Efficacy of chlorfenapyr- and hydramethylnon-based baits on laboratory colonies of the pharaoh ant

Biologists have long been aware that adaptations should not be analysed in isolation from the function of the whole organism. Here, we address the equivalent issue at the scale of a social insect colony: the optimality of component behaviours in a partitioned sequence of tasks. In colonies of Atta colombica , a leaf-cutting ant, harvested leaf tissue is passed from foragers to nest workers that distribute, clean, shred and implant the tissue in fungal gardens. In four laboratory colonies of A. colombica , we found that the highest colony-wide rate of leaf tissue processing in the nest was achieved when leaf fragment sizes were suboptimal for individual delivery rate by foragers. Leaf-cutting ant colonies appear to compromise the efficiency of collecting leaf tissue in order to increase their ability to handle the material when it arrives in the nest. Such compromise reinforces the idea that behavioural adaptations, like adaptations in general, must be considered within the context of the larger entity of which they are a part.

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Temporal Variation in Toxic Bait, Carbohydrate and Protein Preference and Toxic Bait Efficacy in Argentine (Linepithema Humile) and Darwin’s Ants (Doleromyrma Darwiniana)

10.26686/wgtn.16992874.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Melissa Rubina Mathieson

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Temporal Variation ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Linepithema Humile ◽

Time Frame ◽

Food Type ◽

Late Winter ◽

Argentine Ants ◽

Ant Colonies ◽

Laboratory Colonies

By determining if there is any temporal variation in toxic bait, carbohydrate and protein preference in Argentine and Darwin’s ants, we can provide better control options because we can identify with more accuracy when ants will be foraging for one food type over another. Improving our understanding is also fundamental as we can improve future bait formulations, bait application and timing, and increase levels of bait uptake. I have two aims in this thesis. First, I investigated toxic bait, carbohydrate and protein preferences for Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) and Darwin's ant (Doleromyrma darwiniana). The second aim in my thesis was to examine the efficacy of toxic baits in laboratory colonies of Argentine ants. Food preferences varied between species and within species considerably throughout the year, although Darwin's ant consistently favoured foods higher in carbohydrates. Argentine ants showed a significant preference for protein over carbohydrates during December and January. Despite differences in carbohydrate and protein preferences the preference for individual toxic baits showed little temporal variation. The toxic bait efficacy experiment revealed that Xstinguish™ and Exterm-an-Ant® baits produced the highest mortality rate. Other commercially available toxic baits had little effect on workers or queens. The efficacy of the toxic baits was influenced by the starvation level of the ant colonies, and only the colonies that were starved for 48 hours experienced a 100% mortality rate. Due to these results, I recommend that bait application with Xstinguish™ and Exterm-an-Ant® in late winter-spring would be optimal as this time frame is when ants are likely to be starved, and when foraging activity is increasing, thus maximising the chances of bait uptake. A second round of baiting treatment with both baits (Xstinguish™ and Exterm-an-Ant®) in summer when Argentine ants have been shown to undergo a second wave of reproduction could also be beneficial.

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Temporal Variation in Toxic Bait, Carbohydrate and Protein Preference and Toxic Bait Efficacy in Argentine (Linepithema Humile) and Darwin’s Ants (Doleromyrma Darwiniana)

10.26686/wgtn.16992874 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Melissa Rubina Mathieson

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Temporal Variation ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Linepithema Humile ◽

