Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. The Study Species and the Study Site
2.2. Experiment 1 (Field Experiment): Do Acorn Ants Inhabit and Modify Imperfect Nest Sites?
- (1)
- ‘Open’—woodblock drilled lengthwise, where the hole was not closed;
- (2)
- ‘Partially closed’—woodblock drilled lengthwise, where the hole on one side was partially (halfway) closed with a beech plug, while the hole on the opposite side was not closed;
- (3)
- ‘With one side closed’—woodblock drilled lengthwise, where the hole was closed on one side with a beech plug, while the other hole was not closed.
2.3. Experiment 2 (Field Experiment): During Nest Repairs, Do Ant Colonies Create Additional Entrances?
2.4. Experiment 3 (Laboratory Experiment): Do the Ant Colonies Prefer a Nest Sites with One Entrance vs. a Nest Site with Two Entrances?
2.5. Statistical Analyses
3. Results
3.1. Experiment 1. (Field Experiment): Do Acorn Ants Inhabit and Modify Imperfect Nest Sites?
3.2. Experiment 2 (Field Experiment): During Nest Repairs, Do Ant Colonies Create Additional Entrances?
3.3. Experiment 3 (Laboratory Experiment): Do the Ant Colonies Prefer a Nest Sites with One Entrance vs. a Nest Site with Two Entrances?
4. Discussion
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Mitrus, S. Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity. Insects 2021, 12, 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912
Mitrus S. Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity. Insects. 2021; 12(10):912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912
Chicago/Turabian StyleMitrus, Sławomir. 2021. "Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity" Insects 12, no. 10: 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912
APA StyleMitrus, S. (2021). Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity. Insects, 12(10), 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912