Diurnal and nocturnal foraging specialisation in Neotropical army ants

The Social Behavior of Army Ants

Scientific American ◽

10.1038/scientificamerican1172-70 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 227 (5) ◽

pp. 70-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Howard R. Topoff

Keyword(s):

Social Behavior ◽

Army Ants ◽

The Social

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Army ants store temporary caches when raiding nests

The New Scientist ◽

10.1016/s0262-4079(21)01625-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 251 (3352) ◽

pp. 8

Author(s):

Jake Buehler

Keyword(s):

Army Ants

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Nocturnal Foraging by Ants at a Sandstone Bee Nest Aggregation (Hymenoptera: Apidae and Formicidae)

Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society ◽

10.2317/0022-8567-93.2.169 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 93 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Michael C. Orr ◽

Michael G. Branstetter

Keyword(s):

Nocturnal Foraging ◽

Nest Aggregation

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Studies of Ant-Following Birds North of the Eastern Amazon

Acta Amazonica ◽

10.1590/1809-43921972022127 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 127-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Yoshika Oniki ◽

Edwin O. Willis

Keyword(s):

Forest Edge ◽

Forest Edges ◽

Army Ants ◽

Forest Interior ◽

Second Growth

Abstract Birds that prey on arthropods flushed by army ants north of the eastern Amazon were studied at Serra do Navio and Reserva Ducke (Brazil) and at Nappi Creek and Bartica (Guyana). Regular ant-followers are two medium-sized antbirds (Percnostola rufifrons and Gymnopithys rufigula) and two smaller ones (Pithys albifrons and Hylophylax poecilonota), plus five woodcreepers of differing sizes (from very large Hylexetastes perrotti through Dendrocolaptes picumnus, D. certhia, and Dendrocincla merula to medium-sized Dendrocincla fuliginosa). Four other regular ant-followers occur in the region but were not found at the study areas. Forty-five species of casual or nonprofessional ant-followers, including 16 antbirds, 5 woodcreepers, and 5 manakins, also were recorded. Percnostola rufifrons tends to be at the forest edge or in second growth. Pithys albifrons works around Gymnopithys rufigula, Hylophylax poecilonota peripheral to both, in the forest interior. The large Dendrocolaptes picumnus and medium-large Dendrocincla merula often capture prey near the ground, like antbirds. Unlike antbirds, which use vertical or horizontal slender perches, the woodcreepers use thick vertical perches. Dendrocolaptes certhia and Dendrocincla fuliginosa also tend to capture prey high over the ground-foraging antbirds. The woodcreepers tend to forage lower at midday. Hylexetastes perrotti is rare, and overlaps strongly with D. picumnus. There is fairly large overlap among the 9 professional ant-followers, and large ones chase away smaller ones. Nonprofessional birds tend to forage briefly or peripherally when or slightly after the professional species are active. They also forage above the antbirds and below or above the woodcreepers, and concentrate at forest edges or in second growth. The guild of ant-following birds in this region differs fairly widely from guilds in Panamá and at Belém, Brazil; the absence of large antbirds and the predominance of large woodcreepers north of the Amazon are the major differences.

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