Summary
The topographic orientation of two species of ants is compared. Differential cue emphasis exists in diurnal orientation between the primarily nocturnalCamponotus pennsylvanicus and the mainly diurnalFormica subsericea. Field experiments demonstrated that both species use celestial and landmark cues for orientation. Although both species use visual cues and odor trails, forF. subsericea the former serve a more important role and vice versa forC. pennsylvanicus. The importance of these orientational differences is discussed in relation to the behavioral ecology of each species.
Zusammenfassung
Die Topographische Orientierung zweier Ameisen-Arten wird verglichen. Zur Orientierung während des Tages verwenden die hauptsächlich nachts-aktive Art,Camponotus pennsylvanicus, und die hauptsächlich tags-aktive Art,Formica subsericae, verschiedene Eigenschaften der Umwelt. Untersuchungen im Freiland zeigen, dass beide Arten Himmels-und Grezstein-Orientierung besitzen. Obwohl beide Arten auf visuelle Eigenschaften bzw. Duftspuren reagieren, spielen beiF. subsericea die ersterwähnten eine wichtigere Rolle; und beiC. pennsylvanicus ist es umgekehrt. Diese Orientierungsunterschiede werden mit Bezug auf die Verhaltensökologie der beiden Arten diskutiert.
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Klotz, J.H. Topographic orientation in two species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ins. Soc 34, 236–251 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224356
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224356