Food Preferences And Foraging Activity Of Asian Weaver Ants, Oecophylla Smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) is an important insect community in tree canopies, but little is known about their foraging behaviours. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in order to assess the food preferences and foraging activity of weaver ants for three consecutive days. The food preferences of the weaver ants were evaluated using three types of foods (tuna, chicken skin, and milk powder) containing varying contents of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate. The foraging activity was examined based on two parameters, namely temperature and relative humidity which were recorded throughout the study. Results revealed that food higher in protein content was highly preferred by the O. smaragdina compared to foods with lipid and carbohydrate contents, and the foraging activity of the O. smaragdina was significantly influenced by both temperature and relative humidity. The present study exhibits how the weaver ants respond to different types of foods and indirectly, forming a strategic foraging activity to maximise their food supplies for their colony.