Locating, collecting, and maintaining colonies of fungus-farming ants (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae: Attini)

Authors

  • Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo University of Maryland National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
  • Ana Jesovnik University of Maryland National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
  • Eugenia Okonski National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
  • Ted R Schultz National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v62i2.300-320

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe methods developed by generations of attinologists for locating, collecting, and maintaining in the laboratory live colonies of fungus-farming ants. Our goal is to accelerate the study of the many very poorly known and increasingly threatened species of this fascinating and biologically important group.  We primarily focus on the collection of non-leaf-cutting fungus-farming ants and describe standardized measurement and data collection protocols in three sections: (i) locating fungus-farming ants in the field; (ii) collecting whole colonies of fungus-farming ants; and (iii) maintaining living colonies of fungus-farming ants in the laboratory. We provide lists of necessary equipment and materials, including information on where they can be acquired.

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Published

2015-06-30

How to Cite

Sosa-Calvo, J., Jesovnik, A., Okonski, E., & Schultz, T. R. (2015). Locating, collecting, and maintaining colonies of fungus-farming ants (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae: Attini). Sociobiology, 62(2), 300–320. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v62i2.300-320

Issue

Section

Research Article - Ants