Daily Foraging Activity of Acromyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Leaf-cutting ants

Abstract

Leaf-cutting ants are well-known insects due to their remarkable activity as herbivores and the considerable economic damage they cause to many crops. The identification of season and time of day when leaf-cutting ants are most active is an important tool, not just to understand the foraging ecology of these ants, but also to optimize their control in plantation areas where they were pests. Thus, the aims of this study are to evaluate the daily foraging activity of leaf-cutting ant species of the genus Acromyrmex, which occur in forest plantations in Southern Brazil. Foraging activity of Acromyrmex crassispinus (Forel) and Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus (Forel) were correlated with weather conditions, and it was more intense during spring and summer. Workers that forage at night are significantly heavier than workers that forage during the day. This study showed that A. crassispinus and A. subterraneus subterraneus did not forage at temperatures below 10-11°C. Then, the use of granulated baits to control these leaf-cutting ants species where they were pests should be done just under favorable conditions of temperature for Acromyrmex foraging activity (over 12°C), to ensure maximum collection of baits by ants and the least left-over baits.

Vertical organization of the division of labor within nests of the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius

“…As in other tasks undertaken by social insects, the labor of transfer workers is probably organized in a series-parallel manner [ 1 ]. Thus, items as diverse as excavated sand pellets, food, leaf fragments (in leafcutter ants), trash and brood are typically transported by caching [ 33 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. It is unlikely that any individual transport worker carries items the entire distance.…”

Ocorrência de formigas cortadeiras em campos de altitude no sul do Brasil

“…The subtropical climate of the micro-region of the high-altitude grasslands, accompanied by harsh winters it is certainly a determining factor in the diversity of species of leaf-cutting ants raised. This climate of subtropical regions, such as the high-altitude grasslands, the largest richness of cut ant species that anthill in the ground or in open, unshaded areas such as field areas, with their formulators exposed to sun or outside temperatures, where the temperature can be controlled Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 8, e839986365, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i8.6365 by the ant population (Nickele et al, 2016). This may be related to the fact that leaf-cutting ants are thermophilic insects.…”

Plasticidade Do Comportamento De Forrageamento Em Formigas Cortadeiras

“…Entretanto, quando o local da planta explorada está situado a distância menor que 10 m do ninho, uma mesma operária corta e transporta essa carga (Röschard & Roces 2003). A mesma estratégia de forrageamento ocorre nas espécies de Acromyrmex crassispinus e Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus em trilhas de 1 m do ninho ao recurso explorado (Nickele et al 2015). Nessas espécies o transporte é individual, e a mesma operária que corta o fragmento vegetal, o transporta ao ninho.…”

“…Nessas espécies o transporte é individual, e a mesma operária que corta o fragmento vegetal, o transporta ao ninho. Já em trilhas com a distância de 10 m o transporte é em cadeia, ou seja, várias operárias participam do transporte da carga (Nickele et al 2015).…”