Gnamptogenys hartmani Wheeler (Ponerinae: Ectatommini): an agro-predator of Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ants.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_67987743EFEA
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Gnamptogenys hartmani Wheeler (Ponerinae: Ectatommini): an agro-predator of Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ants.
Journal
Die Naturwissenschaften
Author(s)
Dijkstra M.B., Boomsma J.J.
ISSN
0028-1042 (Print)
ISSN-L
0028-1042
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2003
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
90
Number
12
Pages
568-571
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
The fungus gardens of fungus-growing ants are a potentially valuable resource for exploitation by natural enemies, but few of these antagonistic interactions have been studied. Here we describe key aspects of the behavioral ecology of Gnamptogenys hartmani (Ponerinae: Ectatommini), a specialized "agro-predator" of Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ants in Panama. Raiding columns of G. hartmani attack and usurp nests with remarkably little effort: a few intruding workers are sufficient to cause panic among the attine ants and make them abscond from the nest. Both G. hartmani larvae and adults consume the fungus and the host brood, after which the colony migrates to a new fungus-growing ant nest discovered by scouting workers. The morphology of the G. hartmani larval mouthparts is similar to that of Gnamptogenys species with a non-fungal diet. However, we suggest that the presence of long spinules on the larval mandibles in the genus Gnamptogenys, comparable to those found in attine larvae, may have pre-adapted G. hartmani to fungus eating. G. hartmani workers do not actively maintain or modify fungus gardens, which makes them less efficient exploiters than Megalomyrmex, the only other agro-predatory ant species known so far.
Keywords
Animals, Ants/microbiology, Female, Fungi/isolation & purification, Male, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Mouth/microbiology, Mouth/ultrastructure, Panama, Plants/microbiology, Predatory Behavior
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
28/02/2008 14:26
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:23
Usage data