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Mortality of Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) workers in contact with colony waste from different plant sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

F.G. Lacerda ,
T.M.C. Della Lucia ,
O.L. Pereira ,
L.A. Peternelli  and
M.R. Tótola
F.G. Lacerda
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa,Viçosa, MG36570-000, Brazil
T.M.C. Della Lucia*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa,Viçosa, MG36570-000, Brazil
O.L. Pereira
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG36570-000, Brazil
L.A. Peternelli
Affiliation:
Departamento de Informática, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG36570-000, Brazil
M.R. Tótola
Affiliation:
Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG36570-000, Brazil
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +55 31 3899 4012 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the effect of colony waste on the mortality of workers of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel colonies fed with different plant substrates. Eight nests were used; two colonies each were fed with Acalypha wilkesiana Müller.Arg, Ligustrum japonicum Thunb, Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake or a mixture of the three substrates in equal proportions. Irrespective of diet, being kept with waste led to higher mortality. However, workers that were kept in contact with waste produced by colonies fed Acalypha had higher average survival rate and later death when compared with workers from the other treatments. Workers from the Eucalyptus-fed colonies had the lowest survival rate and 50% of them died within four days of exposure to Eucalyptus waste. Trichoderma viride Pers. ex Gray, a fungus garden antagonist, and the entomopathogen Aspergillus flavus Link. ex Gray were present in the colonies supplied with all plants. The largest fungus diversity was verified in the waste of colonies fed Acalypha and the mixture of Acalypha, Ligustrum and Eucalyptus. Therefore, antibiotic properties of Acalypha did not reduce contaminant diversity but apparently minimized effects of pathogenic microorganisms present in the waste such as Asp. flavus. This may explain the highest survival rate of workers in this treatment.

Keywords

leaf-cutting antsplant materialrefusepathogen
Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 100 , Issue 1 , February 2010 , pp. 99 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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