Author:
Halley Julianne D.,Elgar Mark A.
Abstract
Reducing the risk of predation is an important feature of the feeding
behaviour of most animals. In social insects, foraging workers are
particularly vulnerable, and the ability to trade-off mortality risk against
food value may provide a considerable competitive advantage for the colony. We
investigated the response of Argentine ants,
Linepithema humile, to different kinds of disturbance
while workers foraged on food of differing quality. The behaviour of disturbed
individuals was influenced by group size, by the behaviour of nearby nestmates
and by how much food had already been consumed. When in large groups, workers
were less likely to leave the foraging arena and resumed feeding more rapidly.
This response was even more marked among workers whose gasters were only
partially replete. However, individuals took more time to resume feeding and
became more likely to run away from a food source when greater numbers of ants
were disturbed. These influences may allow foraging groups to maximise food
intake while minimising the mortality of workers.
Subject
Animal Science and Zoology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cited by
6 articles.
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