Scholarlink

<p>We examined the timing of removal of waste associated with food in colonies of the red harvester ant, <i>Pogonomyrmex barbatus</i>. Colonies tend to remove food waste within 2&#xa0;days of collecting it. This rapid removal suggests that waste and food are sorted near the nest surface. The removal of food waste did not increase with foraging activity. Young, small colonies removed food waste at the same rate as older, larger ones. The study was conducted in two subsequent years that differed greatly in rainfall. The rate of waste removal was lower in the year with heavy rainfall and flooding. Nest maintenance work to remove soil washed into the nest during flooding may have delayed the removal of food waste.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

The timing of rubbish removal in the red harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月10日

查看全文
  • B. Das,
  • D. M. Gordon

摘要

We examined the timing of removal of waste associated with food in colonies of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. Colonies tend to remove food waste within 2 days of collecting it. This rapid removal suggests that waste and food are sorted near the nest surface. The removal of food waste did not increase with foraging activity. Young, small colonies removed food waste at the same rate as older, larger ones. The study was conducted in two subsequent years that differed greatly in rainfall. The rate of waste removal was lower in the year with heavy rainfall and flooding. Nest maintenance work to remove soil washed into the nest during flooding may have delayed the removal of food waste.