Adaptative strategy to mitigate impacts of repetitive flooding of residents in Thailand's Ayutthaya province

This research investigates the socio-economic, behavioral, and psychological consequences of repetitive flooding on the residents of Ayutthaya's four flood-prone districts. The study also examines the individual-level adaptative strategies adopted by the local residents to coexist with the flooding. The findings revealed several challenges encountered by the flooded households. In addition, most of the respondents expressed a preference to live out the floods in their residences rather than relocating to a makeshift shelter. The ability to live through the floods was largely attributable to the architecture of their residences whereby the houses are raised a few meters above the ground with the living quarter on the upper level, which is the most prominent adaptative strategy. Other adaptative strategies included, e.g., the ownership of a flat-bottom boat and pre-flood stocking-up on basic necessities. Furthermore, in light of the residents’ preference to live out the repetitive flooding, this research also proposes a simple means to enhance the effectiveness of the localized flood relief efforts.

Occurrence of polygyny in Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans Santschi 1925 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Polygyny denotes the coexistence of two or more mated and fertile queens in the colony. A colony of Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans Santschi containing 14 queens was collected on campus of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil, aiming to verify if they were all egg-layers and fertile . The volume of the fungus garden in the nest was about 500 ml with a large number of larvae and pupae. Observation of the ovarian development and spermathecae indicates that 13 queens had copulated and ovary did not show morphological differences among them. This could indicate that polygyny is not accidental and may represent an adaptative strategy to optimize the development of the initial colony in A. subterraneus molestans.