FIELD-STUDY ON THE FORAGING CHARACTERISTICS OF A PONERINE ANT, HAGENSIA-HAVILANDI FOREL

A field study of the foraging strategy used by the ponerine ant, Hagensia havilandi is reported. They have permanent nests in the leaf litter of coastal forests. H. havilandi is a diurnal forager and collects a variety of live and dead arthropods. These predatory ants exhibit individual foraging with no cooperation in the search for or retrieval of food items. Three colonies were observed and showed similar temporal and spatial foraging patterns. The paths of individual ants were followed and the results showed that the foragers exhibit area fidelity, and return to the nest via a direct route on finding on prey item. Several foragers did not return to the nest at dusk but returned the following morning. Occasionally a limited amount of tandem recruitment was displayed.