Chen, J.T.-C., Chung, F.-Y., Fang, Y.-T., Hsu, F.-C., Lin, C.-C. & Tseng S.-P.

Trophic-egg transfer in the black cocoa ant Dolichoderus thoracicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and other dolichoderine ants in Taiwan.

Social insects sustain their colonies through nutrient transfer, predominantly via food sharing among nest members. The most well-documented mechanism of nutrient sharing in ants is stomodeal trophallaxis, in which food is orally transferred between individuals. Although trophic-egg transfer has been proposed as an alternative mechanism for nutrient sharing, it remains rare for species to depend exclusively on this method. In this study, we reveal the absence of stomodeal trophallaxis in the ant pest Dolichoderus thoracicus and illustrate how it compensates through the production of trophic eggs, serving as crucial nutritional sources for larvae, queens, and workers. Moreover, we report the first observations of trophic-egg production in two Dolichoderus and three Technomyrmex species, expanding the known taxa with this capability. Our findings emphasize the role of trophic-egg transfer in maintaining nutritional balance in certain ant species and broaden the understanding of nutrient distribution strategies in social insects.

Open access, licensed under CC BY 4.0. © 2024 The Author(s).

Dolichoderinae, trophic egg, trophallaxis, nutrient transfer