Precautious cooperative food transportation behaviour in the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius): weaver ant's secret to efficient food delivery

Naskar et al 2025
Published: Sep 5, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/eh.38803
Keywords:
Cooperative prey transportation helper transporters predation prey animal size/weight vertical surface
Dr. Sangita Maiti Dutta
"Assistant Professor, Biodiversity and Environmental Studies Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Kuturia, P.O. Bhadutala, Paschim Medinipur - 721129, India";}
Khokan Naskar
Department of Zoology, Achhruram Memorial College, Jhalda, Purulia-723202, West Bengal, India
Dr. Srimanta Kumar Raut
Ecology and Ethology Laboratory,  Department  of  Zoology,  University  of  Calcutta
Abstract

The weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius), are arboreal in habit. They typically collect prey animals either from different parts of the nest tree or from the ground around it. In the present study we observed the food-transporting behaviour of these ants in Jhalda, India (Latitude-23⁰22ʹ North and Longitude 85⁰59ʹ East), specifically focusing on those foraging on the ground. We found that, depending on the size/weight of the prey, the ants have developed a process of cooperative food transportation vertically on the tree trunk. The transport of prey, especially Camponotus compressus (Fabricius) ants, is affected by the required number of transporters acting as pullers and pushers, depending on the prey's size/weight. Simultaneously, a corresponding number of workers can be seen following the food-carrying group all along until the food is lodged into the nest. The differences in the number of workers involved in vertical food transportation are statistically significant, as are revealed by the results of a one-way ANOVA test and Tukey’s HSD test (P < 0.05).

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Author Biographies
Dr. Sangita Maiti Dutta, "Assistant Professor, Biodiversity and Environmental Studies Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Kuturia, P.O. Bhadutala, Paschim Medinipur - 721129, India";}

Assistant Professor, Biodiversity and  Environmental  Studies  Research  Centre,  Department  of  Biological  Sciences,  Midnapore  City  College,  Kuturia,  P.O.  Bhadutala,  Paschim  Medinipur  -  721129,  India

Khokan Naskar, Department of Zoology, Achhruram Memorial College, Jhalda, Purulia-723202, West Bengal, India

        Khokan Naskar

     Department of Zoology

   Achhruram Memorial College

 Jhalda, Purulia, West Bengal,

        PIN -723202, India

Dr. Srimanta Kumar Raut, Ecology and Ethology Laboratory,  Department  of  Zoology,  University  of  Calcutta

Ecology and Ethology Laboratory,  Department  of  Zoology,  University  of  Calcutta,  35, Ballygunge  Circular  Road,  Kolkata  -  700019, India

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