Summary
Lasius pallitarsis (Provancher) ant colonies were offerred a choice between two food patches of equal nutritive quality but with one of the patches having associated with it one of several types of mortality risk indicators. Foraging decisions appeared to be affected only when theL. pallitarsis foragers could actually physically encounter a potential mortality agent (a largerFormica subnuda Emery). Odors of either crushed conspecifics, aF. subnuda, or aF. subnuda in conflict withL. pallitarsis workers, were sensed byL. pallitarsis workers but did not affect patch choice.
Resume
On a offert à des colonies de fourmisLasius pallitarsis (Provancher) le choix entre deux sources de nourriture d'égale valeur nutritive mais différant quant au risque perçu de mortalité, une des sources étant associée avec plusieurs indices de risque de mortalité. Les décisions relatives à la recherche de nourriture ne semblent être affectées que quand les ouvrièresL. pallitarsis entrent en contact physique avec un risque concret de mortalité (une groseFormica subnuda Emery, en l'occurence). Les ouvrières deL. pallitarsis perçoivent les odeurs de conspécifiques broyées, deF. subnuda ou deF. subnuda en combat avec d'autres ouvrières deL. pallitarsis, mais leur choix de source de nourriture n'en est pas affecté.
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Nonacs, P., Dill, L.M. Foraging response of the antLasius pallitarsis to food sources with associated mortality risk. Ins. Soc 35, 293–303 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224061
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224061