Foraging strategies of the ant Ectatomma vizottoi (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Lima, Luan Dias; Antonialli-Júnior, William Fernando

doi:10.1590/s0085-56262013005000038

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…These structures are similar to the structures previously described for Ectatomminae in E. brunneum (Nunes & Camargo-Mathias 2005), as well as for Ponerinae in N. villosa (Henrique et al, 2011) and P. striata (Ortiz & Camargo-Mathias, 2006), and Paraponerinae in P. clavata (Hermann & Blum, 1966). Despite E. vizottoi frequently preying on other ant species (Lima & Antonialli-Junior, 2013), its venom apparatus does not seem to be different from those species that are generalist predators and can forage solitarily and prey on other arthropods, including other ants (Young & Hermann, 1980;Lachaud et al, 1984;Overal, 1986;Giannotti & Machado, 1992;Medeiros & Oliveira, 2009), and so its feeding preference is not decisive for its morphology.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Martins et al, 2006;Vieira et al, 2007Vieira et al, , 2009Vieira et al, , 2010Vieira et al, , 2012Lima & Antonialli-Junior, 2013). Since these ants are generalists, although preying mostly on other ants (Lima & Antonialli-Junior, 2013), and the queens apparently do not prey frequently, it is expected that there would be differences in the morphology of the venom apparatus among castes. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the morphology and histochemistry of the venom apparatus of the workers and queen castes, including gynes, of E. vizottoi.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphology and Histochemistry of the Venom Apparatus in Different Castes of the Ant Ectatomma vizottoi (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)

et al. 2018

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The elimination of toxins via a venom gland by some ant species is a component of a larger mechanism for capturing prey and defense. The present study describes the morphology and histochemistry of the venom apparatus of different castes of the ant Ectatomma vizottoi Almeida, 1987. Morphologically, the venom apparatus of queens, gynes and workers of E. vizottoi are similar and composed of the sting apparatus and three distinct portions: two secretory portions (convoluted gland and secretory filament), and a storage portion (reservoir) - a hollow sting apparatus covered in the terminal portion of the reservoir by a sclerotized cuticle. The venom gland of E. vizottoi is longer in queens and gynes than in workers. Furthermore, the epithelium of the convoluted gland is taller in the glands of queens and gynes than in workers, which may be indicative of greater toxin synthesis, or may be related to different body sizes of the castes. The morphology and histology of the venom apparatus reflect those of a generalist, while the histochemical tests indicated that this structure has the same chemical content of lipids, proteins and polysaccharides among queens, gynes, and workers. Images obtained by confocal microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy reveal a muscle layer surrounding the reservoir that is interlaced with secretory filaments, which fixes, in a manner, the filaments in place. This musculature serves to eject stored venom, which likely leads to greater success in defense or foraging.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology and Histochemistry of the Venom Apparatus in Different Castes of the Ant Ectatomma vizottoi (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)

et al. 2018

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“…Thus, the higher seed removal proportion, in our study, during the afternoon would be due to different ant species composition between non-impacted sites which harbor ant species with different diel foraging (Aranda-Rickert & Fracchia, 2012). Furthermore, the greater complexity of vegetation in the non-impacted sites may support better microclimatic conditions for ants, including a decrease in soil exposure, which lessens the exposure of ants to dehydration and predation, since they are sensitive to temperature and moisture (Traniello, 1989;Lima & Antonialli-Junior, 2013), thus, contributing to seed removal during the morning periods. Indeed, according to our personal observations, the ground of impacted sites had greater exposure to solar incidence and a lack of herbaceous vegetation, which may also have contributed to the differential ant species composition and activity (Williams et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed removal by ants in Brazilian savanna: optimizing fieldwork

et al. 2018

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There has been an increase in the number of studies using seed removal by ants to evaluate ecosystem functioning; however, these studies encompassed varying time periods and used different types of seeds. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate differences in the proportion of seeds removed by ants in impacted and non-impacted sites in Brazilian savanna. Furthermore, we evaluated seed removal (1) during the morning and after a 24h period of seed exposure and (2) using natural and artificial seeds (manipulated resource to resemble natural seeds). The proportion of seeds removed was higher after the 24h exposure period (artificial seeds) regardless of site status, and more artificial seeds were removed than natural seeds. Our recommendations regarding sampling period depend on whether evaluating impacted or non-impacted sites. Although seed removal was greater after 24h in both impacted and non-impacted sites, we suggest that research evaluating the proportion of seeds removed in non-impacted sites should be performed only in the morning period to optimize the sampling time (removal of 60% during this period). When the aim is to compare non-impacted and impacted sites, we suggest evaluating after 24h of exposure, since the impacted sites experienced a higher proportion of seed removal during the afternoon and/or night time periods. Furthermore, we recommend the use of artificial seeds because they are easier to obtain and manipulate, and allow us to do comparisons between studies at different regions. We consider these findings an important first step towards standardizing future research on seed removal in Brazilian savannas by facilitating fieldwork and allowing comparisons to be made among different studies.

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“…Myrmelachista arthuri followed this pattern regardless of the season, although foraging was more intense in the cold/dry season. In this case, the activity pattern was influenced by season and probably related to low food availability, which causes the workers to leave the nest more often (Fowler et al, 1991;Yamamoto & Del-Claro, 2008;Belchior et al, 2012;Lima, 2013).Workers foraged less frequently in the warm/wet season, despite higher energy requirements due to increases in temperature (Lima, 2013) and a late production (Nakano et al, 2013) and greater food availability in the environment (Belchior et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Patterns of the Foraging Ecology of Myrmelachista arthuri Forel, 1903 (Formicidae: Formicinae)

et al. 2017

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Temporal dynamics of foraging activity, diet and habitat are key to understanding the bioecology of ants. These patterns are poorly studied in many Neotropical species, such as those belonging to genus Myrmelachista. In the present work, we investigate the foraging behavior and diet of M. arthuri and describe aspects of their food-searching behavior. We recorded the dynamics of workers exiting and entering nests built in the stems of native Atlantic forest trees during the cold/dry and warm/wet seasons. Food items carried by workers were also counted and identified. Myrmelachista arthuri foraged throughout the day, but worker activity became more intense as temperature increased and moisture declined, regardless of the season, and especially in the afternoon. This species had a generalist diet: 92% of the food items were live or dead arthropods or their remains, and a small proportion consisted of plant materials, such as seeds. Arthropod fragments, mostly of M. arthuri workers, represented the largest proportion of the diet, followed by whole Collembola individuals. Food items did not vary between seasons, the number of items was higher in the cold/dry season. The results of this work contribute to the understanding of M. arthuri biology, especially related to foraging dynamics.

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Foraging strategies of the ant Ectatomma vizottoi (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Cited by 13 publications

References 26 publications

Morphology and Histochemistry of the Venom Apparatus in Different Castes of the Ant Ectatomma vizottoi (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)

Morphology and Histochemistry of the Venom Apparatus in Different Castes of the Ant Ectatomma vizottoi (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)

Seed removal by ants in Brazilian savanna: optimizing fieldwork

Seasonal Patterns of the Foraging Ecology of Myrmelachista arthuri Forel, 1903 (Formicidae: Formicinae)

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