首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
     检索      


Control of food influx by temporal subcastes in the fire ant,Solenopsis invicta
Authors:A Ann Sorensen  Tana M Busch  S Bradleigh Vinson
Institution:(1) Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 77843 College Station, Texas, USA;(2) Present address: Department of Agriculture, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 12847, 78711 Austin, Texas, USA
Abstract:Summary Temporal subcastes in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren were selectively starved to determine if foragers could assess the nutritional status of their nestmates and respond accordingly. We found that starved foragers increase the honey entering the colony (Fig. 1). When nurses are starved more oil and liquid egg yolk enters the colony (Figs. 2, 3) and when both reserves and nurses are starved, more egg yolk powder is brought in by the foragers (Fig. 4). When queens are starved, more liquid egg yolk and oil enters the colony (Figs. 2, 3). Starved larvae increase the oil in the colony (Fig. 2) and when held with nurses for 24h before feeding, increase the egg yolk powder brought in and receive significantly more of it than other subcaste members (Fig. 5). We conclude that foragers can respond to the nutritional needs of their nestmates. Based on our behavioural observations, the quantity of food brought in by the foragers is regulated via discriminatory solicitation by reserves in response to the nutritional needs of the nurses.
Keywords:
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录!
设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号