Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,952 studies31 sourcesUpdated 12 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYMicroPublication biology

Brood presence and stored food do not modulate forager responsiveness to hexane extracts of insect carcasses in Temnothorax ants.

  • Laiba Ali1
  • Victoria Patterson1
  • Jaha Hughes1
  • Philip Kohlmeier1
  1. 1University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States.
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

In social insects, colony nutritional demands modulate foraging, but the underlying sensory mechanisms remain unclear. We tested whether brood presence and stored protein food alter the responsiveness of Temnothorax longispinosus ant foragers to chemical extracts of dead flies. Colonies were assigned to treatments varying brood and food cues, and foragers were tested in behavioral choice assays. Neither brood nor stored food altered workers' preference for fly extracts suggesting that changes in protein-foraging preferences are not mediated by altered individual responsiveness to the hexane-soluble fraction of dead flies, and that recognition of carcasses as protein resources may depend on additional cues.

Related

  1. Nociceptin Orphanin F/Q Pathways are Dysregulated by Stress and Modulate Reward Responsiveness and Motivated Behavior Across Species
    Diego A. Pizzagalli, Meghan Gallo, Michael T. Treadway +6
    Molecular psychiatryPeer-reviewedLicence not statedFull textNeurosciencePMC
  2. Plant genetic and root‐associated microbial diversity modulate Lactuca sativa responsiveness to a soil inoculum under phosphate deficiency
    Arianna Capparotto, Alessandro Ciampanelli, Paolo Salvucci +9
    New PhytologistPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full text1 citedGeneral biologyEnvironmental science & pollutionHAL
  3. Microvesicles from Turmeric Extracts Contain Curcuminoids and Modulate Macrophage Polarization and Migration
    Stefano Tacconi, Audrey Jalabert, Emmanuelle Berger +7
    PharmaceuticsPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full text1 citedImmunologyPlant biologyHAL
  4. Can carcasses cause environmental nucleic acid pollution? Implications for interpreting environmental RNA/DNA survey results
    Y. Inoue, K. Miyata, T. Myosho +2
    bioRxivPreprintCC BY-NC-NDFull textEcologybioRxiv
  5. Analyzing slaughter modalities and environmental factors to improve prediction of Campylobacter concentration in broiler carcasses
    Francis Lauriau, Sofia Strubbia, Jean-Michel Cappelier +3
    Journal of Applied Poultry ResearchPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textZoology & animal behaviourHAL

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ali2026brood,
  title = {{Brood presence and stored food do not modulate forager responsiveness to hexane extracts of insect carcasses in Temnothorax ants.}},
  author = {Laiba Ali and Victoria Patterson and Jaha Hughes and Philip Kohlmeier},
  journal = {MicroPublication biology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.17912/micropub.biology.002281},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997139},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Brood presence and stored food do not modulate forager responsiveness to hexane extracts of insect carcasses in Temnothorax ants.
AU  - Laiba Ali
AU  - Victoria Patterson
AU  - Jaha Hughes
AU  - Philip Kohlmeier
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
JO  - MicroPublication biology
DO  - 10.17912/micropub.biology.002281
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997139
AB  - In social insects, colony nutritional demands modulate foraging, but the underlying sensory mechanisms remain unclear. We tested whether brood presence and stored protein food alter the responsiveness of Temnothorax longispinosus ant foragers to chemical extracts of dead flies. Colonies were assigned to treatments varying brood and food cues, and foragers were tested in behavioral choice assays. Neither brood nor stored food altered workers' preference for fly extracts suggesting that changes in protein-foraging preferences are not mediated by altered individual responsiveness to the hexane-soluble fraction of dead flies, and that recognition of carcasses as protein resources may depend on additional cues.
SN  - 2578-9430
ER  -