Résumé
-
1.
Durant la fin du printemps et la plus grande partie de l'été la fourmiMessor aegyptiacus Emery est active pendant deux périodes de récolte, l'une pendant le matin et l'autre pendant le soir. Durant la fin de l'été et le début de l'automne, elle est active uniquement pendant le matin.
-
2.
L'activité de récolte matinale commence avant le lever du soleil vers 6 h et finit vers 10 h du matin; elle est entièrement consacrée à la récolte. Tandis qu'elle nettoie le nid pendant la récolte du soir qui commence vers 6 h après-midi et se termine au coucher du soleil.
-
3.
Durant l'activité matinale il y avait deux maximums, l'un en mai et l'autre en août, celui-ci étant plus élevé. Pendant la récolte du soir, ayant lieu en mai et juin, il n'y avait qu'un seul maximum.
-
4.
Les grains et les restes des feuilles et de trones des plantes constituent l'aliment principal de cette fourmi.
-
5.
La température, l'humidité relative et l'intensité de la lumière ont un effet remarquable sur le commencement et la fin de la récolte. La vitesse du vent et les nuages n'ont eu aucune influence sensible sur cette activité durant nos observations.
Summary
-
1.
During late spring and most of the summer season the ant,Messor aegyptiacus was active during two foraging periods one in the morning and the second in the evening. During late summer and beginning of the fall it was active only in the morning.
-
2.
The morning foraging activity began before sun-rise about 6.00 a.m. and stopped at about 10.00 a.m. and it was confined to harvesting. The evening activity started at about 6.00 p.m. and came to an end nearly at sun-set. Cleaning the nest of wastes usually occurred in this period.
-
3.
During the morning foraging period there were two peaks of activity one took place in May and the second in August and the level of foraging activity was most high in August. A true evening foraging activity occurred during May and June and there was only one peak of field activity in June.
-
4.
Seeds and fragments of plant leaves and stems formed the main food supply of this ant.
-
5.
The temperature, relative humidity and light intensity showed a remarkable effect on the morning start and evening stop of foraging. Both the wind velocity and cloud cover, within the ranges obtained, did not influence the rate of field activity.
References
Ayre (G. L.), 1955 — Some meteorological factors affecting the foraging ofFormica subnitens Creigthon (Hym. Formicidae).Insectes Sociaux,5, 147–157.
Gaul (A. T.), 1952. — The awakening and diurnal flight activity of vespine wasps.Proc. roy. ent. Soc. Lond., A.27, 33–38.
Kaschef (A. H.) andSheata (M. N.), 1963. — Meteorological factors affecting beginning and end of foraging activities ofCamponotus maculatus aegyptiacus Emery (Hym. Formicidae).Z. Morph. Okol. Tiere,52, 678–687.
Kemp (P. B.), 1951. — Field observations on the activity of Pheidole.Bull. ent. Res. Lond.,42, 201–206.
Urbani (C. B.), 1965. — Sull «activita» di foragyiamento notturna delCamponotus nylandri Em.Insectes Sociaux,XII, 253–263.
Weber (N. A.), 1952. — Observations on Baghdad ants.C. arts and Sc. Publ.,1, 1–29.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sheata, M.N., Kaschef, A.H. Foraging activities ofMessor aegyptiacus emery (Hym., Formicidae). Ins. Soc 18, 215–226 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223176
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223176