Time Frame ◽

Food Type ◽

Late Winter ◽

Argentine Ants ◽

Ant Colonies ◽

Laboratory Colonies

By determining if there is any temporal variation in toxic bait, carbohydrate and protein preference in Argentine and Darwin’s ants, we can provide better control options because we can identify with more accuracy when ants will be foraging for one food type over another. Improving our understanding is also fundamental as we can improve future bait formulations, bait application and timing, and increase levels of bait uptake. I have two aims in this thesis. First, I investigated toxic bait, carbohydrate and protein preferences for Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) and Darwin's ant (Doleromyrma darwiniana). The second aim in my thesis was to examine the efficacy of toxic baits in laboratory colonies of Argentine ants. Food preferences varied between species and within species considerably throughout the year, although Darwin's ant consistently favoured foods higher in carbohydrates. Argentine ants showed a significant preference for protein over carbohydrates during December and January. Despite differences in carbohydrate and protein preferences the preference for individual toxic baits showed little temporal variation. The toxic bait efficacy experiment revealed that Xstinguish™ and Exterm-an-Ant® baits produced the highest mortality rate. Other commercially available toxic baits had little effect on workers or queens. The efficacy of the toxic baits was influenced by the starvation level of the ant colonies, and only the colonies that were starved for 48 hours experienced a 100% mortality rate. Due to these results, I recommend that bait application with Xstinguish™ and Exterm-an-Ant® in late winter-spring would be optimal as this time frame is when ants are likely to be starved, and when foraging activity is increasing, thus maximising the chances of bait uptake. A second round of baiting treatment with both baits (Xstinguish™ and Exterm-an-Ant®) in summer when Argentine ants have been shown to undergo a second wave of reproduction could also be beneficial.

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Individual Specialisation and Encounters Between Harvester Ant Colonies

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853997x00188 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 134 (11-12) ◽

pp. 849-866 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Deborah M. Gordon ◽

Mark J.F. Brown

Keyword(s):

Opportunity To Learn ◽

Pogonomyrmex Barbatus ◽

Ant Colonies ◽

Harvester Ant ◽

Seed Harvesting ◽

Individual Specialisation ◽

Laboratory Colonies

AbstractThis study examined how individual specialisation contributes to neighbour-stranger discrimination in the red seed-harvesting ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. The following hypothesis was tested: is there a group of ants (detectives) that specialise in interacting with non-nestmates and thus have the opportunity to learn the colony-specific odour of neighbouring colonies? Encounters were staged between laboratory colonies. Ants were marked and observed in successive encounters. There is no specialisation for interaction; the results showed that all ants were equally likely to interact with non-nestmates. The frequency of fighting between P. barbatus colonies varies from day to day. The following hypothesis was tested: do some ants (fighters) specialise in fighting when they interact with non-nestmates. There is specialisation for fighting; a few ants tended to fight when they met non-nestmates. There was no day-to-day effect of encounters on the number of foragers in the laboratory arena. Without specialised detectives, neighbour recognition must arise either from frequent interactions between foragers of neighbouring colonies or from communication among nestmates about the odour of neighbours. Shifts in the number of specialised fighters present in the foraging pool may underlie the day-to-day variation in fighting intensity observed in the field.

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The study of neonicotinoids baits on susceptible laboratory culture of pharaoh ants

Disinfection affairs ◽

10.35411/2076-457x-2021-2-15-22 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 15-22

Author(s):

Olga Yurevna Eremina ◽

◽

Veronika Valentinovna Olifer ◽

Keyword(s):

Laboratory Culture ◽

Ant Colony ◽

Alternative Food ◽

Comparative Efficacy ◽

Ant Colonies ◽

Laboratory Conditions ◽

Presence And Absence

Comparative efficacy of neonicotinoid-based baits (thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid) intended for control of the Pharaoh ant was studied. The death of workers, queens and brood occurs within 2–4 weeks. The minimum effective concentrations of thiamethoxam and imidacloprid in granulated sugar, which ensure the death of ant colonies in the presence and absence of an alternative food, were revealed. Under laboratory conditions, when the colonies of the Pharaoh ant were fed with such baits, after 4 weeks of the experiment the depletion of the colony was noted (death of queens was 75–100 %, and critical decrease in the number of live workers and brood was occured). Dry sugar baits based on 0.1–1.0 % acetamiprid have no significant effect on the viability of the ant colony.

