Seed harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) as “pulse” predators

Whitford, Walter G.; Jackson, Erik

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.01.005

Cited by 26 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…However, we found no difference between the removal of artificial seeds containing only lipids (9% of the content) and the seeds containing lipids + proteins (9% and 6% of the content, respectively). These findings confirm that harvester ants can predate artificial resources containing lipids and proteins despite its non-native "identity" as previously reported for other ant species (Mayntz et al, 2005;Whitford & Jackson 2007;Dussutour & Simpson, 2008). Further, our results show that the use of artificial seeds could be a good option to study the influences of resource quality in the diet of harvester ants, since P. barbatus removed more artificial seeds than the native seeds using a standardized experiment in the field.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…We used these nutrients since ants can forage selectively for protein, lipids and carbohydrates to redress specific colony requirements (e.g. ontogeny) (Mayntz et al, 2005;Whitford & Jackson, 2007;Dussutour & Simpson, 2008). Moreover, it is worth to mention that the content of our mixture represents highly nutritive resources, thus, they can influence the foraging behavior of harvester ants (Crist & MacMahon, 1992;Whitford & Steinberger, 2009;Schmasow & Robertson, 2016).…”

Section: Artificial Seedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A New Protocol Using Artificial Seeds to Evaluate Dietary Preferences of Harvester Ants in Semi-arid Environments

Luna¹,

Dáttilo²

2018

Sociobiology

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The preferences of seed intake by harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) have been debated for a long time, mainly due the lack of repeatable methods to draw clear conclusions. However, several characteristics of the food resource are well recognized as the drivers of such selective predation. For instance, resource quality (i.e., availability of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) is one factor that could explain the observed foraging patterns of Pogonomyrmex species. In this sense, experimental approaches using artificial resources (e.g., synthetic seeds/diaspores) have provided an useful and alternative tool to study ant’s food foraging behavior. Therefore, it is expected that the use of artificial seeds also could offer a versatile way to assess the influence of resource quality exert on the resource selection by harvester ants. On the other hand, empirical experiments involving harvester ants and artificial seeds are still rare in the literature and it is not known if such methodology is efficient with different Pogonomyrmex species. In this study carried out in a Neotropical arid environment of central Mexico, we tested a simple but fundamental question: Do harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) predate artificial seeds with manipulated nutrient content (lipids and proteins) in the field? We found that the proportion of native seeds removed was lower than the proportion of artificial seeds removed. However, we found no difference between the removal of artificial seeds containing only lipids and the seeds containing lipids + proteins. These findings indicate that the artificial seeds synthesized by us could be an effective method to test different ecological hypothesis involving harvester ants. Moreover, our empirical experiment offers a benchmark to study the influence of resource quality on the food foraging behavior of harvester ants in Neotropical arid environments.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Artificial Seedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Protocol Using Artificial Seeds to Evaluate Dietary Preferences of Harvester Ants in Semi-arid Environments

Luna¹,

Dáttilo²

2018

Sociobiology

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“…rugosus is a seed-harvesting ant that is also known to be an opportunistic predator of cicadas during outbreaks of this prey species (26). P. rugosus were occasionally observed climbing elongated N. attenuata plants in the field and carrying cutworm larvae back to their nests.…”

Section: Hemipteran Predator Geocoris Spp Is Not Attracted By Larvalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trichome-derived O -acyl sugars are a first meal for caterpillars that tags them for predation

Weinhold

Baldwin

2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

196

154

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Plant glandular trichomes exude secondary metabolites with defensive functions, but these epidermal protuberances are surprisingly the first meal of Lepidopteran herbivores on Nicotiana attenuata. O-acyl sugars, the most abundant metabolite of glandular trichomes, impart a distinct volatile profile to the body and frass of larvae that feed on them. The headspace composition of Manduca sexta larvae is dominated by the branched chain aliphatic acids hydrolyzed from ingested O-acyl sugars, which waxes and wanes rapidly with trichome ingestion. In native habitats a ground-hunting predator, the omnivorous ant Pogonomyrmex rugosus, but not the big-eyed bug Geocoris spp., use these volatile aliphatic acids to locate their prey.indirect defenses | dangerous body odors

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“…Seed harvester ants in the Chihuahuan Desert take small numbers of termites while foraging for seeds, but this was assumed to be opportunistic behaviour. However, Whitford & Jackson (2007) have found that Pogonomymex rugosus regularly eats termites and observed them selectively preying upon dense concentrations of grass cicadas ( Beameria vanosa ) as they emerge synchronously from the soil; behaviour reminiscent of that of white‐footed mice.…”

Section: Eating Animal Tissuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The significance of unripe seeds and animal tissues in the protein nutrition of herbivores

White

2010

Biological Reviews

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Many herbivorous animals selectively eat flowers and unripe fruit or seeds. Some preferentially eat new tissues growing from germinating seeds. This behaviour enables access to otherwise limited or unavailable amino acids that are necessary to sustain successful production and growth of young. For the same reason the diet of breeding females and neonates of many presumed strictly herbivorous animals is supplemented with animal protein. However, because these foods are often only eaten for limited periods, and make up only a small proportion of the total diet, they are usually dismissed as unimportant to the animals' nutrition. It is suggested that actively looking for such feeding may well reveal it to be far more common and important to the successful breeding of herbivores than has been thought in the past.

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Seed harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) as “pulse” predators

Cited by 26 publications

References 8 publications

A New Protocol Using Artificial Seeds to Evaluate Dietary Preferences of Harvester Ants in Semi-arid Environments

A New Protocol Using Artificial Seeds to Evaluate Dietary Preferences of Harvester Ants in Semi-arid Environments

Trichome-derived O -acyl sugars are a first meal for caterpillars that tags them for predation

The significance of unripe seeds and animal tissues in the protein nutrition of herbivores

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