Ecology of the ant Pogonomyrmex mayri: foraging and competition [Colombia]

Aspects of recruitment and foraging behavior of Pogonomyrmex mayri (Myrmicinae: Formicidae) are described. Foragers leave and return to the nest in all directions, but each worker tends to forage only in one sector of the territory. When food is discovered, nestmates are recruited by a trail pheromone, but even with a persistent food source, a single file of foragers never develops. Foragers rarely cooperate to transport prey. Foraging is strictly diurnal with the amount of activity controlled by temperature, which in turn is affected by season, time of day, and nest location. Strong territorial defense by neighboring colonies and competition from other ant species often severely restrict foraging direction and distance.