Social Carrying and Defensive Behavior During Colony Emigration the in Leaf-cutting Ant &ITAtta sexdens&IT

Autor(es)

Valadares, L. ^[1] ; Nascimento, F. S. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Biol, Lab Comportamento & Ecol Insetos Sociais, Ave Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Sociobiology; v. 64, n. 4, p. 492-494, DEC 2017.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

In this work, we describe for the first time and under laboratory conditions, the behaviors related to social carrying and defensive strategies during colony emigration in the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens. Once colonies were laid on a tray under suboptimal conditions, groups of workers aggregated all over the body surface of the queen and brood, with mandibles half open and legs widely open in a `entangle' formation. Queens were the first caste to be reallocated, followed respectively by the transportation of brood, newly-emerged workers, and pieces of fungus garden to the new nesting site. Contrary to what have been reported to the Myrmicinae species, adult transport followed a stereotyped sequence of acts involving approach, seize and transportation of newly-emerged workers to new target areas. Our results suggest that, in front of rapid unfavorable changes, leaf-cutting ants are capable of reorganize the nest in order to protect their members and resources. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 10/10027-5 - Mediação comportamental, sinalização química e aspectos fisiológicos reguladores da organização social em himenópteros
• Beneficiário: Fábio Santos do Nascimento
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores