Feeding and digestion in some ants (Veromessor and Manica)
Went FW, Wheeler J, Wheeler GC. 1972. Feeding and digestion in some ants (Veromessor and Manica). BioScience. 22(2):82-88
The authors studied the harvester ant Veromessor pergandei (Mayr) near the Grapevine Ranger Station in Death Valley National Monument. In this paper, they report on the behavior of the foraging columns, but note that these ants spend most of their time underground. Due to the difficulty of excavating intact nest chambers, conclusions about nest-life had to be drawn from indirect evidence. The authors analyze the contents of the nest refuse dump and discuss ant nutrition, comparing Veromessor with other species such as Manica bradleyi and M. hunteri. The authors conclude that in social ants like Veromessor and Manica, the larvae are the digestive sacs, as they are in most insects, but instead of body transformation, they transfer the digested food to the adults by regurgitation. Fourteen figures (photos of Veromessor nest and refuse dump material). One table of fungi isolated from ant pellets, ant chambers, desert soil, and desert litter.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Went, F; Wheeler, Jeanette; Wheeler, George
- Units
- DEVA
- Keywords
- Animal Behavior, Animal Studies, Death Valley National Park CA NV, Digestion, Grapevine Mountains Death Valley National Park CA NV, harvester ant (Veromessor pergandei), Larvae, Manica bradleyi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Manica hunteri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Nests & Nesting, Nutrition