ANTS-PLANTS DIVERSITY IN RBVRR WOMENS COLLEGE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HOST PLANT INTERACTIONS

Ants form the important constituents of ecosystem and compose major part of the animal biomass. They live in different habitats, feed on variety foods. Ants involve in performing many important roles in ecosystems including harvesting seeds, predating and scavenging organisms. The present study records diversity and distribution of ant fauna, ants identification and types with special reference to host plant interactions. The first level of study conducted on plants for their phytochemical analysis and next on ants includes their genera identification in four different locations in the campus they are: Location I-Botanical Garden; Location II-UG. Quadrangle; Location III-P.G. Block; Location IV-College Hostel. Ants were collected during different seasons by hand collecting; using baits as attractants, ground litter sampling, and pitfall traps Upton (1991).In our experimental evaluation, we collected and stored ants in isopropanol and ethanol at four concentrations (70, 85, 95, and 100%) over three time periods (24 h, 1 month, 6 months). The ants were identified using a magnifying glass, dissecting microscope and an identification guide for Bornean Ants. Ants Web; The analysis of these sites showed the presence of Seven genera among which the prevalence varied. A total of seven ant genera include Monomorium, Pheidole, Bothroponera, Tetraponera, Camponotus, Oceophylla, and Lepisiota were identified, among them five genera were predominant from subfamilies Formicinae and Myrenicinae