The Distribution of an Oil, Carbohydrate, and Protein Food Source to Members of the Imported Fire Ant Colony1

Vinson, Bradleigh S.

doi:10.1093/jee/61.3.712

Cited by 44 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…An important dichotomy might occur between the nutrition of immature and mature stages. Ants tend to feed protein-rich food preferentially to their larvae, whereas the adults survive mostly on a diet of plant-derived carbohydrates (Haskins and Haskins, 1950;Vinson, 1968). Further differentiation takes place among the adult castes, as it is believed that certain activities such as foraging, killing, and dismemebering of prey, as well as the transporting of food items or building material, require most energy (Beattie, 1985).…”

Section: Nutritional Requirements Of Natural Enemiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruitment of predators and parasitoids by herbivore-injured plants

Turlings

Wäckers

2004

Advances in Insect Chemical Ecology

300

258

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Section: Nutritional Requirements Of Natural Enemiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruitment of predators and parasitoids by herbivore-injured plants

Turlings

Wäckers

2004

Advances in Insect Chemical Ecology

300

258

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“…However, liquid protein was equally distributed between workers and larvae in Solenopsis invicta, while solid protein was directly fed to the larvae (Sorensen and Vinson, 1981). Most studies showed that carbohydrates were mostly retained by workers (e. g. Wilson and Eisner, 1957;Schneider, 1972; but see Vinson, 1968). Generally, the amount of oils and lipids required by an ant colony is reported to be relatively small (Howard and Tschinkel, 1981;Cornelius and Grace, 1997) and results about distribution are quite heterogenous.…”

Section: Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generally, the amount of oils and lipids required by an ant colony is reported to be relatively small (Howard and Tschinkel, 1981;Cornelius and Grace, 1997) and results about distribution are quite heterogenous. Solenopsis saevissima transferred oil mainly to the larvae (Vinson, 1968), while in Solenopsis invicta fats were either consumed directly by workers (Sorensen and Vinson, 1981) or soy oil was distributed evenly between larvae and workers (Howard and Tschinkel, 1981). But other factors, such as colony size (Howard and Tschinkel, 1980), starvation (Howard and Tschinkel, 1981;Sorensen and Vinson, 1981) and the worker:brood ratio (Cassill and Tschinkel, 1999) may also affect the distribution of food within an ant colony.…”

Section: Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Radioactive tracers have been used to study the food flow within ant colonies. These studies focused mainly on the allocation of food components (proteins, carbohydrates, oils and amino acids) among the different castes or between adults and larvae (e. g. Wilson and Eisner, 1957;Lange, 1967;Vinson, 1968;Brian and Abbot, 1977;Howard and Tschinkel, 1981;Sorensen and Vinson, 1981;Sorensen et al, 1985) and not on the role of elaiosomes as integral vectors of these dietary components. The results regarding the distribution of proteins, amino acids and sugars (carbohydrates) are fairly congruent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The fate of Corydalis cava elaiosomes within an ant colony of Myrmica rubra: elaiosomes are preferentially fed to larvae

et al. 2005

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The diaspores of many plant species are adapted to dispersal by ants (myrmecochory). The ants carry the diaspores into their nests where the appendages of the diaspores (elaiosomes) are consumed. Little is known, however, about the fate of diaspores in the colony, i.e., whether elaiosomes are consumed only by the larvae or also by the workers. In this study, the distribution of Corydalis cava (Fumariaceae) elaiosomes was monitored between the larvae and the working caste of laboratory colonies of Myrmica rubra (Formicidae, Myrmicinae). In the first part of the study, 15 N labelled elaiosomes were found to be mainly consumed by larvae. To find out whether elaiosomes are a more attractive food source than an artificial, nutritionally optimized diet for ants (Bhatkar diet), a combined 13 C and 15 N labelling experiment was conducted. Ants were offered 15 N labelled elaiosomes for two days (pulse labelling), while being continuously fed with 13 C labelled Bhatkar diet over 19 days. Under the given laboratory conditions, elaiosomes proved to be a far more attractive diet for the larvae than Bhatkar diet, contributing 87 ± 2 % of the daily nitrogen and 79 ± 3 % of daily carbon incorporation of larvae during the first four days of the experiment. The mean elaiosome incorporation met 73 ± 5 % of nitrogen and 63 ± 6% of carbon demand of workers during the first four days of the experiment. Generally, incorporation rates in workers (per dry body mass) were lower both for carbon and nitrogen during the experiment -by a factor of 6.8 for nitrogen and by a factor of 6.2 for carbon compared to larvae. On a colony basis, workers received 39 % and larvae 61 % of the elaiosome nitrogen. The results indicate that elaiosomes are a major food source for growing larvae and thus support the hypothesis that elaiosomes play an important role in the life cycle of temperate ants.

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“…Protein and lipid stores differ during ant development (Wheeler and Buck 1992;Wheeler and Martinez 1995;Tschinkel 1998) and at different times of the year (Vinson 1968;Tschinkel 1993;Judd 2006). In some ants, lipid or fat stores have been found to be negatively associated with foraging propensity (Tschinkel 1998;Blanchard et al 2000;Hahn 2006); these studies have involved species that utilize a primarily lipid-based energy source.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient stores predict task behaviors in diverse ant species

2016

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In eusocial species, including ants and honeybees, sterile or non-reproductive workers can specialize in task-specific behaviors, such as brood care and foraging for food. The mechanisms underlying task-specific behaviors include genetic, physiological and environmental factors. Here we compare corporeal nutrient storage in nine species that differ in primary food preferences (carbohydrate-, protein-or lipid-based diet) to test whether foraging behavior is associated with lower individual nutrient stores. We also investigate whether low nutrient stores are limited to foragers or occur in other external, morphologically distinct, worker sub-castes. In six out of eight species where both brood care workers and foragers were sampled, foragers had significantly lower nutrient stores relative to brood care workers; the exceptions were two Solenopsis species. Foragers from five of these six species had lower lipid levels, supporting the link between lipid content and foraging behaviors reported in previous studies. Interestingly, three species had lower levels of both lipid and carbohydrate stores in foragers relative to brood care workers, and foragers of one species, Formica fusca, had lower carbohydrate levels but not lipid levels, suggesting that the association between nutrient stores and foraging behavior is not universal across ant species or across all seasons. In all three species with morphologically distinct sub-castes, lipid levels were lowest in non-foraging, external workers, i.e., majors or soldiers, indicating an additional link between nutrient depletion and the allocation of external tasks other than foraging.

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The Distribution of an Oil, Carbohydrate, and Protein Food Source to Members of the Imported Fire Ant Colony1

Cited by 44 publications

References 0 publications

Recruitment of predators and parasitoids by herbivore-injured plants

Recruitment of predators and parasitoids by herbivore-injured plants

The fate of Corydalis cava elaiosomes within an ant colony of Myrmica rubra: elaiosomes are preferentially fed to larvae

Nutrient stores predict task behaviors in diverse ant species

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