Competitive pressure by territorials promotes the utilization of unusual food source by subordinate ants in temperate European woodlands

Abstract

In the presence of territorial dominant ant species, lower-ranked ants change their foraging strategy by shifting their activity in time and space and by switching to suboptimal food sources. Although important for many insect species, pollen is a rarely used food source by ants. Occasional pollen consumption was demonstrated only in a handful of ant species that are mainly lower-ranked in the competitive hierarchy. We hypothesized that the consumption of pollen by subordinate ants might be enhanced by competitive pressure exerted by dominant species. In the frame of the current study, we assessed the food preference of ant species within a supercolony of the territorial wood ant Formica polyctena by offering them pollen and animal protein baits. Subordinate ant species, especially Myrmica ants, exploited both pollen and animal protein, while F. polyctena foraged only for animal protein. The Myrmica ants exploited pollen sources more intensively on plots where F. polyctena dominated animal protein baits, thus interspecific competition was stronger. As suggested by our study, under suboptimal conditions, where food availability is hindered, e.g. by the presence of superior competitors, pollen can, indeed, be used as a food source by subordinate ants.

Unexpected distribution of subordinates around nests of the wood ants

“…found in plots with low wood ant presence. Submissive species may display special adaptations to life in the territories of dominant species which help them to survive in the neighbourhood of their colonies (Savolainen and Vepsäläinen, 1988;Vepsäläinen and Savolainen, 1990;Savolainen, 1991;Czechowski and Vepsäläinen, 1999;Erős et al, 2020). Encounter species, in turn, usually establish their colonies close to the territory borders, as far as possible from the nests of dominants, where foraging activity of the latter is relatively low (Rosengren, 1986;Vepsäläinen, 1988, 1989;Savolainen, 1990;Czechowski, 2004, 2012;Johansson and Gibb, 2016).…”

The value of spatial experience and group size for ant colonies in direct competition

“…Competition is common and strong both within and between ant species (Heinze et al ., 1996 ; Parr & Gibb, 2010 ; Cerdá et al ., 2013 ; Erős et al ., 2020 ). The competition outcome can be influenced by colony size, with larger colonies dominating smaller ones (Palmer, 2004 ; Tanner, 2006 ; see also McGlynn, 2000 , for a more complex pattern, depending also on interaction type).…”

Manejo Integrado De Bacterioses: Uma Revisão

“…Vários estudos são realizados para definir quais os melhores tipos de iscas para insetos, como por exemplo: iscas à base de celulose (CAMPOS et al, 1998), iscas com recurso energético (SOARES et al, 2006), iscas à base de proteínas (ALBUQUERQUE; DIEHL, 2009;ERŐS et al, 2020;OLIVEIRA et al, 2009) ou mesmo iscas que utilizam feromônios (HOEFELE et al, 2020). Nesse sentido, o enriquecimento de tipos específicos de iscas com substâncias que contribuam com a qualidade nutricional, como por exemplo, o uso do nitrogênio, pode torná-las mais atrativas e consequentemente ainda mais eficiente no controle de cupins e formigas (NGUGI; JI; BRUNE, 2011).…”