Mechanisms affecting load size determination inAtta cephalotes L. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) - Insectes Sociaux

The size of leaf-cutting ant foragers correlates more closely with the weight than the area of the leaf fragments they cut. This implies that the mechanism of load size determination is not a simple function of body geometry. Ants were found not to adjust the radius of cut to compensate for experimental changes in leaf weight during the process of cutting. However, ants changed their cutting behaviour according to the thickness of the region of the fragment being cut. Ants decreased their cut radius when cutting through leaf veins. Similarly, when cutting artificial laminae of varying thicknesses, ants reduced the cut arc radius when traversing thicker regions.

Cut radius was not principally controlled by the position of the rear legs nor the overall body length but by mechanisms associated with the head and thorax of the ant.

• Cherrett, J. M. 1972. Some factors involved in the selection of vegetable substrate byAtta cephalotes (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in tropical rain forest.J. Anim. Ecol., 41:641–660.

  Google Scholar 

• Nichols-Orians, C. M. and J. C. Schultz. 1989. Leaf toughness affects leaf harvesting by the leaf-cutter ant,Atta cephalotes (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Biotropica, 21:80–83.

  Google Scholar 

• Roces, E. 1990. Leaf-cutting ants cut fragment sizes in relation to distance from the nest.Anim. Behav., 40:1181–1183.

  Google Scholar 

• Rudolph, S. G. and C. Loudon. 1986. Load size selection by foraging leafcutter ants.Ecol. Entomol., 11:401–410.

  Google Scholar 

• Stradling, D. J. 1978. The influence of size on foraging in the ant,Atta cephalotes, and the effect of some plant defence mechanisms.J. Anim. Ecol., 47:173–188.

  Google Scholar 

• Stradling, D. J. and R. J. Powell. 1992. Fungiculture and the choice of substrates by attine ants. In. Biology and Evolution of Social Insects (J. Billen, Ed.), Leuven University Press, Leuven (Belgium), pp. 133–143.

  Google Scholar 

• Weber, N. A. 1972. Gardening Ants, the Attines. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  Google Scholar 

• Wetterer, J. K. 1991a. Load-size determination in the leaf-cutting ant,Atta cephalotes.Behav, Ecol. 1:95–101.

  Google Scholar 

• Wetterer, J. K. 1991b. Allometry and the geometry of leaf-cutting inAtta cephalotes.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 29:347–351.

  Google Scholar 

• Wetterer, J. K. 1991c. Source distance has no effect on load size in the leaf-cutting ant,Atta cephalotes.Psyche, 98:355–359.

  Google Scholar 

• Wilson, E. O. 1980a. Caste and division of labor in leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:Atta). I. The overall pattern inAtta sexdens.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 7:143–156.

  Google Scholar 

• Wilson, E. O. 1980b. Caste and division of labor in leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:Atta). II. The ergonomic optimization of leaf-cutting.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 7:157–165.

  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Biological Sciences, Hatherly Laboratories, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, EX4 4PS, Exeter, Devon, UK

   J. M. van Breda & D. J. Stradling

Cite this article

van Breda, J.M., Stradling, D.J. Mechanisms affecting load size determination inAtta cephalotes L. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Ins. Soc 41, 423–435 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01240645

Download citation

• Received: 30 August 1993

• Revised: 30 April 1994

• Accepted: 18 May 1994

• Issue Date: December 1994

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01240645

Key words