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Plant odors trigger clearing behavior in foraging trails- do they represent olfactory obstacles?
Andrea Marina Alma1, Micaela Buteler1
1Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas, INIBIOMA-CONICET-UNCOMA, Bariloche, Argentina.
Behavioural Processes
|November 1, 2019
Summary
Plant odors, not physical barriers, trigger leaf-cutting ants (Acromyrmex lobicornis) to clear their foraging trails. This clearing behavior, potentially due to disrupted pheromone communication, reduces ant traffic.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Entomology
Background:
- Foraging trails of leaf-cutting ants are susceptible to interference from plant materials.
- Interference can be physical or chemical, affecting ant behavior and trail flux.
- Plant secondary metabolites, like volatiles, may disrupt ant pheromone communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if plant volatiles trigger clearing behavior in leaf-cutting ants.
- To determine if plant odors interfere with pheromone communication on foraging trails.
- To assess the impact of plant odors on ant flux and trail maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Impregnated paper pieces with odors from native and exotic plant species.
- Placed treated papers on foraging trails of Acromyrmex lobicornis, using trail odor papers as controls.
- Monitored ant flux, paper removal, and ant behaviors like gaster tapping.
Main Results:
- Plant-odor-treated papers were removed by ants, significantly reducing ant flux by 15-28%.
- Ants exhibited gaster tapping around foreign odor papers, with intensity correlating to odor concentration.
- Clearing behavior involved smaller ants, suggesting morphological specialization for trail maintenance.
Conclusions:
- Plant odors, even without physical obstruction, can trigger clearing behavior in ants.
- Odors likely interfere with pheromone communication, prompting trail clearing.
- This study highlights the role of chemical cues in ant trail dynamics and obstacle negotiation.
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