Data from: The influence of illumination regimes on the structure of ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) community composition in urban habitats

The reliance on visual cues can vary among ant species living in different
habitats, and is mostly influenced by the level of ambient illumination
and the morphological adaptations of ant species that can determine their
period of daily activity. Thus, different illumination regimes might
affect ant community composition in habitats with different ambient
illumination intensities. Despite this, in the literature, information is
scarce about the effects of ambient illumination on ant activity. In the
present study, we investigated the effect of ambient illumination
intensity on the activity of ant species and their community composition
under herbaceous and woody plants in 24 localities from Kyiv and Kyiv
region, Ukraine. Our results showed that the ambient illumination
properties of the habitat type affect the presence of ant species and the
activity of their workers. In open habitats, the maximum ambient
illumination had a negative effect, whereas in closed, woody habitats the
maximum ambient illumination and tree circumference generally had a
positive effect on the number of non-dendrobiotic ant individuals found on
individual plants. The dendrobiotic species were less affected by the
maximum illumination intensity. Although, in closed habitats, the effect
of the previous variables and their interaction had species-specific
aspects. Based on the former, we can tell that more structured forest
habitats can provide broader illumination intensity ranges, allowing more
ant species to coexist. However, similar illumination intensity ranges can
lead to overlaps in the activity of ant species under the same
illumination conditions, especially in open habitats. The outcomes of
these interactions are highly influenced by larger trees that besides
lowering illumination intensities, can enhance ant worker activity and
promote species coexistence.