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When attempts at robbing prey turn fatal |
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| Authors: | Alain Dejean Bruno Corbara Frédéric Azémar James M Carpenter |
| Institution: | 1. CNRS; écologie des Forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), Campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379, Kourou cedex, France 2. Université de Toulouse; UPS, INP, Ecolab, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France 3. CNRS; Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome et Environnement, (UMR-CNRS 6023) Université Blaise Pascal, Complexe Scientifique des Cézeaux, 63177, Aubière cedex, France 4. Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, LMGE, BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France 5. CNRS; Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR-CNRS 5245), 31055, Toulouse, France 6. Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA |
| Abstract: | Because group-hunting arboreal ants spread-eagle insect prey for a long time before retrieving them, these prey can be coveted by predatory flying insects. Yet, attempting to rob these prey is risky if the ant species is also an effective predator. Here, we show that trying to rob prey from Azteca andreae workers is a fatal error as 268 out of 276 potential cleptobionts (97.1?%) were captured in turn. The ant workers hunt in a group and use the “Velcro?” principle to cling firmly to the leaves of their host tree, permitting them to capture very large prey. Exceptions were one social wasp, plus some Trigona spp. workers and flies that landed directly on the prey and were able to take off immediately when attacked. We conclude that in this situation, previously captured prey attract potential cleptobionts that are captured in turn in most of the cases. |
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