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First published online June 27, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 2224-2232 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.017509

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Carbohydrate regulation in relation to colony growth in ants

A. Dussutour^* and S. J. Simpson

School of Biological sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

View larger version (6K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Experimental timetable. Each colony had access to the sucrose solution for 5 h each day. On the fifth day (Friday) from 17:00 h to the following day (Saturday) 09:00 h, ants had access to protein in the form of 250–300 Drosophila and more varied carbohydrates as 15% honey solution. The ants were then deprived until the following Monday at 10:00 h.

View larger version (29K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Mean amount of food ingested per day and per week for each treatment for all colonies (A) and for the colonies filmed (B). (C) Mean number of ants that fed at the food source per day and per week for each treatment. (D) Predicted amount ingested per individual per day and per week for each treatment (two colonies observed for 6 weeks).

View larger version (12K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Dynamics of feeding: cumulative number of ants feeding at the food source for each solution (4.5, 9 and 18% sucrose) throughout the week (the data for the 6 weeks were pooled).

View larger version (9K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Sugar vs water intake for the final day (Friday) of each week. Each solution (4.5, 9 and 18% sucrose) is represented as a line in a water/sugar plane. Within each time interval, the intake points are connected with a broken line (the intake array) to demonstrate the nutrient balancing strategy.

View larger version (15K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Mean volume (±s.d.) of each sucrose solution (4.5, 9 and 18%) ingested when the colonies contained: 250 ants and 150 brood items (A), 250 ants and 300 brood items (B), 250 ants and no larvae (C) and 500 ants and no larvae (D) (mean ± s.d.).

View larger version (11K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Water and sucrose (4.5, 9 or 18% solutions) intake measured during choice experiment (measure of the intake target; mean ± s.d.). Points along each trajectory represent the cumulative intake of water and carbohydrate over successive days, up to the last day of feeding. The `random' outcomes indicate the expected carbohydrate intake trajectories if feeding had occurred indiscriminately between sucrose solutions.

View larger version (9K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 7. Mean volume (± s.e.m.) of sucrose solution ingested per individual ant with the influence of the colony (A) and without the influence of the colony (B).

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