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Nectar intake rate is modulated by changes in sucking pump activity according to colony starvation in carpenter ants

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Abstract

Dynamics of fluid feeding has been deeply studied in insects. However, the ability to vary the nectar-intake rate depending only on the carbohydrate deprivation has been clearly demonstrated only in Camponotus mus ants. When insect morphometry and fluid properties remain constant, changes in intake rate could only be attributed to variations in sucking pump activity. Previous records of the electrical activity generated during feeding in C. mus have revealed two different signal patterns: the regular (RP, frequencies: 2–5 Hz) and the irregular (IP, frequencies: 7–12 Hz). This work studies the mechanism underlying food intake-rate modulation in ants by analysing whether these patterns are involved. Behaviour and electrical activity generated by ants at different starvation levels were analysed during feeding on sucrose solutions. Ants were able to modulate the intake rate for a variety of sucrose concentrations (10, 40 and 60%w/w). The IP only occurred for 60% of solutions and its presence did not affect the intake rate. However, during the RP generated under the starved state, we found frequencies up to 7.5 Hz. RP frequencies positively correlated with the intake-rate for all sucrose concentrations. Hence, intake-rate modulation according to sugar deprivation is mainly achieved by the ant’s ability to vary the pumping frequency.

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Abbreviations

F:

Predominant frequency

IP:

Irregular pattern

IP-prop:

Proportion of the irregular pattern in the signal

IR:

Intake rate

RIR:

Relative intake rate

RP:

Regular pattern

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Alberto F. Gontijo for his help on the electrical design and the recording programme. Authors also thank the two anonymous reviewers for comments that improved this manuscript. This study was partially supported by funds from the ANPCYT (PICT 2002-12310) and the Argentinean Research Council (CONICET- PIP 5986). The present work complies with the “Principles of animal care”, publication No. 86-23, revised 1985 of the National Institute of Health, and also with the current laws of the country in which the experiments were performed.

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  1. Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Agustina Falibene & Roxana Josens

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  1. Agustina Falibene
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  2. Roxana Josens
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Correspondence to Roxana Josens.

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Falibene, A., Josens, R. Nectar intake rate is modulated by changes in sucking pump activity according to colony starvation in carpenter ants. J Comp Physiol A 194, 491–500 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0323-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0323-5

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