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Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
Silva, Edypo Jacob; Camargo, Roberto da Silva; Forti, Luiz Carlos; Travaglini, Raphael Vacchi.
  • Silva, Edypo Jacob; UNESP. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Departamento de Produção Vegetal. Laboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga. Botucatu. BR
  • Camargo, Roberto da Silva; UNESP. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Departamento de Produção Vegetal. Laboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga. Botucatu. BR
  • Forti, Luiz Carlos; UNESP. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Departamento de Produção Vegetal. Laboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga. Botucatu. BR
  • Travaglini, Raphael Vacchi; UNESP. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Departamento de Produção Vegetal. Laboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga. Botucatu. BR
Rev. bras. entomol ; 58(4): 333-336, Oct.-Dec. 2014. graf
Article in English | LILACS | ID: lil-732840
ABSTRACT
Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase. This study evaluated the crude protein content of queens of Atta sexdens before the nuptial flight and after the claustral phase in laboratory and field colonies. The hypothesis was that protein is used for survival of the queen and for early colony growth during the claustral phase. Additionally, the nest morphology, live biomass and adult population of field colonies were evaluated. Crude protein was determined by digestion of the organic material with sulfuric acid at high temperatures. The mean crude protein content was 123.23 ± 11.20 mg for females before the nuptial flight and 70.44 ± 12.21 mg for laboratory-reared queens after the claustral phase. The post-claustral crude protein content of field-collected queen was 55.90 ± 9.18 mg. With respect to the loss of crude protein as a function of duration of the claustral phase, laboratory-reared queens lost 52.79 mg and field-collected queens lost 67.33 mg compared to females before the nuptial flight. A positive linear correlation was observed between the weight of field-collected queens (256.4 ± 36.3 mg) and colony biomass (13.02 ± 9.12 g), but there was no correlation between biomass and nest depth (13.11 ± 3.82 cm). As expected, the present results support the hypothesis that protein is used for survival of the queen and for early colony growth, as demonstrated by the reduction in crude protein content as a function of duration of the claustral phase. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide data of the dynamics of protein reserves in leaf-cutting ant queens during the claustral phase.


Full text: Available Index: LILACS (Americas) Language: English Journal: Rev. bras. entomol Journal subject: Biology Year: 2014 Type: Article / Project document Affiliation country: Brazil Institution/Affiliation country: UNESP/BR

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Full text: Available Index: LILACS (Americas) Language: English Journal: Rev. bras. entomol Journal subject: Biology Year: 2014 Type: Article / Project document Affiliation country: Brazil Institution/Affiliation country: UNESP/BR