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Utilization Of White-Meat, Red-Meat And Super Red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus sp) Skin Waste As An Alternative Food Source

Journal of Science Innovare ◽

10.33751/jsi.v1i01.679 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (01) ◽

pp. 18-21

Author(s):

Yulian Syahputri ◽

Diana Widiastuti

Keyword(s):

Dietary Fiber ◽

Food Source ◽

Red Meat ◽

Raw Material ◽

Alternative Food ◽

Sodium Metabisulfite ◽

White Meat ◽

Fruit Skin ◽

Dragon Fruit ◽

Alternative Food Source

Dragon fruit skin, waste material (dragon fruit waste), will have a profitable sale value if it can be used as a food raw material. Dragon fruit skin waste contains relatively high dietary fiber so it can be used as a food raw material. This study aims to utilize dragon fruit skin waste for the manufacture of dragon fruit skin flour as an alternative food source. Some tests are made on white-meat dragon fruit skin, red-meat dragon fruit skin and super red dragon fruit skin. The preliminary study is the soaking of the three types of dragon fruit skin in two solutions, namely 0.1% sodium citrate and 0.1% sodium metabisulfite to prevent the browning effect on flour. Dragon fruit skin flour from the soaking with both solutions is then characterized physically, including its texture, color, flavor and rendement. The best physical characterization is followed by chemical characterization, including the contents of water, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, minerals (Fe, Na, K, Ca and P), and also microbiological characterization of Escherichia coli, molds and Bacillus cereus. The chemical and microbiological characterization shows that the red-meat dragon fruit skin flour has better results than the white-meat and super red dragon fruit skin flour does. The red-meat dragon fruit skin flour contains 8.80% water, 0.20% ash, 2.35% fat, 7.69%, protein, 68,29% carbohydrate and 28,72% dietary fiber as well as 4.40 mg K, 8.76 mg Na , 0.65 mg Fe , 10.20 mg Ca and 32.58 mg P. Keywords: Waste, Dragon Fruit Skin, Dragon Fruit Skin Powder, Alternative Food Source

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Books in Review: Beyond Alternative Food Networks: Italy’s Solidarity Purchase Groups

Gastronomica The Journal of Food and Culture ◽

10.1525/gfc.2015.15.3.81 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 81-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jillian R. Cavanaugh

Keyword(s):

Alternative Food ◽

Alternative Food Networks ◽

Food Networks

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ANALISIS DAYA SAING DAN STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN AGRIBISNIS GANDUM LOKAL DI INDONESIA

Jurnal Agribisnis Indonesia ◽

10.29244/jai.2013.1.1.9-26 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Lukman Muhammad Baga ◽

Agnes A. D. Puspita

Keyword(s):

Swot Analysis ◽

Food Product ◽

Development Strategies ◽

Alternative Food ◽

Staple Food ◽

Competitive Position ◽

Wheat Production ◽

Indonesian Government ◽

High Carbohydrate ◽

Developing Strategies

Wheat is an alternative food product that contains high carbohydrate, which is currently consumed by many Indonesian people in order to substitute their staple food of rice. However, Indonesia must import large amount of this product, and during the last decade the imported volume has dramatically increased. In 2008 the imported wheat reached 4.9 million tons. Since 2001, Indonesian Government has developed domestic wheat agribusiness which aimed to establish industrial villages of domestic wheat production. However, due to some obstacles, the program is not successful yet. Therefore, it is needed to study the competitive position of wheat agribusiness in Indonesia. The study’s objectives are (1) to portrait the current domestic wheat agribusiness in Indonesia, (2) to analyze the domestic wheat competitive position, and (3) to formulate strategy for developing domestic wheat agribusiness in Indonesia as an effort to fulfill some part of domestic wheat demand and to build industrial villages of wheat production. The study was conducted in 2009. Data have been analyzed by using the frame of Porter’s Diamond Theory in order to find out the competitive position of Indonesian domestic wheat agribusiness. Afterwards, SWOT analysis is used to investigate internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats of Indonesian wheat agribusiness in order to formulate the developing strategies. Finally, the approach of strategic architecture is used to arrange the formulated strategies where it can be easier to get the picture. The conclusion of Porter’s Diamond analysis showed that each subsystems of domestic wheat agribusiness in Indonesia still do not support one to another, therefore, its competitiveness becomes weak. In order to strengthen its competitiveness, domestic wheat agribusiness needs to be developed more properly by paying attention to development strategies which have been consciously formulated and put in mapping of strategic architecture.

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