil Nadu and mostly throughout India.Elsewhere: Senegal, Australia, New Caledonia, Sri Lanka.possible to give any opinion in this respect.The present specimens come to mayri when run through Bingham's key (1903).But as because, the P. nlayri has been synonymised under P ilia u data , the authors treated P Inayri as P illaudata.

SUMMARY
The paper deals with the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) collected from different localities of Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary, Orissa by second author, during his study period (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998) on the ecology and behaviour of elephants.Altogether 29 species pertaining to 17 genera and 5 subfamilies have been reported.There is no mention of any ant species in forest record of the Sanctuary.
Hence, this is the first record of these ants species from this Sanctuary.Besides this, Monomorium scabriceps Mayr is the first record from the state of Orissa.A separate map of the Sanctuary showing the localities of collection has been incorporated.Notes on topography and methodology have been provided to deliciate the basic concept of the family.