Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species

Tadu Zephirin; Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine; Fomekong Lontchi Judicael; Alene Desiree Chantal; Djieto-Lordon Champlain

doi:doi:10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species

Tadu Zephirin, Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine, Fomekong Lontchi Judicael, Alene Desiree Chantal, Djieto-Lordon Champlain

Published in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Volume 9, Issue 1)

Received: 17 May 2021 Accepted: 3 June 2021 Published: 25 June 2021

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Abstract

Prey fragmentation and transport modalities were studied in Myrmicaria opaciventris, Platythyrea conradti, Cremtogaster sp., Crematogaster clariventris, Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda, six tropical ant species with varying levels of adaptation to foraging in the tree canopy. Termites and grasshoppers of different sizes were used as prey and deposited on a hunting arena. After prey capture, we investigated the strategy adopted by each ant species to fragment and transport their prey. The data were analyzed with classification tree, using Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method to find the variation in prey fragmentation strategies and transportation modalities between arboreal ant species in relation with prey type and prey size. The results showed that prey fragmentation did not occur systematically after capture and varied between ant species with prey type and prey size. Studied ant species cut their prey either completely into tiny pieces or partially into two or three large pieces before cutting them totally into tiny pieces or not at all. Fragmentation strategy, induced variation in transport modalities including (a) transport of large pieces, each by a single worker; (b) transport of large pieces, each, by a group of workers; (c) transport of tiny pieces after total cutting, and (c) transport of entire prey in the nest without fragmentation. Prey fragmentation and transport modalities varied between ant species in relation with their level of adaptation to arboreal area.

Published in	Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Volume 9, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
Page(s)	21-30
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Ant, Prey Capture, Prey Fragmentation, Hunting

References

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[2]	Dejean, A., Rodríguez-Pérez, H., Carpenter, J. M., Azémar, F., & Corbara, B. (2017). The predatory behavior of the Neotropical social wasp Polybia rejecta. Behavioral Process 140: 161–168.
[3]	Lachaud J-P., & Dejean, A. (1994). Predatory behaviour of seed-eating ant: Brachyponera senaarensis. Entomologica Experimentalis et Applicata 72: 145-155.
[4]	Deneubourg, J. L., Aron, S., Goss, S., & Pasteel, J. M. (1987). Error, communication and learning in ant societies. Europeen Journal of Operational Research 30: 168-172.
[5]	Liefke, C., Hölldobler, B., & Maschwitz, U. (2001). Recruitment Behavior in the Ant Genus Polyrhachis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 14: 637-657.
[6]	Djiéto-Lordon, C., Richard, F. J., Owona, C., Gibernau, M., Orivel, J., & Dejean, A. (2001b) The Predatory Behavior of the Dominant Arboreal Ant Species Tetramorium aculeatum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 38: 1-11.
[7]	Richard, F. J., Fabre, A., & Dejean, A. (2001). Predatory behaviour in dominant arborael ant species: the case of Crematogaster sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 14: 271-282.
[8]	Dejean, A. (2011). Prey Capture Behavior in an Arboreal African Ponerine Ant. PLoS ONE 6: 1-7.
[9]	Dejean, A. (1990). Prey capture strategy of the african weaver ant. Westview Press (edit), Boulder, Colorado, USA.
[10]	Yamamoto, A., & Ishihara, S., Ito, F. (2009). Fragmentation or transportation: mode of large-prey retrieval in arboreal and ground nesting ants. Journal of Insect Behavior 22: 1-11.
[11]	Kenne, M., Schatz, B., Durand, J. L., & Dejean, A. (2000). Hunting strategy of a generalist ant species proposed as biological control agent against termites. Entomologica Experimentalis et Applicata 94: 31-40.
[12]	Tadu, Z., Djiéto-Lordon, C., Yede, Messop-Youbi, E. B., Fomena, A., & Babin, R. (2014). Ant diversity in different cocoa agroforest habitats in the Centre Region of Cameroon. African Entomology 22: 388–404.
[13]	Tadu, Z., Babin, R., Yede, Aléné, D. C., Messop-Youbi, E. B., Yede, Wouter, D. & Djieto-Lordon, C. (2019a). Ant assemblage structure on cocoa trees in smallholder farms in the Centre Region of Cameroon. African Journal of Ecology, 00: 1-11.
[14]	Tadu, Z., Bagny Beilhe, L., Aléné, D. C., & Djieto-Lordon, C. (2019b). Recruitment Rate of Nestmate in Six Tropical Arboreal Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Insect Behavior (32) 252–266.
[15]	Djiéto-Lordon, C., Orivel, J., & Dejean, A. (2001a). Predatory Behavior of the African Ponerine Ant Platythyrea modesta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 38: 1-13.

