Leg or antenna injury in Cataglyphis ants impairs survival but does not hinder searching for food.

ABSTRACT: Injury is common in nature resulting, for example, from fighting, partial predation, or the wear of body parts. Injury is costly, expressed in impaired performance, failure in competition, and a shorter life span. A survey of the literature revealed the frequent occurrence of injury in ants and its various causes. We examined whether leg or antenna injury impacts food-discovery time and reduces the likelihood of reaching food in workers of the desert ant Cataglyphis niger. We examined the search-related consequences of injury in groups of either 4 or 8 workers searching for food in a short arena, a long arena, and a maze. We conducted a small field survey to evaluate the prevalence of injury in the studied population. Finally, we compared the survival rates of injured versus uninjur

SUBMITTER: Gilad T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9450180 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature