Foraging Velocity of Seed-Harvester Ants, Veromessor pergandei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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Abstract
Velocity of a Veromessor pergandei (Mayr) worker either searching for seeds or returning to the nest with a seed is significantly dependent upon temperature. Velocity of an ant carrying a seed is further influenced by body size and burden ([ant mass + seed mass] / ant mass). Although workers of this species are highly variable in size, body size significantly influences velocity of burdened ants only and does not influence unburdened ones. This may occur because workers do not run at maximum possible velocity while searching for seeds. Velocity of a worker is linear with increasing burden over the range of seed sizes harvested by these ants. Regression equations for velocity of burdened and unburdened ants in the field are presented. On the basis of these regressions, V. pergandei workers appear much larger than necessary to carry burdens normally encountered while foraging.

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