Food preference of an ant morphotype with daytime foraging in an area of Atlantic Forest on the Barreiras Formation

Abstract

The main food sources for ants are proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, but each caste of ant feeds a specific type of food. Thus, the ants foraging is an activity of selection, cutting and transporting food to provide the food demands of the colony. In this study, we evaluated the feeding preference of an ant morphotype, being offered honey and diluted honey in the morning and afternoon; and mortadella and folder mortadella also during the morning and afternoon. The results indicate no significant difference in the rate of access to different types of food tested, although there was a greater attractiveness of the ants by the undiluted honey. This study represents a pilot for future studies. It was conducted in a short period of time and employed a small number of nests, being unable to confirm the existence of a food preference by the studied morphotype of ant, although data obtained demonstrate a tendency to prefer the undiluted honey.