INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDY OF ANTS (PARATRECHINA LONGICORNIS, LATREILLY., CAMPONOTUS COMPRESS US, FABR AND MONOMORIUM FLORICOLA, JERD.) IN DARKNESS (O LUX) IN RELATION TO PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF FOOD MATERIALS

摘要

Infrared photographic study shows that three common species of ant: Paratrechina longicornis. Monomoriwn floricola and Camponotus compressus are able t6 perform their foraging activities in the dark (O Lux). Foraging did continue as long as 14 days without interruption at night. They did not show any sign of photoreception under exposure to varied intensities of light. Such faculty enable them to finish the job within a possible minimum duration. In the dark Paratrechina can detect, select and collect the nutritious food or dead body of ants avoiding toxic, polluted or phoney substances to their nest. From a sweetmeat Paratrechina consume only its milk protein discarding the starchy ingredient. Experimental result shows that Paratrechina longicornis are cannibal which enable them to recycle their body protein with a significant ecological advantage. All these precious faculties of three ant species help them for better adaptation to the changing environment.