2018/05/17 by Brunschwiler, Ali, Maurer, Amelia, Parsons, John +3
#ants #behavior #ecology #foraging strategy
paper · doi:10.21973/n3r36f
Resource limitations force desert species to forage efficiently and partition resources. Ant species have different foraging strategies, which may act as a method of niche partitioning. We aimed to measure differences in foraging behavior between colonies of Messor and Pogonomyrmex. Using an experimental treatment of seeds, we measured collection rate and resource preference between high and low density resources between the two species. We found significant differences in multiple aspects of foraging behavior, including overall abundance of seeds collected, proportion of different resources collected, and the effect of time on resource preference. These differences suggest a mechanism for resource partitioning between Messor and Pogonomyrmex. Additionally, the role of these two species in seed dispersal may be influenced by their foraging strategies.