Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology: Current Research
Open Access

Forest Protection, University of East Kordofan, Rashad, Sudan

Biography

Dr. Hong He, a distinguished expert, and author has published several articles on Forest fire Pests and diseases, works in the Forest Protection, University of East Kordofan, Rashad, Sudan.

Publications

• Research Article   
  Leaf-Cutter Ant, Cardiocondyla elegans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Ecology, in Dinder National Park, Sudan
  Author(s): Khalid A E Eisawi*, Hong He and Tayyab Shaheena
  
  Leaf-cutter ants are distinctive among fungus-farmers because they forage for fresh plant material to nurture the fungus. We investigate the foraging ecology of Cardiocondyla elegans (Forel) in DNP. We examined the species activity pattern, forage material collected, and the relationship between load mass and forager size. Ant activity peaked at night and was negatively related to temperature but positively related to relative air humidity. The majority of the items collected by ants were plant material: dry and fresh leaves, flowers, and fruits. Trunk trails ranged from 0.7 to 13 m and colony home ranged from 2 to 28 m2, indicating that ants collect material nearby the nest. Total load mass was positively associated with forager size, especially in the case of leaves. The negative relationship between ant size and burden suggests that ants might optimiz.. View More»
  DOI: 10.35248/2161-0983.21.10.240

  Abstract HTML PDF