ecophyllaStudy of Nesting behavior adaptability in Asian weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with respect to reproductive cycle and floral diversity

Abstract

Oecophylla smaragdina also known as Asian weaver ants is an arboreal ant found in Southeast Asian nations. The ant selects evergreen types of trees for nesting. In Indian subcontinent weaver ants are found majorly on Mango trees, but during the present study we observed diverse types of trees selected by weaver ants for nest making. It was observed that the weaver ants are synchronizing their reproductive behavior with the period of year and the size and shape of nest. Leaf structure and size of various plant types were not found to be a problem for weaver ant workers to construct nest and propagate colony. The floral diversity shown by the weaver ant colony for nesting behavior shows adaptability of weaver ant with availability of resources and ability to modify behavior as required in various ecosystems.