1. Foraging Behavior Using ants to explore ecology

2. Foraging behaviors Organisms should have behaviors which minimize –Search for food –Food handling

3. Ants are insects Six legs 3 body parts –Head, Thorax and Abdomen

4. Mandibles

5. Chemical sensors/communication Ants have more than 20 different chemicals they can use for sending information to one another

6. Leaf cutter ants have enlarged heads for leaf cutting

7. Queen Ant

8. Males for mating only

9. Female Workers

10. Examples of Ant foraging Symbiotic/mutualism ++ Herbivory - + Predation +- Parasitic + - Competition --

11. Mutualism: Ants and Acacias Acacia provides: –Food –Home Ant provides –Protection –Competitive advantage

12. Mutualism: Ants and Scale

13. Mutualism: Ants and Butterflies

14. Herbivory: Leaf cutter ants

15. Leafcutter harvesting fungus

16. Predators: Ants killing worm

17. Parasites: Slaver ants killing queen

18. Parasites: Enslaving ants

19. Parasites: Slaver ants with enslaved worker ants

20. Conclusions Ants are ideal study organisms –Small –Ubiquitous –Truly fascinating

21. Scientific report Introduction –State hypotheses tested Methods –Explain how you composed the experiment Results –Include graphs and figures Discussion –Explain the relevance of the study