Flow of Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Protein Among Colonies of Polygyne Red Imported Fire Ants, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

This research quantiÞed food collection of three nutritionally important foods (car- bohydrates, protein, and lipids) by several neighboring polygyne red imported Þre ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, colonies. Six rare earth elements (samarium, rubidium, ytterbium, europium, neody- mium, and lanthanum) were mixed with protein (tuna packed in water), carbohydrate (60% solution of glucose, sucrose, fructose, and water), and lipid baits (peanut oil) to track food collection by colonies. Food collection among six neighboring colonies was quantiÞed in each of 14 plots for a total of 84 colonies. A uniquely labeled food type (1.5 g) was placed within 20 cm of each colony. Two replicates of each food type were used in each plot. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to quantify the type and amount (g) of rare earth elements found in samples of both workers and larvae from colonies 12 h after foraging on baits. Multiple regression results showed that distance to food sources was the most signiÞcant independent variable in determining the distribution of food re- sources among colonies. Food type interacted signiÞcantly with life stage (worker or larvae) and the distance colonies harvested food baits. SigniÞcantly more protein was detected in larvae compared with lipids and carbohydrates and at farther distances from baits. In contrast, workers collected signiÞcantly more carbohydrates from farther distances than lipids and protein. Results indicate that patterns of food sow among neighboring polygyne red imported Þre ant colonies are largely deter- mined by the distance between colonies, food resources, and the type of food being collected.