Foraging activity rhythms of dinoponera quadriceps (Hymenoptera: formicidae) in its natural environment
This study characterizes the foraging activity of the queenless ant Dinoponera quadriceps (Kempf) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in its natural environment by testing the hypotheses that foraging activity presents both daily and seasonal rhythmic variations, and that these rhythms are related to enviro...
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| Principais autores: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Idioma: | eng |
| Publicado em: |
Oxford University Press
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| Assuntos: | |
| Endereço do item: | https://repositorio.ufrn.br/jspui/handle/123456789/24686 |
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| Resumo: | This study characterizes the foraging activity of the queenless ant Dinoponera quadriceps (Kempf) (Hymenoptera:
Formicidae) in its natural environment by testing the hypotheses that foraging activity presents both daily and seasonal rhythmic variations,
and that these rhythms are related to environmental variables. Four colonies of D. quadriceps were observed in an area of secondary
Atlantic forest in northeastern Brazil. Data collection was performed over 72 h every three months during an annual cycle. Both
daily and seasonal foraging activity rhythms of D. quadriceps colonies were related to environmental factors, but colony differences
also explained part of foraging variations. Foraging activity of D. quadriceps colonies was predominantly diurnal independently of
season. In the early dry season, the colonies had two activity peaks, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, with a decrease
in foraging at midday; however, during the rest of the year, foraging activity was distributed more evenly throughout the daylight hours.
The daily rhythm of foraging activity was likely determined by an endogenous circadian rhythm year-round, but in the dry season, temperature
and relative humidity also influenced daily foraging activity, with a negative effect of temperature and a positive effect of
relative humidity. On a seasonal scale, foraging activity peaked in the early dry season and suddenly declined at the end of this season,
increasing again at the late rainy season. The seasonal rhythm of foraging was negatively related to relative humidity and positively
related to prey availability |
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