A Brief Account of Aestivation and Overwintering of the Occident Ant, Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis Cresson, in Idaho

Cole, Arthur C.

doi:10.4039/ent66193-9

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…late April to late May, similar to P. owyheei (Willard and Crowell 1965)and P. occidentalis (Lavigne 1969). Development from egg to callow in the species requires five to six weeks compared to 25 days for P. badius (Gentry 1974) and 30 days in P. occidentalis (Cole 1934). It is very difficult to determine the number of larval instars in the development of ants (Wheeler and Wheeler 1976), although Marcus (1953) suggests that there are four instars in P. marcusi.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

A Comparison of the Nest Phenologies ofThree Species of Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicldae)

Mackay¹

1981

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

A Comparison of the Nest Phenologies ofThree Species of Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicldae)

Mackay¹

1981

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology

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“…Eggs in founding colonies of P. badius develop into adults within 25 days. Cole (1934) reported that the brood of the related species of harvester ant, P. occidentalis, takes about 30 days to develop. As increasing numbers of new adults entered the population, older workers could move up and assume tasks at the surface.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response to Predation by Colonies of the Florida Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Badius

Gentry¹

1974

Ecology

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The effect of predation (by the systematic removal of forager ants) on the behavior and population structure of Pogonomyrmex badius colonies was studied during the summer of 1965. For 23 wk, 50 workers per day were removed from one group of 10 colonies and 10 ants per day from another group of 10 colonies. Another 10—colony group served as a control. No effects of removal were observed in the 10/day group. Within a week after removal began, aboveground activity was reduced drastically in many of the 50/day colonies and the removal of a complete sample each day was impossible. Later, colonies underwent extended periods (3 wk or more) of complete inactivity aboveground. The mean dry weight of workers removed at the rate of 10 per day increased over the removal period. The mean dry weight of workers removed at the rate of 50 per day increased for the first 9 wk and then decreased rapidly over the rest of the removal period. As removal continued, craters became smaller and many disappeared; nest entrances were shifted under the overhang of grass clumps and were covered with dried leaves. Intercology conflicts became common at most 50/day colony sites. After the 23—wk removal period, five colonies from each treatment group were randomly selected for excavation. Significantly fewer ants were excavated from both the 10/day and 50/day colonies compared to the controls. Significantly more ants altogether were produced (removed plus excavated) by the 10/day and 50/day colonies. However, the increase in the number of ants produced could not immediately counteract the loss of the ants to aboveground removal. At excavation, workers in the 50/day colonies weighed less than those in the control and 10/day group. In each treatment group, workers collected from the top 20 cm of the nest system weighed less than those collected from the remainder of the nest system. Also, in the 10/day group, workers collected at the surface during the removal phase weighed less than those present in the top 20 cm of the nest at excavation. No such difference existed in the colonies of the 50/day group. By midsummer of the next year (1966), the remaining experimental colonies appeared to be back to normal strength. Although the forager population was greatly reduced, the colonies were able to survive until more foragers could be produced. Such an adaptive strategy is possible because of a highly developed social behavior which results in a well—defined division of labor within the ant colony.

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“…These comparisons raise questions about the food habits of Pogonomyrme.x badius. This species has been considered to be a granivore since it collects and stores seeds (Wray 1938;Cole 1934;Wheeler and Wheeler 1952). Four hills excavated in July, August, and September contained 73, 303, 16, and 130 g of seeds respectively, or 1.4 g seeds/m 2 • These seeds were primarily from Diodia, Digitaria, and Lespedeza.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A further estimate of production was made as follows : Cole ( 1934) reports that the brood of the related species P. occidentalis takes about 30 days to develop. If this rate can be applied to P. badius, and if the eggs are laid discontinuously at 30-day intervals, the number in a brood can be multiplied by the number of 30-day periods during the period of reproduction, June to October, to give the production of young.…”

Section: Density and Production Of Individuals 'Within A Hillmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The size of the raised mound of sand ranges from 30 by 40 cm to about 70 by 70 cm and is several cm high. The surface is characterized by small chunks of charcoal and other debris, and the mounds are ringed by a lush growth of grass (usually Aristida) and forbs such 1959-1960 1959-1961 1960-1961 1961~1962 ----1-----1--------------- Cole 1934). One gains the impression that the most productive part of these sandy fields, as far as vegetation is concerned, is at the edge of these ant mounds.…”

Section: Density Of Hills 'Within the Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bioenergetics of the Southern Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Badius

Golley¹,

Gentry²

1964

Ecology

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The bioenergetics of the southern harvester ant were studied on the Savannah River Project, Aiken, South Carolina. Excavation of hills revealed that density of ants ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 per hill. Labeling ants with P32 indicated that only 10% of the ants in a colony were active above ground during any 2—week period (the limit of recognition of the label); thus, short—term marking recapture estimates based on above—ground individuals greatly underestimate the size of the colony. There were 27 hills per hectare on the study area. The consumption of oxygen of workers at various temperatures was determined in a simple respirometer, and the temperature at which the ants were living in the field was determined during a year's observation at mounds. The energy expense of heat production was calculated from the oxygen consumption and activity temperature records. Total energy flow (heat production plus tissue growth) was highest in summer and lowest in winter. The annual range was from 14 to 48 kgcal/m2/yr. Tissue growth was estimated to amount to only 0.09 kgcal/m2/yr. Energy flow in this species was higher than that of 2 vertebrate granivores studies in the same field, the old—field mouse and the savannah sparrow.

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A Brief Account of Aestivation and Overwintering of the Occident Ant, Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis Cresson, in Idaho

Cited by 7 publications

References 1 publication

A Comparison of the Nest Phenologies ofThree Species of Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicldae)

A Comparison of the Nest Phenologies ofThree Species of Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicldae)

Response to Predation by Colonies of the Florida Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Badius

Bioenergetics of the Southern Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Badius

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