Artigo
DECOMPOSITION RATES OF SPENT FUNGAL REFUSE OF ATTA-SEXDENS (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ESTIMATING FORAGE INTAKE BY LEAF-CUTTING ANTS
Fecha
1994-05-01Registro en:
Pedobiologia. Jena: Gustav Fischer Verlag Jena, v. 38, n. 3, p. 266-268, 1994.
0031-4056
WOS:A1994NM82800009
7251053552637553
6187684824965648
Autor
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumen
Using simulated ceramic refuse chambers, field decomposition studies were performed on the spent fungal refuse of the lead-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Refuse half life was estimated at 40 days, with complete decomposition at 100 days. These results suggest that the conversion-factor method used to estimate forage input into leaf-cutting ant colonies must be corrected for decomposition, or serious estimation errors will occur.