Agro-predation by Megalomyrmex ants on Mycetophylax fungusgrowing ants.
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Date
2016
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Abstract
Fungus-growing ants are a remarkable taxon of
New World ants that engage in a mutualistic symbiosis with
basidiomycete fungi. Their fungus-gardens are valuable
resources and are exploited in countless ways by parasites and
other beneficiaries outside of the ant-fungi mutualism. Here, for
the first time, we report on the agro-predatory behavior of the
ant Megalomyrmex incisus on Mycetophylax conformis and
Mycetophylax morschi fungus-growers from sand dunes near
Ilhe´us, Brazil. Me. incisus workers raided colonies of My.
conformis and My. morschi and aggressively antennated,
pulled, bit, and stung the fungus-growers, which played dead or
retreated on the fungus. Me.incisus quickly usurped the fungusgarden
and expelled all Mycetophylax workers. The usurpation
closely resembled that described for raids of Me. wettereri on
Cyphomyrmex longiscapus, in that the fungus-growers
remained passive and avoided confrontation. This passive
behavior suggests that Me. incisus uses chemical weapons that
facilitate the exploitation of the host colony resources.
Description
Keywords
Formicidae, Behavior, Fungus-garden, Attini, Restinga
Citation
CARDOSO, D. C. et al. Agro-predation by Megalomyrmex ants on Mycetophylax fungusgrowing ants. Insectes Sociaux, v. 63, n. 3, , p. 483–486, ago. 2016. Disponível em: <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00040-016-0487-x>. Acesso em: 07 jul. 2017.