Apuntes sobre la invasión de Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en tres especies de bromelias de tanque presentes en el Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes, Cuba

Abstract

Wasmannia auropunctata is an alien ant whose invasion is considered significant in a wide range of countries, coming to be considered an agricultural pest in countries of the tropical region, reason why it has been reported as one of the five species of ants included in the list of the 100 worst invasive species. Starting from a study that takes place in the semideciduous forest of the area of public use in Guanahacabibes National Park about the relationship between three species of epiphytic bromeliads (Tillandsia fasciculata, T. utriculata and Hohenbergia penduliflora) and their associated fauna, the report is presented for the first time for the territory of the invasion of this exotic species, exposing its relationship with each of the three bromeliads sampled, the effect of the year season (rainy and not very rainy) and the distribution according to the height ranges in the phorophytes (four height ranges) in which the samples of the individuals of the epiphytic bromeliad species were sampled. In the work it is evident that there is no preference for any of the three bromeliads, although in H. penduliflora the abundance is proportional according to the season of the year; it is also detected that the largest distribution is in the range of 2.1 to 4 m in height in the phorophyte.