Kandidateksamen: Nikoletta Stylianidi
Zoogeography of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the Aegean Islands, Greece
Supervisor: David Nash
External examiner: Gabor Lövei
Abstract:
The myrmecofauna of Greece is one of the most diverse in the Mediterranean area, but little is known about its distribution across the many islands of the Greek archipelago. Recent work on the ant fauna of Greece has provided a general taxonomic framework useful for exploring ant biodiversity, and more general biogeographic work useful for providing a baseline to understanding the distribution of species in general across the Aegean Islands. I carried out a survey of the distribution of ants across these islands, based on specimens collected in pitfall traps at 57 stations across 3 main islands, and covering a range of habitats. These have allowed me to simultaneously examine the island biogeographical principles underlying ant distribution, and how these are modified by anthropogenic disturbance, which varies across the islands.