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Tadu Zephirin, Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine, Fomekong Lontchi Judicael, Alene Desiree Chantal, Djieto-Lordon Champlain. (2021). Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, 9(1), 21-30. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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ACS Style

Tadu Zephirin; Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine; Fomekong Lontchi Judicael; Alene Desiree Chantal; Djieto-Lordon Champlain. Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species. Comput. Biol. Bioinform. 2021, 9(1), 21-30. doi: 10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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AMA Style

Tadu Zephirin, Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine, Fomekong Lontchi Judicael, Alene Desiree Chantal, Djieto-Lordon Champlain. Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species. Comput Biol Bioinform. 2021;9(1):21-30. doi: 10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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@article{10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13,
  author = {Tadu Zephirin and Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine and Fomekong Lontchi Judicael and Alene Desiree Chantal and Djieto-Lordon Champlain},
  title = {Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species},
  journal = {Computational Biology and Bioinformatics},
  volume = {9},
  number = {1},
  pages = {21-30},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cbb.20210901.13},
  abstract = {Prey fragmentation and transport modalities were studied in Myrmicaria opaciventris, Platythyrea conradti, Cremtogaster sp., Crematogaster clariventris, Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda, six tropical ant species with varying levels of adaptation to foraging in the tree canopy. Termites and grasshoppers of different sizes were used as prey and deposited on a hunting arena. After prey capture, we investigated the strategy adopted by each ant species to fragment and transport their prey. The data were analyzed with classification tree, using Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method to find the variation in prey fragmentation strategies and transportation modalities between arboreal ant species in relation with prey type and prey size. The results showed that prey fragmentation did not occur systematically after capture and varied between ant species with prey type and prey size. Studied ant species cut their prey either completely into tiny pieces or partially into two or three large pieces before cutting them totally into tiny pieces or not at all. Fragmentation strategy, induced variation in transport modalities including (a) transport of large pieces, each by a single worker; (b) transport of large pieces, each, by a group of workers; (c) transport of tiny pieces after total cutting, and (c) transport of entire prey in the nest without fragmentation. Prey fragmentation and transport modalities varied between ant species in relation with their level of adaptation to arboreal area.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species
AU  - Tadu Zephirin
AU  - Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine
AU  - Fomekong Lontchi Judicael
AU  - Alene Desiree Chantal
AU  - Djieto-Lordon Champlain
Y1  - 2021/06/25
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
T2  - Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
JF  - Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
JO  - Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
SP  - 21
EP  - 30
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8281
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
AB  - Prey fragmentation and transport modalities were studied in Myrmicaria opaciventris, Platythyrea conradti, Cremtogaster sp., Crematogaster clariventris, Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda, six tropical ant species with varying levels of adaptation to foraging in the tree canopy. Termites and grasshoppers of different sizes were used as prey and deposited on a hunting arena. After prey capture, we investigated the strategy adopted by each ant species to fragment and transport their prey. The data were analyzed with classification tree, using Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method to find the variation in prey fragmentation strategies and transportation modalities between arboreal ant species in relation with prey type and prey size. The results showed that prey fragmentation did not occur systematically after capture and varied between ant species with prey type and prey size. Studied ant species cut their prey either completely into tiny pieces or partially into two or three large pieces before cutting them totally into tiny pieces or not at all. Fragmentation strategy, induced variation in transport modalities including (a) transport of large pieces, each by a single worker; (b) transport of large pieces, each, by a group of workers; (c) transport of tiny pieces after total cutting, and (c) transport of entire prey in the nest without fragmentation. Prey fragmentation and transport modalities varied between ant species in relation with their level of adaptation to arboreal area.
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Tadu Zephirin

Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine

Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Fomekong Lontchi Judicael

Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Alene Desiree Chantal

Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Djieto-Lordon Champlain

Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon

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Tadu Zephirin, Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine, Fomekong Lontchi Judicael, Alene Desiree Chantal, Djieto-Lordon Champlain. (2021). Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, 9(1), 21-30. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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ACS Style

Tadu Zephirin; Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine; Fomekong Lontchi Judicael; Alene Desiree Chantal; Djieto-Lordon Champlain. Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species. Comput. Biol. Bioinform. 2021, 9(1), 21-30. doi: 10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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AMA Style

Tadu Zephirin, Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine, Fomekong Lontchi Judicael, Alene Desiree Chantal, Djieto-Lordon Champlain. Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species. Comput Biol Bioinform. 2021;9(1):21-30. doi: 10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13

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@article{10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13,
  author = {Tadu Zephirin and Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine and Fomekong Lontchi Judicael and Alene Desiree Chantal and Djieto-Lordon Champlain},
  title = {Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species},
  journal = {Computational Biology and Bioinformatics},
  volume = {9},
  number = {1},
  pages = {21-30},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cbb.20210901.13},
  abstract = {Prey fragmentation and transport modalities were studied in Myrmicaria opaciventris, Platythyrea conradti, Cremtogaster sp., Crematogaster clariventris, Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda, six tropical ant species with varying levels of adaptation to foraging in the tree canopy. Termites and grasshoppers of different sizes were used as prey and deposited on a hunting arena. After prey capture, we investigated the strategy adopted by each ant species to fragment and transport their prey. The data were analyzed with classification tree, using Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method to find the variation in prey fragmentation strategies and transportation modalities between arboreal ant species in relation with prey type and prey size. The results showed that prey fragmentation did not occur systematically after capture and varied between ant species with prey type and prey size. Studied ant species cut their prey either completely into tiny pieces or partially into two or three large pieces before cutting them totally into tiny pieces or not at all. Fragmentation strategy, induced variation in transport modalities including (a) transport of large pieces, each by a single worker; (b) transport of large pieces, each, by a group of workers; (c) transport of tiny pieces after total cutting, and (c) transport of entire prey in the nest without fragmentation. Prey fragmentation and transport modalities varied between ant species in relation with their level of adaptation to arboreal area.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Prey Fragmentation and Transport in Six Tropical Arboreal Ant Species
AU  - Tadu Zephirin
AU  - Messop-Youbi Edith Blandine
AU  - Fomekong Lontchi Judicael
AU  - Alene Desiree Chantal
AU  - Djieto-Lordon Champlain
Y1  - 2021/06/25
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
T2  - Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
JF  - Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
JO  - Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
SP  - 21
EP  - 30
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8281
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cbb.20210901.13
AB  - Prey fragmentation and transport modalities were studied in Myrmicaria opaciventris, Platythyrea conradti, Cremtogaster sp., Crematogaster clariventris, Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda, six tropical ant species with varying levels of adaptation to foraging in the tree canopy. Termites and grasshoppers of different sizes were used as prey and deposited on a hunting arena. After prey capture, we investigated the strategy adopted by each ant species to fragment and transport their prey. The data were analyzed with classification tree, using Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method to find the variation in prey fragmentation strategies and transportation modalities between arboreal ant species in relation with prey type and prey size. The results showed that prey fragmentation did not occur systematically after capture and varied between ant species with prey type and prey size. Studied ant species cut their prey either completely into tiny pieces or partially into two or three large pieces before cutting them totally into tiny pieces or not at all. Fragmentation strategy, induced variation in transport modalities including (a) transport of large pieces, each by a single worker; (b) transport of large pieces, each, by a group of workers; (c) transport of tiny pieces after total cutting, and (c) transport of entire prey in the nest without fragmentation. Prey fragmentation and transport modalities varied between ant species in relation with their level of adaptation to arboreal area.
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
ER  -

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