Entomologie, ornithologie et herpétologie : recherches en cours
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Distribution of Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Nests in the Santiago Forest, Metropolitan Region, Chile

Joaquín Ipinza-Regla

In the Santiago Forest, Metropolitan Region of Chile (33º 22’ S and 70º 36’ W), with xerophytic vegetation, mainly shrubs of Quillaja saponaria Molina, Acacia caven (Molina), Lithraea caustica (Molina) Hook. & Arn., and Olea europaea L. at 678 m altitude, only the ants Linepithema humile Mayr and Solenopsis gayi (Spinola) were determined, the first species the most abundant and its nests associated with Q. saponaria, the predominating plant in the area. Other plants present were Colliguaja odorifera Molina, Baccharis linearis (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., Trevoa trinervis Miers., Solanum ligustrinum Lodd, and Muehlenbeckia hastulata I.M. Johnston. Both ant species seem to have a distribution type that would adjust to the Poisson model, that is, of a contagious type.