Nest Movements and Population Spatial Structure of the Forest Ant Myrmica punctiventris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Nest locations of the forest ant Myrmica punctiventris (Roger) were mapped over the course of 2 growing seasons as part of an experiment documenting effects of food and nest site availability on social structure. Artificial hollow sticks made from dowels were used to supplement natural nest sites and to track the location of M. punctiventris nests. High numbers of nest immigrations and turnovers demonstrated that relocations of nests were more common than stasis throughout the growing season. Seasonal polydomy in M. punctiventris accounts for the seasonal pattern of expansion and contraction evident in the data. High mobility of M. punctiventris nests during the growing season and from one year to the next warrants a reevaluation of how to study the forest ant community. In particular, studies of competition in the forest ant community should not be based on inferences from spatial arrays of nests.