Oral trophallaxis in adult leaf-cutting ants Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Abstract

Adult leaf-cutting ants of the subspecies Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus were fed with an Evans Blue dye solution, which allowed the investigation of subsequent exchange of liquids between ants by oral trophallaxis. Trophallactic behavior was filmed and the antennation patterns of donor and recipient ants were described. The ants' crop capacity was measured following ad libitum feeding on dye solution. Ants previously fed on the dye solution (donors) were placed individually with unfed ants of the same caste (recipients) and the amount of dye solution passed from the donor to the recipient by oral trophallaxis was measured after one hour. The volume received was 0.26 ± 0.15 µL (mean ± SD) and the residual volume of dye in the crop of the donors was 0.49 ± 0.23 µL. There were 38 trophallactic events recorded for 50 pairs of ants. Trophallaxis was observed from 2.3 min to 21.5 min after initial exposure, with a mean latency of 8.4 ± 5.6 min. The mean duration of a trophallatic event was 2.3 ± 1.3 min. As far as we know, this is the first time that trophallaxis in leaf-cutting ants has been described and quantified.

Diet type modifies ingestion rates and trophallactic exchanges in leaf‐cutting ants

“…The maximum crop volumes of A. subterraneus workers observed were lower than those recorded by Moreira et al. (, ), with mean values of ca. 0.66 μl following feeding on liquid diets.…”

“…Although it is believed that many ant species exchange food by trophallaxis (Wilson, 1971), only four studies to date have described and quantified this behavior in leafcutting ants (Moreira et al, 2006(Moreira et al, , 2010Da Silva et al, 2009;Richard & Errard, 2009). In previous studies by our group (Moreira et al, 2006(Moreira et al, , 2010, trophallaxis performed by Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus (Forel) (henceforth: A. subterraneus) workers was quantified following ingestion of liquid nutrient sources.…”

Toxicity of Hydramethylnon to Leaf-cutting Ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

“…The ingested food moves into the infrabuccal cavity of workers, wich remain for 24h. Solid parts of the food are retained in the cuticle folds and spines present on infrabuccal cavity and are subsequently discared in the trash (Fowler et al, 1991;Moreira et al, 2011). Nevertheless, the liquid portion of the food passes after the opening post-pharyngeal gland, where occurs the separation of water-soluble compounds and oil-soluble compounds.…”

Immune Defense in Leaf-Cutting Ants: A Cross-Fostering Approach

“…The social environment of leaf‐cutting ants further involves an obligate mutualistic symbiosis with a crop‐fungus that provides all nourishment for the ant larvae (Bass and Cherrett 1995). Callow workers do not leave the fungus garden to forage and so must obtain their food directly from the fungus garden, or potentially indirectly via trophyllaxis from older workers (Moreira et al 2006). As a result, in this experiment, the social environment consists of the genetic and environmental components of sister or non‐sister nest mates plus the fungus garden (Wcislo 2000).…”