Comparação da freqüência da atividade forrageira da formiga Pachycondyla obscuricornis (Emery, 1890) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) no verão e no inverno, em condições de campo

Carolina de Souza Chagas, Anade Oliveira Vasconcelos, Viviane

Pachycondyla obscuricornis (Emery, 1890) is a generalist predator ant that is widely distributed throughout Brazil. The foraging dynamic of this specie was studied during summer (1999/2000) and winter (2000) in three colonies located at Juiz de Fora MG, Brazil. The foragers develop an individualized foraging strategy during day and dont have a recruitment system for this. In the summer foragers prey in temperatures between 20- 28C, between 29-32C the foraging decrease drastically and above 33C this ant practically doesnt prey. In the winter the lower relative humidity detected (34%) wasnt a restraint factor to theforaging behavior. The tandem running behavior was observed in normal days and in some days after emigration, and it didnt have a foraging function.