Data from: Temporal and trophic niche partitioning among arboreal ants in a Neotropical woodland savanna

Niche partitioning is a key mechanism for explaining species coexistence,
including the coexistence of ants in trees of the Brazilian savanna
(cerrado). However, we have limited information on the extent to which
arboreal ant species exploit different food resources and/or have
different daily foraging schedules. We tested these ideas through
a baiting experiment, and by measuring the isotopic signature (δ15N) and
the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of the 14 most common species found
in a typical cerrado tree species. Although most species foraged on all
bait types offered, species-specific preferences were noted for about
one-third of the species. We also found a wide variation in mean δ15N
between species, reflecting interspecific differences in trophic
position. Most (71.4 %) species foraged predominantly on a given
period of the day, ranging from strictly nocturnal species to those that
foraged mainly in the afternoon. Species with a higher heat tolerance
(higher CTmax) often foraged at warmer periods of the day than those with
a lower tolerance. Despite the evidence of trophic and temporal
niche partitioning, other mechanisms, such as nesting site specialization
and behavioral trade-offs, are required to explain species coexistence in
this arboreal ant assemblage, as several species pairs largely overlap
both in their diet and time of foraging. Importantly, our results provide
additional support for the idea that physiological restriction to high
temperatures is important for understanding interspecific differences in
foraging activity schedules.