期刊
INSECTES SOCIAUX
卷 57, 期 2, 页码 205-208出版社
BIRKHAUSER VERLAG AG
DOI: 10.1007/s00040-010-0069-2
关键词
Foraging; Formicidae; Hymenoptera; Salt; Social insects
类别
资金
- National Science Foundation [IBN-0347315]
- OTS
Recent studies of attraction to sodium chloride baits suggest that diverse ant species forage for salt. We used experimental presentations of salt baits to test whether leaf cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) are attracted to and harvest salt-treated paper baits that offer no other resources. Atta foragers were most attracted to sucrose baits (positive control), but more foragers touched and cut salt-treated baits than water-treated baits (negative control). Furthermore, the ants removed more paper from the salt baits than from water-treated baits. We conclude that leaf cutter ants expend time and energy to harvest salt in the absence of other rewards. Salt could be harvested for the workers' consumption, or it could be fed to the fungus gardens in the ants' nest.
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