Red wood ants in Bulgaria: distribution and density related to habitat characteristics

The allocation of foragers in red wood ants

1. We studied how colonies of the red wood ant, Formica polyctena, adjust the numbers of foragers allocated to different foraging trails. In a series of field experiments, foragers were marked and transferred from one nest to another, related nest, where they joined the foraging force. Transferred workers acted as a reserve of uncommitted, available foragers. 2. Previous work shows that each in...

Foraging loads of red wood ants: Formica aquilonia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in relation to tree characteristics and stand age.

Background. Foraging efficiency is critical in determining the success of organisms and may be affected by a range of factors, including resource distance and quality. For social insects such as ants, outcomes must be considered at the level of both the individual and the colony. It is important to understand whether anthropogenic disturbances, such as forestry, affect foraging loads, independe...

Thermoregulation strategies in ants in comparison to other social insects, with a focus on red wood ants ( Formica rufa group)

Temperature influences every aspect of ant biology, especially metabolic rate, growth and development. Maintenance of high inner nest temperature increases the rate of sexual brood development and thereby increases the colony fitness. Insect societies can achieve better thermoregulation than solitary insects due to the former's ability to build large and elaborated nests and display complex beh...

Density, number and habitat use of Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) wintering in the lowlands of Bulgaria

National survey on density, number and habitat use of Common Buzzards wintering in the lowlands (under 650 m a.s.l.) of Bulgaria was conducted in January 2006. Combined method of road count survey with point count technique modified by Distance analysis was applied. A total of 174 point transects were made and 501 Common Buzzards were registered. The frequency of species was 74.7% and the relat...

Territorial Male Red-winged Blackbird Distribution in Wood County, Ohio