Food Preferences and Foraging Activity of Field Populations of a Pest Ant, Tapinoma indicum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
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Date
2003
Authors
Kim, Fung Chong
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Abstract
Food preference and foraging activity of a pest ant, Tapinoma indicum
(Forel) were investigated in the field. In choice tests, T. indicum demonstrated
the highest preference for tuna (p < 0.05) among the proteinaceous food
candidates, but no preference was recorded towards any of the candidates
of carbohydrate foods. In addition, they were not attracted to lipid foods.
Periodical changes of food selection study showed that they preferred carbohydrate
food, over proteinaceous or lipid food. Foraging activity studies
of T. indicum over a period of 72 hours revealed that their activities were
negatively correlated with environmental temperature, but positively correlated
with relative humidity.