abstract: The number of ants running out of or into the nest depends mainly on temperature (with a maximum near 23° C), and to a small degree on day-time. Disturbing factors are darkness and rainfall.The pieces of prey brought into the nest measure on average 7 mm3, consisting mainly of Lepidoptera (predominantly Tortrix viridana L., which at the time of this investigation was at the culminating point of a gradation), Rhynchota and Diptera. About 8% of the pieces of prey were dried out. The number of pieces brought into the nest depends mainly on temperature. In the course of a day a minimum of prey objects is carried at night and a maximum at day-time, depending on the group of insects to which the prey belongs. Between 19 and 7 o'clock 14% of the daily supply of prey is brought in.The crop volume of the ants running into the nest varies between means of 0.5 and 4.5 mm3, reaching a maximum in the morning. The crop volume of the ants running out of the nest at the same time amounts to approximately 8% of those quantities. The crop liquid contains about 22% sugar which concentration is constant in the course of a day, but lower in humid than in dry weather. The protein concentration amounts to an average of 0.5%. The quantities of liquid, sugar and protein brought into the nest per unit time attain a minimum at night and a maximum at about noon. Between 19 and 7 o'clock 29% of the daily supply are brought in.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Angewandte Zoologie der Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horstmann