Search rate and functional response of a eusocial insect (Oecophylla longinoda) in a Tanzanian mango orchard.
Fast T. S., Axelsen J. A., Lynegaard G. K., Mwatawala M., Offenberg J.
Author Affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Psyche: A Journal of Entomology 2015 : Article ID 817251
Abstract : Weaver ants, Oecophylla spp., are famous for being efficient biological control agents as they prey on a variety of insects, and they are capable of suppressing a large number of pest species. Here, the search rate and functional response of Oecophylla longinoda were investigated in a Tanzanian mango orchard using feeding experiments. This was done by following the removal of prey, which constituted the foundation for estimating the search rate by aid of the Nicholson-Bailey and Lotka-Volterramodels. The overall mean search rate was 3.2×10-4 and 1.7×10-4 over 30 minutes, when calculating the search rate using the Nicholson-Bailey equation and the Lotka-Volterra equation (modified Holling equation), respectively. The functional response investigations showed a linear relationship between removed prey and available prey, suggesting type I functional response or, alternatively, the initial phase of type II functional response. The results presented here are probably the first attempt to identify the functional response type of a colony of living predatory eusocial insects.