Foraging ecology of attine ants in a Neotropical savanna: seasonal use of fungal substrate in the cerrado vegetation of Brazil
Foraging ecology of attine ants in a Neotropical savanna: seasonal use of fungal substrate in the cerrado vegetation of Brazil
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DOI：
10.1007/pl00001734
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发表时间：
2000-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1.3
通讯作者：
Oliveira, PS
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Leal, IR;Oliveira, PS
在这项研究中，我们确定了收集的材料作为真菌基质的attine蚂蚁在塞拉多植被巴西东南部。共有313个殖民地的进化更原始（属Cyphomyrmex，Mycetarotes，Mycocepurus，Myrmicocrypta）和过渡attines（属Sericomyrmex和Trachymyrmex）标记在该领域和每月监测，在一年。Attines收集了28科53种植物的材料。物品包括树叶、花朵、果实、种子、木材、苔藓、地衣、昆虫粪便和尸体。花和果实是所有属最常采集的项目，特别是在雨季，这些植物部分在塞拉多更丰富。在旱季，蚂蚁多样化的材料收集和不同的项目的频率不同的蚂蚁属。最原始的属主要收集昆虫的粪便和尸体，而中间的属则依赖于营养植物的部分，如最近落下的小叶。种子和其他材料，如苔藓、地衣和木材，在干旱的月份也更常用。这些资源的使用与更大的觅食距离由所有属在干燥的月份。结果表明，较低的attines提出了一个机会主义的觅食行为，通过收集在其巢穴附近的项目，并根据塞拉多植被的物候。我们简要地讨论了一些一般的阿蒂尼内的进化趋势。
In this study we identified the material collected as fungal substrate by attine ants in the cerrado vegetation of Southeast Brazil. A total of 313 colonies of the evolutionary more primitive (genera Cyphomyrmex, Mycetarotes, Mycocepurus, Myrmicocrypta) and transitional attines (genera Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex) were marked in the field and monitored monthly, during one year. Attines collected material from 53 plant species in 28 families. Items included leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, wood, mosses, lichens, insect feces and corpses. Flowers and fruits wen the items most frequently collected by all genera, especially during the wet season when these plant parts are more abundant in the cerrado. During the dry season, the ants diversified the material collected and the frequency of different items varied across the ant genera. The most primitive genera collected mainly insect feces and corpses, while the intermediate ones relied on vegetative plant parts such as recently fallen leaflets. Seeds and other materials such as mosses, lichens, and wood were also more commonly used during dry months. The use of these resources was associated with greater foraging distances by all genera in dry months. The results indicate that lower attines present an opportunistic foraging behavior, by collecting items in the vicinity of their nests, and in accordance with the phenology of the cerrado vegetation. We briefly discuss some general evolutionary trends within the Attini.