Multilevel Factors Affecting the Route Decision for Foraging in the Generalist ant Pheidole oxyops

Diego Santana Assis; Giovanni Abrami Rodrigues Camargo; Fabio Santos do Nascimento

doi:10.20944/preprints201804.0160.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 11 April 2018 / Approved: 12 April 2018 / Online: 12 April 2018 (06:19:14 CEST)

Pheidole oxyops Forel, 1908 is a generalist ant, which forages actively for plant debris to dead arthropods. In addition, its nest has an entrance that allows the ants gather resources passively by capturing falling preys into the nest. Our objective was to verify if different day periods, temperature and residual soil accumulation (ground pile in the side of nest entrance) could influence the patterns of foraging activity. Foraging activities were registered in the morning, afternoon and twilight. We measured direction and vector of trails, air temperature and humidity during foraging events. Our results showed that foraging routes are independent of residual soil accumulation and other nearby nests. However, air temperature and the time daily period are significant factors to foragers’ exits. Higher air temperatures influenced negatively the exits. In the period of the afternoon, the ants do not show any preference for routes, different from the morning and twilight. In addition, foraging activities were significantly more frequent during twilight period. Leaving the nest at twilight could allow ants foraging in an environment with less exposition to potential predators and competitors. Moreover, it may be also related to opportunism to hunt other nocturnal insects.

multilevel factors; sit-and-wait foraging; active foraging

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Multilevel Factors Affecting the Route Decision for Foraging in the Generalist ant Pheidole oxyops

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