Interspecific colony dispersion and niche relations of three large tropical rain forest ant species

Abstract

Three large tropical rain forest ant species (Camponotus gigas, Diacamma intricatum and Odontoponera transversa) in primary lowland dipterocarp forest, Brunei Darussalam, were not found to be significantly negatively associated spatially or in occurrences at baits. Food overlap was found to be high, and time overlap quite low, but not in the species of high food overlap. No evidence of resource partitioning was found, although each species had food preferences. Positive associations are likely to be microhabitat mediated.