The predatory behavior of Pheidole megacephala

• DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2007.06.005
• Publication Date: 2007-08-11T11:09:33Z
• Authors: Alain Dejean; Corrie S. Moreau; Pierre Uzac; Julien Le Breton; Martin Kenne
• Keywords: [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment; 0106 biological sciences; Ants; [SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology; [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity; Feeding Behavior; Isoptera; 01 natural sciences; Predatory Behavior; Animals; Female; Social Behavior

We studied the foraging and predatory behaviors of the invasive African myrmicine ant, Pheidole megacephala (F.) in its native range. Workers can singly capture a wide range of insects, including relatively large prey items. For still larger prey, they recruit at short range those nestmates situated within reach of an alarm pheromone and together spread-eagle the insect. These behaviors are complimented by a long-range recruitment (of nestmates remaining in the nest) based on prey size. P. megacephala scouts also use long-range recruitment when they detect the landmarks of termites and competing ant species, thus permitting them to avoid confronting these termites and ants solitarily.