Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase

Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase. This study evaluated the crude protein content of queens of Atta sexdens before the nuptial flight and after the claustral phase in laboratory and field colonies. The hypothesis was that protein...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Edypo Jacob Silva, Roberto da Silva Camargo, Luiz Carlos Forti, Raphael Vacchi Travaglini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia 2014-12-01
Series:Revista Brasileira de Entomologia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0085-56262014000400005&lng=en&tlng=en
id doaj-0e8216ecdfd0417db0e4f854607cca48
record_format Article
spelling doaj-0e8216ecdfd0417db0e4f854607cca482020-11-25T02:40:32ZengSociedade Brasileira de EntomologiaRevista Brasileira de Entomologia1806-96652014-12-0158433333610.1590/S0085-56262014005000003S0085-56262014000400005Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phaseEdypo Jacob Silva0Roberto da Silva Camargo1Luiz Carlos Forti2Raphael Vacchi Travaglini3Universidade Estadual PaulistaUniversidade Estadual PaulistaUniversidade Estadual PaulistaUniversidade Estadual PaulistaProtein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase. This study evaluated the crude protein content of queens of Atta sexdens before the nuptial flight and after the claustral phase in laboratory and field colonies. The hypothesis was that protein is used for survival of the queen and for early colony growth during the claustral phase. Additionally, the nest morphology, live biomass and adult population of field colonies were evaluated. Crude protein was determined by digestion of the organic material with sulfuric acid at high temperatures. The mean crude protein content was 123.23 ± 11.20 mg for females before the nuptial flight and 70.44 ± 12.21 mg for laboratory-reared queens after the claustral phase. The post-claustral crude protein content of field-collected queen was 55.90 ± 9.18 mg. With respect to the loss of crude protein as a function of duration of the claustral phase, laboratory-reared queens lost 52.79 mg and field-collected queens lost 67.33 mg compared to females before the nuptial flight. A positive linear correlation was observed between the weight of field-collected queens (256.4 ± 36.3 mg) and colony biomass (13.02 ± 9.12 g), but there was no correlation between biomass and nest depth (13.11 ± 3.82 cm). As expected, the present results support the hypothesis that protein is used for survival of the queen and for early colony growth, as demonstrated by the reduction in crude protein content as a function of duration of the claustral phase. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide data of the dynamics of protein reserves in leaf-cutting ant queens during the claustral phase.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0085-56262014000400005&lng=en&tlng=enClaustral phaseInsectaleaf-cutting antsnestprotein content
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Edypo Jacob Silva
Roberto da Silva Camargo
Luiz Carlos Forti
Raphael Vacchi Travaglini
spellingShingle Edypo Jacob Silva
Roberto da Silva Camargo
Luiz Carlos Forti
Raphael Vacchi Travaglini
Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
Revista Brasileira de Entomologia
Claustral phase
Insecta
leaf-cutting ants
nest
protein content
author_facet Edypo Jacob Silva
Roberto da Silva Camargo
Luiz Carlos Forti
Raphael Vacchi Travaglini
author_sort Edypo Jacob Silva
title Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
title_short Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
title_full Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
title_fullStr Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
title_full_unstemmed Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
title_sort protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase
publisher Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia
series Revista Brasileira de Entomologia
issn 1806-9665
publishDate 2014-12-01
description Protein content of leaf-cutting ant queens before the nuptial flight and during the post-claustral phase. This study evaluated the crude protein content of queens of Atta sexdens before the nuptial flight and after the claustral phase in laboratory and field colonies. The hypothesis was that protein is used for survival of the queen and for early colony growth during the claustral phase. Additionally, the nest morphology, live biomass and adult population of field colonies were evaluated. Crude protein was determined by digestion of the organic material with sulfuric acid at high temperatures. The mean crude protein content was 123.23 ± 11.20 mg for females before the nuptial flight and 70.44 ± 12.21 mg for laboratory-reared queens after the claustral phase. The post-claustral crude protein content of field-collected queen was 55.90 ± 9.18 mg. With respect to the loss of crude protein as a function of duration of the claustral phase, laboratory-reared queens lost 52.79 mg and field-collected queens lost 67.33 mg compared to females before the nuptial flight. A positive linear correlation was observed between the weight of field-collected queens (256.4 ± 36.3 mg) and colony biomass (13.02 ± 9.12 g), but there was no correlation between biomass and nest depth (13.11 ± 3.82 cm). As expected, the present results support the hypothesis that protein is used for survival of the queen and for early colony growth, as demonstrated by the reduction in crude protein content as a function of duration of the claustral phase. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide data of the dynamics of protein reserves in leaf-cutting ant queens during the claustral phase.
topic Claustral phase
Insecta
leaf-cutting ants
nest
protein content
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0085-56262014000400005&lng=en&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT edypojacobsilva proteincontentofleafcuttingantqueensbeforethenuptialflightandduringthepostclaustralphase
AT robertodasilvacamargo proteincontentofleafcuttingantqueensbeforethenuptialflightandduringthepostclaustralphase
AT luizcarlosforti proteincontentofleafcuttingantqueensbeforethenuptialflightandduringthepostclaustralphase
AT raphaelvacchitravaglini proteincontentofleafcuttingantqueensbeforethenuptialflightandduringthepostclaustralphase
_version_ 1724781093470601216