Lipid Food Preference and Transportation Using Tools by an Indian Ant Species Monomorium pharaonis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A Field Study
| Autor: | Ritika Sarkar, Sarmistha Banik, RANAJIT KARMAKAR |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2023 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Sociobiology, Vol 70, Iss 4 (2023) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 0361-6525 2447-8067 |
| DOI: | 10.13102/sociobiology.v70i4.9167 |
| Popis: | Besides proteins and carbohydrates, the Pharaoh ant (Monomoroium pharaonis) prefers lipid foods especially when it becomes limiting in the colony. We used four different food-grade lipids such as mustard oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil and butter for seven consecutive days for a specified time frame (11.15 hr - 14.15 hr). There was a specific time zone in which the highest number of ants accumulated at all four food baits with varying peak values. Sunflower oil was the most preferred food, and mustard oil showed the lowest like. The differential number of ants in all four lipid food baits under observation can be attributed to the physical features and nutrient content. We also noted an interesting feature of the foraging activity: the major role of gathering and transporting food was performed primarily by two castes, intermediate and large, among the four distinct foraging castes. Most tools used in the present investigation were |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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