Ant diversity in rubber plantations (Hevea brasiliensis) of Cambodia

We investigated the arboreal and ground ant fauna in rubber plantations (Hevea brasiliensis) in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. A total of 41 species of Formicidae, belonging to 28 genera in seven subfamilies, were collected. In three types of rubber plantations examined 25, 23 and 27 species of ants were found in a six-year-old, a nine-year-old and an old (>50-year) plantation, respectively. Total species richness of ants did not differ significantly among the three types of plantations. The most common ant species were the native Oecophylla smaragdina, which occurred in 50% of the samples, and the exotic invaders Tapinoma melanocephalum and Anoplolepis gracilipes which were in 27 % and 13 % of samples respectively. The older plantation, especially, had abundant leaf litter and fertile soil, and some rarer more cryptic ant genera, e.g. Calyptomyrmex, Pyramica and Discothyrea, were found in the leaf litter.