Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase

Silva, Edypo Jacob; Camargo, Roberto da Silva; Forti, Luíz Carlos; Travaglini, Raphael Vacchi

doi:10.1590/s0085-56262014005000003

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…A reduction in the mass of A. sexdens queens is expected from the nuptial flight to the end of the claustral phase. The energy expenditure of A. sexdens queens, in carbohydrates and body lipids for the nuptial flight and nest excavation, was estimated at 0.58 J 36 and during the claustral phase, they metabolize body lipids and proteins to survive and form the initial colony 26 , 37 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ideal habitat for leaf-cutting ant queens to build their nests

Sousa

Camargo

Caldato

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Queens of Atta sexdens Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) face biotic and abiotic environmental factors in the environment while establishing their nests. Biotic factors such as predation, microbial pathogens, successful symbiotic fungus regurgitation, excavation effort and abiotic factors such as radiant sunlight, temperature, density, and soil moisture exert selection pressures on ant queens. Biotic factors such as temperature and solar irradiation affect the survival of the initial colony differently, in different environments in the field. Queens of the leaf-cutting ant A. sexdens, were installed in sunny and shaded conditions to test this hypothesis. Two hundred A. sexdens queens were collected and individualized in two experimental areas (sunny and shaded), each in an experimental area (25 m2) in the center of a square (50 × 50 cm). Temperature, irradiance, nest depth, rainfall and queen mortality were evaluated. Atta sexdens colony development was better in the shaded environment, and the depth and volume of the initial chamber, fungus garden biomass and number of eggs, larvae, pupae and workers were greater. The queen masses were similar in both environments but mortality was higher in the sunny environment. The worse parameter values for A. sexdens nests in the sunny environment are due to the greater solar irradiance, increasing the variation range of the internal temperature of the initial chamber of the nest. On the other hand, the more stable internal temperature of this chamber in the shaded environment, is due to the lower incidence of solar irradiance, which is also more advantageous for queen survival and the formation and development of A. sexdens colonies. Shaded environments are a better micro habitat for nesting A. sexdens than sunny ones.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ideal habitat for leaf-cutting ant queens to build their nests

Sousa

Camargo

Caldato

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…viridis and A . laevigata (PPMR = –0.96; based on body weights from [ 58 ] and [ 59 ]), showing that for predatory dung beetles a PPMR around 2 is very far from what is observed in the field. Until more information is available, we suggest that these negative PPMRs may be due to the fact that the main purpose of both predatory Canthon species is not only for individual feeding, but also for the provision of food for the larvae, which is why it requires a greater quantity of flesh to construct the brood ball.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First observation on the predation of a non-arthropod species by a dung beetle species: The case of Canthon chalybaeus and the snail Bulimulus apodemetes

et al. 2021

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We described, for the first time, a case of predation of a non-arthropod species by a dung beetle species. Canthon chalybaeus Blanchard, 1843 kills healthy individuals of the terrestrial snail Bulimulus apodemetes (D’Orbigny, 1835) showing an evident pattern of physical aggressiveness in the attacks using the dentate clypeus and the anterior tibiae. The description of this predatory behaviour was complemented with the analysis of the chemical secretions of the pygidial glands of C. chalybaeus, highlighting those main chemical compounds that, due to their potential toxicity, could contribute to death of the snail. We observed a high frequency of predatory interactions reinforcing the idea that predation in dung beetles is not accidental and although it is opportunistic it involves a series of behavioural sophistications that suggest an evolutionary pattern within Deltochilini that should not only be better studied from a behavioural point of view but also phylogenetically.

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Decision making by young queens of the harvester ant Messor semirufus while searching for a suitable nesting site

Motro

Cohen

2016

Insect. Soc.

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Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

The ideal habitat for leaf-cutting ant queens to build their nests

The ideal habitat for leaf-cutting ant queens to build their nests

First observation on the predation of a non-arthropod species by a dung beetle species: The case of Canthon chalybaeus and the snail Bulimulus apodemetes

Decision making by young queens of the harvester ant Messor semirufus while searching for a suitable nesting site

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