Foraging Activity and Seasonal Food Preference of <I>Linepithema micans</I> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a Species Associated With the Spread of <I>Eurhizococcus brasiliensis</I> (Hemiptera: Margarodidae)

Abstract

Linepithema micans (Forel) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is the main ant species responsible for the spread of Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Wille) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae), a soil scale that damages vine plants in southern Brazil. The daily foraging activity of L. micans and its seasonal preference for protein-and carbohydrate-based foods were evaluated. The study was carried out in a greenhouse using seedlings of the Paulsen 1103 rootstock (Vitis berlandieri ϫ Vitis rupestris) planted individually in pots and infested with colonies of L. micans. To determine the daily foraging activity and seasonal preference, a cricket (Gryllus sp.) and a 70% solution of inverted sugar and water were offered once a month for 12 mo. The ants foraging on each food source were counted hourly for 24 h. L. micans foraged from dusk until the end of the next morning, with higher intensity in the spring and summer. Workers of L. micans showed changes in food preference during the year, with a predominance of protein-based food during winter and spring and carbohydrate-based food during autumn. The implications of this behavior for control of the species with the use of toxic baits are discussed.

Sustainable management of the vine mealybug in organic vineyards

“…Thus, baits with a low concentration of toxicant allow the workers to survive long enough to reach the colony, transmit the toxicant and recruit more ants to the bait (Rust et al 2004). The preferences of mealybug-tending ants for sugar-or protein-based foods may vary depending on the species and the time of year (Nondillo et al 2014). Therefore, the kind of bait used is essential for effective ant control, as protein feeders are less successfully controlled by sugar toxic baits.…”

A high-throughput and sensitive method for food preference assays in the Argentine ant

“…Similarly, ants have been observed favouring basic sugars combined with attractants in such experiments (Madsen et al 2017), along with showing a preference for collecting food they lack more (Kaspari and Yanoviak 2001). Cafeteria-style experiments also shed light on how these preferences can be influenced by seasonal variations (Rust et al 2000; Nondillo et al 2014). In more applied settings, this approach is used to explore preferences for liquid or gel baits, as well as for wet or dry bait attractants (Baker et al 1985; Nyamukondiwa and Addison 2014), or investigate bait particle size preference (Hooper-bùi et al 2002).…”