Species diversity of Myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) on the southern slope of Djurdjura National Park (Northern Algeria)

This study was carried out at three study sites in the forests of the southern part of Djurdjura National Park. We found a high variety of ants, with 2651 individuals belonging to 25 species and three subfamilies, Dolichoderinae, Myrmicinae and Formicinae. Sampling methods used were pitfall traps and hand collection. The dominant subfamily was Formicinae, representing 48% of individuals collected. Seven species belonged to this subfamily, 31% of which were Camponotus cruentatus. The second most common species found (18%) was Tapinoma magnum, an invasive species in many countries. Relative abundance, frequency of occurrence, and diversity varied across the three study sites. Site 1, a black pine forest, had higher species richness (20 species) than site 2, a cedar strip (15 species), and site 3, a mixed holm oak forest (16 species). Our study area has a diverse fauna of ants and distribution of their populations is wide.