DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4xgxd25mp
title: Data from: Sugar-rich resources mediate geographic morphological variation in a dominant, neotropical savanna ant

description: Aim: Trait variation across geographic gradients can reveal how species
 respond to different environmental settings, which is crucial under the
 growing threat of climate change. Although on the basis of evolutionary
 theory, the patterns and drivers of intraspecific functional variation
 remain largely underexplored. In ants, pilosity and body size are
 morphological traits associated to thermoregulation and heat tolerance,
 which are critical concerns in the context of global warming. Here, we
 focused on the dominant ant Camponotus crassus to investigate trait
 variation and its potential drivers across a latitudinal gradient in the
 Brazilian Cerrado savanna. Location: Brazilian Cerrado savanna Taxon:
 Camponotus crassus Mayr, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Methods: We
 measured mesosoma pilosity and body size of C. crassus across multiple
 sites, and evaluated their relationship with temperature, rainfall, solar
 radiation, vegetation, and sugar-rich resource variables. We also assessed
 morphological and genetic covariation to search for possible phenotypic
 plasticity or adaptation in C. crassus. Results: Only sugar-rich resources
 were found to significantly influence C. crassus pilosity. Specifically, a
 negative relationship between ant pilosity and sugar-rich resources (i.e.
 proportion of plants with extrafloral nectaries and hemipteran
 trophobionts) was found. No covariation between pilosity and genetic
 dissimilarities was observed, suggesting phenotypic plasticity. None of
 the variables were significant to predict body size, while this trait
 positively covary with genetics. Main conclusions: Our findings suggest
 resource availability as a critical factor for species thermoregulation
 under environmental change, a hypothesis previously reported in the
 literature. We emphasize the importance of examining intraspecific
 variation and phenotypic plasticity across large geographic scales,
 particularly under the scenario of rapid global change, and the current
 threat to Cerrado savanna. Our work covers a still poorly investigated
 aspect of intraspecific variation of tropical eusocial insects, and sheds
 new light on trait variation associated with large geographical gradients
 and resource availability in a major ecosystem.
description: # Data from: Sugar-rich resources mediate geographic morphological
 variation in a dominant, neotropical savanna ant
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4xgxd25mp](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4xgxd25mp) ## Description of the data and file structure Between November 2012 and April 2013, woody plants at seven sites of Cerrado *sensu stricto* were searched for ant-plant interactions. In each locality, 5 transects of 200 m were established, at least 1 km apart from one another. Transects were divided into 20 plots of 10 m length and data were collected in 10 alternate plots. Each transect was characterized by its climatic, vegetational and resource variables. For morphological characterization and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping, we selected *Camponotus crassus *specimens from samples collected during fieldwork. For data collection details, please see Material and Methods. ### Files and variables #### File: Data.xlsx **Description:** Local, ID, and coordinates of transects (used as sample unit for analyses). For each transect is also available the operational explanatory variables, including temperature, rainfall, solar radiation, vegetation, and sugar-rich resources availability. *Camponotus crassus *response variables (mean pilosity and body size per transect) are also available. ##### *Variables:* transecto = transect ID local = sampling site. Bra = Brasília; Can = Canastra; Cip = Cipó; Iti = Itirapina; Ser = Serra Azul; Ema = Emas; Vea = Veadeiros Lat = transect latitude (unit: decimal degree; WGS94) Long = transect longitude (unit: decimal degree; WGS94) nobs = number of measured *C. crassus* per transect mean_pilosity = mean pilosity (unit: mean number of hair crossing mesosoma profile) cv_pilosity = coefficient of variation of pilosity mean_hairdensity = mean hair density (unit: mean number of hair crossing mesosoma profile/mm2) cv_hairdensity = coefficient of variation of hair density mean_lw = mean Weber's length (unit: mm) cv_lw = coefficient of variation of Weber's length DSH = Mean plant diameter at soil height (unit: mm) Height = Mean plant height (unit: cm) Density = Mean vegetation density (unit: mean number of plants/m2) % EFN = Proportion of plants with extrafloral nectaries % Trophobionts = Proportion of plants with trophobionts DNIy = Annual direct normal irradiation (unit: kWh/m2) DIFy = Annual diffuse horizontal irradiation (unit: in kWh/m2) Bio1 = Annual mean temperature (unit: °C × 10) Bio4 = Temperature seasonality (unit: standard deviation ×100) Bio12 = Annual precipitation (unit: mm) Bio15 = Precipitation seasonality (unit: coefficient of variation) mean_pilosity.gen = mean pilosity considering only the individuals with SNP data (unit: mean number of hair crossing mesosoma profile) mean_hairdensity.gen = mean hair density considering only the individuals with SNP data (unit: mean number of hair crossing mesosoma profile/mm2) mean_lw.gen = mean Weber's length considering only the individuals with SNP data (unit: mm)