From http://www.cabi.org/isc/abstract/19820590628
Foraging and pest potential of Paraguayan grass-cutting ants (Atta and Acromyrmex) to the cattle industry.
Author(s)
Robinson, S. W.; Fowler, H. G.
Abstract
The pest potential of grass-cutting ants of the genera Atta and Acromyrmex to the Paraguayan cattle industry was examined during a 1-year study on the foraging behaviour of the ants and grass productivity. It was estimated that Acromyrmex landolti fracticornis (Forel) foraged, on the basis of dry weight, 0.817 kg/colony per year (up to 4770 kg/ha per year), while estimates extrapolated to the foraging of Atta vollenweideri Forel corresponded to 201-217 kg/colony per year (87-911 kg/ha per year), depending on colony density. Productivity studies, performed by exclusions, suggested that A. vollenweideri foraged up to 972.5 kg/ha per year (230.9 kg/colony per year), and A. capiguara Goncalves 835 kg/ha per year (196 kg/colony per year). These results indicated that the ants consumed at least the same amount of grass as the cattle, reducing considerably the amount of feed available for the latter. Foraging by Acromyrmex l. fracticornis was shown to have a marked diel pattern, seasonally modifiable by micro-environmental parameters, as demonstrated by partial correlation analysis.
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