Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:34:39.760Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The activity pattern of the ant Cataulacus guineensis F. Smith (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in a Ghanaian cocoa farm

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Joseph B. Ackonor
Joseph B. Ackonor
Affiliation:
Zoology Department, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
Get access

Abstract

The activity pattern of the ant, Cataulacus guineensis F. Smith, was found to be diurnal; trailing starts around 6.00 a.m. and ends around 6.00 p.m. The effect of meteorological factors on the activity pattern of the ant was also investigated and rainfall was found to be the most important factor influencing the ant's activity. The ant was found to be generally very active throughout the year, except when the harmattan conditions were very severe.

The species was found to be mainly a canopy forager, although occasionally it might forage on the ground. The mean foraging space was 555.0 m2; but when nests (colonies) were close together, overlapping of foraging spaces did occur.

Keywords

Cataulacus guineensisactivity patterntrailforagingantmetereological factorsnestcensus pointcoloniesantennal greetings
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 5 , Issue 4 , August 1984 , pp. 307 - 324
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ackonor, J. B. (1977) The distribution, nesting habits and activity pattern of Cataulacus guineensis F. Smith (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in a Ghanaian cocoa farm. M.Sc. thesis, University of Ghana, Legon.Google Scholar
Aryeetey, F. A. (1971) The biology and ecology of Macromischoides aculeatus (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in cocoa farms in Ghana. M.Sc. thesis, University of Ghana, Legon.Google Scholar
Ayre, G. L. (1958) Some meterological factors affecting the foraging of Formica subnitens Creighton (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Insectes soc. 5, 147–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolton, B. (1974) A revision of the palaeotropical arbored ant genus Cataulacus F. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. Ent. 30, 3–13; 52–58; 93–103.Google Scholar
Brian, M. V. (1955) Food collection by a Scottish ant community. J. Anim. Ecol. 24, 336–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elton, C. (1932) Territory among wood ant (Formica rufa L.)at Picket Hill. J. Anim. Ecol. 1–69.Google Scholar
Gibbs, D. G. and Leston, D. (1970) Insect phenology in forest cocoa farm lacality in W. Africa. J. appl. Ecol. 7, 519–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goetsch, W. (1929) Seed collection: Naturwissenschaften 17, 221–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leston, D. (1968) Diurnal activity of Oecophylla longinoda. Rep. Cocoa. Res. Inst., Tafo, Ghana 1965–1966, 62–72.Google Scholar
Pickles, W. (1935) Populations, territory and interrelations of the ants Formica fusca, Acanthomyops niger and Myrmica scabrinodis at Garforth (Yorkshire). J. Anim. Ecol. 4, 22–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickles, W. (1936) Populations and territory of the ants Formica fusca, Acanthomyops flavus and Myrmica rugimodis at Thornhill (Yorkshire). J. Anim. Ecol. 5, 262–270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickles, W. (1937) Populations, territory and biomasses of ants at Thornhill (Yorkshire) in 1936. J. Anim. Ecol. 6, 54–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickles, W. (1938) Populations, territory and biomasses of ants at Thornhill (Yorkshire) in 1937. J. Anim. Ecol. 7, 370–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickles, W. (1940) Fluctuations in the populations, weights and biomasses of ants in Thornhill (Yorkshire) from 1935 to 1939. J. Anim. Ecol. 9, 467–85.Google Scholar
Room, P. M. (1971) The relative distributions of ant species in Ghana's cocoa farms. J. Anim. Ecol. 40, 735–751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneirla, T. C. (1944) The reproductive fluatuations of the army ant queen as pace-makers of the group behaviour pattern. J. N.Y. ent. Soc. 52, 153–192.Google Scholar
Sudd, J. H. (1967) An Introduction to the Behaviour of Ants, pp. 50–135. Edward Arnold, London.Google Scholar
Vowles, D. M. (1955) The foraging of ants. Br. J. Anim. Behav. 3, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallis, D. I. (1963) The relation between hunger and worker function in ant colony. Proc. zool. Soc. Land. 139, 589–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallis, D. I. (1964) The foraging behaviour of the ant Formica fusca. Behaviour 23, 149–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar