Capture and Selection of Prey in the Ponerine Ant Diacamma rugosum (Hymenoptera; Formicidae)

摘要

Predatory behavior of the ponerine antDiacamma rugosum (Le Guillou), a generalist predator, was studied in the laboratory. When T. molitor (Co-leoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae, Coptotermesformosanus (Isoptera: Rhino-termitidae) workers and C. formosanus soldiers, as representative prey with different morphological or defensive characteristics, were supplied to them, the foragers ofD. rugosum showed similar capture sequences. However, their predatory actions were different in the way of prey detection,attack, carrying and transportation. The flexible predatory behavior of D. rugosum foragers makes them efficient in capturing a diversity of prey species. Moreover, prey selection of D. rugosum was tested when fed with two different combinations of C. formosanus workers and soldiers, living or dead. It was found that the number of living termite workers hunted by D. rugosum within 30 min was significantly larger than that of living soldiers, living termite workers were significantly preferred than deadones by D. rugosum foragers, and the dead soldiers were the less preferred prey of D. rugosum foragers. It is suggested from the prey selection tests that the ponerine ant D. rugosum is an agent to be considered in the Integrated Pest Management of forest termites.