Response of the grass-cutting ant Atta capiguara Gonçalves, 1944 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to sugars and artificial sweeteners

Abstract

Using of toxic baits made of dehydrated citric pulp to control grass-cutting ants can lead to unsatisfactory results because of the low attractiveness of the substrate to worker ants. This work aimed to identify attractive substances, with potential for incorporation in a matrix of granulated baits for grass-cutting ants, among several kinds of sugars and substances used in artificial sweeteners. Experiments were carried out in mature nests of Atta capiguara (Hym.: Formicidae) set in pasture. Studied substances were sucrose, fructose, soluble starch, raffinose, maltose, lactose, sorbose, cellobiose, arabinose, xylose, glucose, galactose, rhamnose, arabinose, melezitose, saccharine and cyclamate (at 5.0% w/v). Later, on maltose, xylose, sucrose, fructose and glucose solutions were included at 5.0%, 7.5%, 10.0% and 20.0% w/v, respectively. Cellulose rectangles were used as vehicle and number of rectangles carried into the colonies was evaluated. Carrying rates were very low with maximum means of 9.6% for lactose and 6.0% for arabinose and cyclamate, at the 5.0% concentration. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed relatively to the control (distilled water). No effects were detected for solution, concentration and for the interaction of these factors. Sugars and artificial sweeteners studied were not attractive to Atta capiguara workers, turning their inclusion as attractants in toxic ant baits not viable.

Identification of a novel plant-derived attractant for Acromyrmex lobicornis leaf-cutting ants

“…Finally, given that toxic baits are typically comprised of an attractant, and an arrestant or food resource (dos Santos et al 2017), we evaluated whether heptyl butyrate increases the attractiveness of a carbohydrate resource at varying doses. We used sucrose solution as a carbohydrate resource because the attractiveness of sugars to LCA, as well as the nutritional importance of such compounds for these insects has been well studied (Boaretto et al 2003). We simultaneously placed filter papers paper 1, 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes afterwards.…”