Tool selection during foraging in two species of funnel ants

Maák, István; Lőrinczi, Gábor; Quinquis, Pauline Le; Módra, Gábor; Bovet, Dalila; Call, Josep; d’Ettorre, Patrizia

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.005

Cited by 25 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Then they were able to suck the sucrose water that eventually spread on the soil particles. Similar particle-utilization behaviors were also observed during the liquid-feeding processes of ants Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) (Morrill, 1972), Aphaenogaster subterranea Latreille, and A. senilis Mayr (Maák et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Qin

Chen

Hooper‐Bùi

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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The food-burying behavior has been reported in many mammals and birds, but was rarely observed in invertebrates. The red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an invasive pest in many areas of the world that usually performing food-burying during the foraging processes. However, the impacted factors and measureable patterns of this behavior is largely unknown. In the present study, food-burying vs food-transport behaviors of Solenopsis invicta were observed under laboratory and field conditions. When starved (no food was provided for 37 days) in the laboratory, food (sausage) was consumed by large numbers of ants, and few burying behaviors were observed. However, when food was provided until satiation of the colonies, food-transport was suppressed and significantly more soil particles were relocated on the food and graph paper square (where the food was placed) when compared with these colonies exposed to starved conditions. Videotapes showed that soil particles (1.47 ± 0.09 mm2) were preferentially placed adjacent to (in contact with) the food items at the beginning; and after the edges were covered, ants transported significantly smaller soil particles (1.13 ± 0.06 mm2) to cover the food. Meanwhile, larger particles (1.96 ± 0.08 mm2) were pulled/dragged around (but not in contact with) the food. Interestingly, only a small number of ants, mainly the small workers, were involved in food-burying, and the ants tended to repeatedly transport soil particles. A total of 12 patterns of particle transport were identified, and soil particles were most frequently picked from the foraging arena and subsequently placed adjacent to the food. In the field, almost all released food was actively transported by Solenopsis invicta workers, and no burying behavior was observed. Our results show that the food-burying behavior of Solenopsis invicta may be associated with the suppressed foraging activity, and the burying task may be carried out by certain groups of workers.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Qin

Chen

Hooper‐Bùi

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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show abstract

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Peer Review #2 of "Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (v0.1)"

Spotti¹

2019

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The food-burying behavior has been reported in many mammals and birds, but was rarely observed in invertebrates. The red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an invasive pest in many areas of the world that usually performing food burying during the foraging processes. However, the impacted factors and measureable patterns of this behavior is largely unknown. In the present study, food-burying versus food-transport behaviors of S. invicta were observed under laboratory and field conditions. When starved (no food was provided for 37 days) in the laboratory, food (sausage) was consumed by large numbers of ants, and few burying behaviors were observed. However, when food was provided until satiation of the colonies, food-transport was suppressed and significantly more soil particles were relocated on the food and graph paper square (where the food was placed) when compared with these colonies exposed to starved conditions. Videotapes showed that soil particles (1.47 ± 0.09 mm 2) were preferentially placed adjacent to (in contact with) the food items at thebeginning; and after the edges were covered, ants transported significantly smaller soil particles (1.13 ± 0.06 mm 2) to cover the food. Meanwhile, larger particles (1.96 ± 0.08 mm 2) were pulled/dragged around (but not in contact with) the food. Interestingly, only a small number of ants, mainly the small workers, were involved in food burying, and the ants tended to repeatedly transport soil particles. Twelve patterns of particle transport were identified, and soil particles were most frequently picked from the foraging arena and subsequently placed adjacent to the food. In the field, almost all released food was actively transported by S. invicta workers, and no burying behavior was observed. Our results show that the food-burying behavior of S. invicta may be associated with the suppressed foraging activity, and the burying task may be carried out by certain groups of workers.

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“…For example, bees learn from past experiences to improve motor skills ( Mirwan et al, 2015 ; Abramson et al, 2016 ). Such operant learning is distinguished from cognitive operations, where, for example, bees are also able to combine multiple experiences (acquired in separate learning trials) to form simple rules and concepts ( Giurfa et al, 2001 ; Avargues-Weber et al, 2012 ) and display counting-like abilities ( Howard et al, 2018 ; Skorupski et al, 2018 ), and ants and bumblebees show simple forms of tool use ( Loukola et al, 2017 ; Maák et al, 2017 ). Being capable of interval timing, bumblebees can predict future events ( Boisvert and Sherry, 2006 ; Skorupski and Chittka, 2006 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive Aspects of Comb-Building in the Honeybee?

Gallo

Chittka

2018

Front. Psychol.

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The wax-made comb of the honeybee is a masterpiece of animal architecture. The highly regular, double-sided hexagonal structure is a near-optimal solution to storing food and housing larvae, economizing on building materials and space. Elaborate though they may seem, such animal constructions are often viewed as the result of ‘just instinct,’ governed by inflexible, pre-programmed, innate behavior routines. An inspection of the literature on honeybee comb construction, however, reveals a different picture. Workers have to learn, at least in part, certain elements of the technique, and there is considerable flexibility in terms of how the shape of the comb and its gradual manufacture is tailored to the circumstances, especially the available space. Moreover, we explore the 2-century old and now largely forgotten work by François Huber, where glass screens were placed between an expanding comb construction and the intended target wall. Bees took corrective action before reaching the glass obstacle, and altered the ongoing construction so as to reach the nearest wooden wall. Though further experiments will be necessary, these results suggest a form of spatial planning skills. We discuss these findings in the context of what is now known about insect cognition, and ask if it is possible that the production of hexagonal wax combs is the result of behavioral heuristics where a complex structure emerges as the result of simple behavioral rules applied by each individual, or whether prospective cognition might be involved.

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Tool selection during foraging in two species of funnel ants

Cited by 25 publications

References 27 publications

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Peer Review #2 of "Food-burying behavior in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (v0.1)"

Cognitive Aspects of Comb-Building in the Honeybee?

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