Abstract
Ants provide striking examples of particle-use behavior in activities unrelated to nest building. For example, some species cover liquid food with debris particles and then use them as tools for transport to the nest. However, recent studies have shown that food-covering behavior in Solenopsis species is part of a broader range of possible uses of the particles by foragers. This study reports the particle-use behavior observed in the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata while foraging on the sidewalk of an urban area. In addition, laboratory experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that ants exhibit particle-use behavior to counteract risk when searching for prey. The field observations showed that foragers used soil grains and plant fragments to cover a diverse array of food items, mainly earthworm carrion. Experiments showed that when faced with a risk of drowning in the presence of wet bait or nearby water drops, foragers responded by dropping particles to cover those threats. This task was found to be performed by a small group of workers while a larger group of workers explored or fed. These results point towards a multifaceted protective function of the particle-use behavior in S. geminata. The adaptive value of this strategy in addressing risks of drowning or exposure to adverse environmental conditions in open areas is discussed.
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The data are available as Supplementary Information.
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Acknowledgements
I thank sincerely Dr. Guillermo Bianchi (Laboratorio de Ecología de Insectos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes) for the suggestions for statistical analysis. To Dr. Miguel E. Alonso-Amelot (Grupo de Química Ecológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes) for the invaluable help in reviewing the manuscript. I would like to warmly thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions have contributed to the improvement of the manuscript.
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Avila-Núñez, J.L. Ants foraging in sidewalks: particle-use behavior of the fire ant Solenopsis geminata Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insect. Soc. 70, 357–364 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-023-00923-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-023-00923-6