吉悌細顎針蟻的覓食行為初探

Preliminary Study of the Foraging Behavior of Leptogenys kietteli

翁億齡(Yi-Ling Weng) ； 傅木錦(Wak-Kim Poo) ； 陳嘉芬(Jia-Fern Chen)

《華岡理科學報》 21期 (2004/05) Pp. 71-84

https://doi.org/10.6364/HKJS.200405.0071

摘要

吉悌細顎針蟻（Leptogenys kietteli）主要分布於臺灣平地林緣至中海拔山區，屬細顎針蟻亞科（Leptogenys）。因為本種體型大，易觀察、分類地位清楚、屬肉食性，對人類有攻擊性，且在華岡校區附近即有分布，觀察方便，所以選定本種作為研究生物材料。
本研究是透過實驗室內與田野觀察來探討吉悌細顎針蟻的覓食行為。經過65次室內實驗以及43次野外觀察，記錄到的獵物項共4目，包括等翅目的白蟻；蜚蠊目的美洲蜚蠊、東洋斑蜚蠊；鞘翅目的台灣大粉吹金龜、青銅金龜；直翅目的紅后負蝗、螻蛄等7種。而覓食策略則可概分為三種：第一，獵物為小型昆蟲（如白蟻）時，會以個體掠食為主，其過程包括：（1）斥候蟻（scout）出外搜尋食物、（2）遭遇獵物、（3）評估獵物的取回可能性、（4）取回獵物、（5）搬回巢內等；第二，遭遇大型昆蟲時，則以群體掠食，其過程包括：（1）斥候蟻出外搜尋獵物、（2）遭遇獵物、（3）評估獵物的可取回可能性、（4）回巢呼喚同伴幫忙、（5）取回獵物、（6）處理獵物以及（7）丟棄不能食用的幾丁質軀殼；第三種則是「禦敵兼覓食行為」，僅發生在飼養箱內，面對活動力較強的獵物時（如蟑螂、紅后負蝗等）。離巢警戒的職蟻（worker）發現上述動物時，會將垂腹插入地面，並從腹部發出聲音來警示巢中伙伴。所呈現的覓食模式，主要包括：（1）大部分職蟻離巢而出，散布於飼養箱內；（2）待獵物活動力稍減時，上前咬住獵物並注入毒液；（3）待獵物麻痺而喪失行動力；（4）將獵物搬回巢穴。有時當同伴搬運食物回巢時，巢中一些針蟻會上前攻擊並有搶奪的行為發生。正常情況野外吉悌細顎針蟻應屬於日行性， 夜間觀察未發現有夜間覓食行為，但是在有燈光照明的實驗室內則仍有覓食現象的發生。

關鍵字

吉悌細顎針蟻 ； 覓食行為 ； 群體掠食 ； 個體捕食 ； 斥候蟻

並列摘要

Ponerine ants (Leptogenys kietteli) mainly distribute from the edge of plain-forest to the mid-elevation mountain in Taiwan. Comparing to other species of ants in Taiwan, ponerine ants are large in size , they are easy to observe, and in taxonomy they are systematically classified. L. kietteli are carnivorous, they will possibly attack people if their lives are being disturbed. Different colonies were observed in the field close to the Chinese Culture University, in Hwa Kang campus.
This article focuses on the laboratory and field observations of foraging behavior of L. kietteli. Sixty five laboratory records and forty three field records were collected. Their preys can be categorized to four orders, which included Isoptera, Blatteria , Coleoptera, and Orthopetera. Their foraging strategy can be divided to three types. Individual predatory will be performed, when the preys were small,. The procedures include: (1) the scouts ants searched for the prey, (2) he encountered the prey, (3) he evaluated the transport of the prey, (4) he retrieved the prey, (5) he dealed with the prey, etc. When the prey was bigger than ponerine ant, cooperative behavior was used. The procedures include: (1) the scouts ants search for prey, (2) they encounter the prey, (3) they evaluate the retrieval of the prey, (4) they went back to ask the nest-mate to help, (5) the prey is retrieved cooperatively, (6) they deal with prey in the nest, and (7) the uneatable chitin shells were thrown away. The third type happened in laboratory only, it was a combination of both anti-predator and foraging behavior. While facing a strong and active prey, the alarmed workers will insert their gaster into the ground. An alarm call was given from their abdomen to inform others. The procedures include: (1) Most workers were out ; (2) they waited for a while until the prey became less active, they would bite the prey and injected toxic liquid; (3) they would wait again until the prey lost its mobility ; (4) then the prey was retrieved cooperatively back to their nests. Occasionally meeting nest-mates outside the nest, aggressive and theft behavior were recorded. In the field no nocturnal foraging behavior was observed, however in the lab with the lights on they do have some kind of foraging behavior. Under normal condition L. kietteli, is a diurnal forager.

並列關鍵字

Leptogenys kietteli ； foraging behavior ； group-predatory ； individual predatory ； scout