Foraging behavior of ants: Experiments with two species of myrmecine ants

Taylor, Fritz

doi:10.1007/bf00361899

Cited by 98 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…These ants also walk or run faster as temperatures increase (Creighton, 1953;Taylor, 1977;Marsh, 1985a) (reviewed by Heatwole, 1996). Interestingly, when we tested M. croslandi in Austral autumn, close to the time when these ants stop aboveground activity for the season, we found them to walk much more slowly when confronted with a temperature ramp from 20 to 35°C P. Jayatilaka and others (Fig.8C), compared with their response during the summer months (Fig.8A).…”

Section: Temperature Tolerance and Activity Times In The Diurnal Antmentioning

confidence: 65%

Different effects of temperature on foraging activity schedules in sympatric Myrmecia ants

Jayatilaka

Narendra

Reid

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

103

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SUMMARYAnimals avoid temperatures that constrain foraging by restricting activity to specific times of the day or year. However, because temperature alters the availability of food resources, it is difficult to separate temperature-dependent effects on foraging and the occupation of temporal niches. By studying two congeneric, sympatric Myrmecia ants we isolated the effect of temperature and investigated whether temperature affects foraging schedules and causes the two ants to be active at distinct times of the day or year. We monitored foraging activity and identified the ants' temperature tolerance in the laboratory by determining (1) critical thermal minima and maxima (CT min and CT max ) and (2) the relationship between walking speed and temperature. Ants of Myrmecia croslandi were diurnal throughout the year, but ceased above-ground activity during winter. Surface temperature at the onset of foraging was 9.8-30.1°C, while their laboratory CT min and CT max were 10.4 and 48.5°C, respectively. Time of foraging onset was significantly influenced by surface temperature at time of sunrise and of onset. Ants of Myrmecia pyriformis were nocturnal throughout the year. Surface temperature at the onset of foraging was 5.4-26.2°C, while their laboratory CT min and CT max were 8.2 and 41.6°C, respectively. Time of foraging onset was not influenced by surface temperature, but solely by sunset time. We conclude that temperature determines the timing of foraging as well as the daily and seasonal foraging activity in M. croslandi, but has less obvious effects on M. pyriformis. In both species, CT max was greater than temperatures at the natural foraging times.

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Section: Temperature Tolerance and Activity Times In The Diurnal Antmentioning

confidence: 65%

Different effects of temperature on foraging activity schedules in sympatric Myrmecia ants

Jayatilaka

Narendra

Reid

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

103

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“…However, researchers have often concentrated on only one aspect, such as food collection (Taylor, 1977;Davidson, 1978;Fowler, 1987;Holdcr Bailey & Polis, 1987) or the response t o above-ground predation risk (Gentry, 1974;Whitford & Bryant, 1979;Shaffer & Whitford, 1981;MacKay, 1982;Munger, 1984). These studies have added greatly to our understanding of ant ecology, but, as pointed out by Gordon (1989, group properties of colonies may be obscured or even erroneously predicted when behaviours or tasks are considered in isolation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consistent with energy maximizing, several species have been shown to value nearby patches more than distant ones, to rank food items by their profitabilities, to increase selectivity further from the colony, and to be sensitive to time delays in collecting food (Taylor, 1977;Davidson, 1978;Fowler, 1987;Holder Bailey & Polis, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality risk versus food quality trade‐offs in ants: patch use over time

Nonacs¹,

Dill²

1991

Ecological Entomology

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Abstract. 1. Foragers of the ant species Lasiuspallitarsis (Provancher) and Myrmica incompleta Provancher were given access to two food patches that differed in nutritive quality. In about half of the trials, the higher quality patch also had a mortality risk for the foragers in the form of a large Formica subnuda Emery ant located along the trail. Colonies were given access to the food for 4 or 24 h, every second day.2. Use of the higher quality patch by L.pallitarsis foragers was depressed by the mortality risk. In contrast to the predictions of a food stress hypothesis, foragers used the risky patch more in the longer access trials. This appears due to a decline in the activity level of the F.subnuda, which results in a significantly lower mortality risk per trip.3 . M.incompfeta also significantly decreased their use of the higher quality patch when a F.subnuda was present. However, the length of time a colony had access to the patches had no effect on the use of the risky patch. M . incompleta foraging behaviour seems relatively insensitive to short-term food stress or changing levels of mortality risk.4. The differences between species in their exploitation of patches and reactions to F.subnuda are discussed in terms of the species' natural history.

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“…That strategy was also explained by Heredia and Detrain (2005). The recruitment intensity of ants could also be adjusted according to the nest-source distance and can result in higher number of foragers mobilized to nearer food sources (Taylor, 1977;Heredia and Detrain, 2005). So that ants collected enough food quicker when foraging areas were smaller than from larger foraging areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simplified approaches to determine the attractant preference of Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Kafle¹,

Wu²,

Meer³

et al. 2008

Appl. Entomol. Zool.

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The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is an invasive species that has been introduced into the United States and more recently into several countries in the Asian-Pacific region. The foraging dynamics of this pest ant is important in understanding its interactions with native ant species and in devising the most effective toxic bait control methods. In this study the effect of worker density, size of the foraging area, the number of food lures, duration of experiments, and the effect of the queen on foraging activity were investigated under laboratory conditions. The results showed that of the four ant densities investigated (very small, small, medium and high) the medium ant density most consistently had more workers at the food lures than the other ant density situations. The percentage of worker ants at the food lures was negatively correlated with an increase in foraging territory size for all four worker ant densities. Significantly fewer foragers were observed in the foraging areas when a queen was present, then when the queen was absent. In addition, when number of food lures was increased from 1 to 12, the mean number of workers found at the lures was significantly higher when four food lures were present. Furthermore, the number of worker ants observed on the food lures increased for the first 2.5 h and then decreased with time. The study suggests that observations of foraging activity could be restricted to 2.5 h. These data lay the ground work for further studies in optimizing the effectiveness of fire ant bait toxicants.

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Foraging behavior of ants: Experiments with two species of myrmecine ants

Cited by 98 publications

References 8 publications

Different effects of temperature on foraging activity schedules in sympatric Myrmecia ants

Different effects of temperature on foraging activity schedules in sympatric Myrmecia ants

Mortality risk versus food quality trade‐offs in ants: patch use over time

Simplified approaches to determine the attractant preference of Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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