BRANSTETTER, M. G.; The Evergreen State College: Wing-clipping behavior and its relationship to central place foraging in the ant Pachycondyla apicalis (Formicidae, Ponerinae)

Pachycondyla apicalis is a common Neotropical ant with solitary foragers that capture prey and return it to a central nest site. In a study at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, workers exhibited a novel prey-processing behavior. On encountering large flies, workers spent a variable amount of time dismembering them before transport to the nest, usually cutting off the wings, legs, and/or head. These findings are discussed in relation to central place foraging theory and it is hypothesized that dismemberment increases net energy intake by reducing costs associated with transporting heavy or cumbersome prey items back to the nest.