本研究目的是比較屍體分解在南北台灣的差異，了解蟻科物種在屍體分解上的角色，並以蟻科
物種出現在陷阱上的數目做為假個體(pseudo-individual)數，分析其群聚結構、季節活躍性和棲地偏好。自2001年2月至2002年1月的調查結果，在北台灣福山小鼠屍體主要是被脊椎動物所利用，而在南台灣南仁山則是被蠅蛆與螞蟻所分解。在福山與南仁山以小鼠屍體誘餌掉落式陷阱所捕獲的蟻科種類共計39種，共同種類僅有8種。南仁山蟻科物種多樣性與物種勻度皆較福山高，且兩地蟻科群聚結構僅有7.72%的相似度(Wainstein’s Similarity Index, Kw)。兩地螞蟻的假個體活躍性皆與環境溫度成正相關，在福山螞蟻於夏季最為活躍，但於冬季最不活躍，在南仁山只有冬季較不活躍。在福山螞蟻在草地活動較林地頻繁，而在南仁山螞蟻整體則無顯著棲地偏好。蟻科的物種若於福山及南仁山皆有分佈，其棲地偏好出現改變的現象。

The goal of this study is to understand how environmental variables between southern and northern Taiwan influenced the contribution of ants to the carcass decomposition, as well the season activity,community composition and habitat preference of ants. We used the number of pseudo-individuals of each ant species attracted by the traps to evaluate season activity, community composition and habitat preference. Our results showed that the most mouse carcasses in subtropical Fushan, northern Taiwan,were utilized by vertebrates, while most of mouse carcasses in tropical Nanrenshan, southern Taiwan,were decomposed by maggots and ants. Using mouse carcass baited pitfall traps, we collected a total of 39 species of ants in both Fushan and Nanrenshan, and 8 species can be found in both sites. The diversity
and evenness of ants were higher in Nanrenshan than in Fushan. The community similarity of ants between in Fushan and in Nanrenshan was only 7.72% (Wainstein’s Similarity Index, Kw). The activity of ants and environment temperature were significantly correlated. In Fushan, the most active period of ants was in summer, while the most inactive period in winter. However, the inactive period of ants in Nanrenshan was only in winter. Ants prefer to active on the meadow than in the forest in Fushan, while there is no difference in habitat preference between the forest and the meadow in Nanrenshan. This indicates that ant species emerged in both Fushan and Nanrenshan shifted their habitat preference.