ISSN:
1420-9098
Keywords:
Tetraponera
;
bamboo
;
ants
;
nest flooding
;
water removal
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Summary The Southeast Asian antTetraponera sp. nearattenuata F. Smith inhabits internodes of large bamboo species that it shares with symbiotic pseudococcids. It finds access to this nesting habitat via small holes made by wood-boring insects. During heavy rain, runoff water collects in these punctured internodes. TheTetraponera workers remove the water by ingesting it, walking to the entrance hole, and regurgitating it to the outside. In this way, they 1) reduce the danger of colony members drowing, 2) enable their symbionts to feed also on the internode floor, and 3) prevent excessive growth of microbes in the nest.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01338838
