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Leafcutting Ant Diet Selection: The Role Of Nutrients, Water, And Secondary Chemistry, Jerome J. Howard
Leafcutting Ant Diet Selection: The Role Of Nutrients, Water, And Secondary Chemistry, Jerome J. Howard
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
The relationship of plant secondary chemistry, water content, and nutrient content to the palatability of leaves to the leafcutting ant Atta cephalotes was determined in a study of individuals from 50 woody plant species in tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. The study took place during the yearly period of maximum leaf harvest, in the early rainy season. The palatability of plants was determined by presenting leaf disks to ants on active foraging trails of three ant colonies. The distribution of several classes of polar secondary compounds in leaf samples was determined using chemical spot tests, and that of ant- …