Carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) are considered to be predominantly omnivorous, mixing several feeding habits that include predation, scavenging of animal matter, and plant-derived resources. Nitrogen acquisition is crucial for the nutritional ecology of ant colonies because growing larvae require sustainable protein provisioning. Here, we investigate the foraging ecology and the spatial nesting structure of the carpenter ant, Camponotus leydigi Forel, in Brazilian cerrado savanna. By marking workers from different nests with distinct colors, we revealed that C. leydigi occupies physically separated but socially connected nests (up to 30 m apart), a phenomenon known as polydomy. Observational data on aboveground internest movements in C. leydigi corroborate cooperative exchanges between nest units and confirm several types of social connections, including internest transfer of liquid and solid food, transport of colony members (brood, workers), movement of solitary workers, and internest recruitment. Polydomous C. leydigi allocate foragers throughout 1,700 m2, feeding mostly on termites and plant-derived exudates. Influx of exudates is threefold higher compared with solid food. Uric acid pellets excreted by lizards comprise 20% of the solid diet in C. leydigi, a rare quantitative assessment of this peculiar type of nitrogen complementation in ants. Based on video recordings, we hypothesize that nest decentralization in C. leydigi may reduce foraging constraints caused by overt interference by the aggressive ant, Ectatomma brunneum Smith, F. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which regularly blocks nest entrances. Our field study enhances the importance of natural history data to clarify selective pressures underlying the evolution of particular behavioral patterns (nutritional and nesting habits) in ants.

中文翻译：

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多足木蚁的觅食和空间生态学，Camponotus leydigi（膜翅目：蚁科），在热带塞拉多稀树草原：自然历史记录

木蚁（Camponotus 属）被认为主要是杂食性的，混合了几种食性，包括捕食、清除动物物质和植物来源的资源。氮的获取对于蚁群的营养生态学至关重要，因为成长中的幼虫需要可持续的蛋白质供应。在这里，我们调查了巴西热带稀树草原上的木蚁 Camponotus leydigi Forel 的觅食生态和空间筑巢结构。通过用不同的颜色标记来自不同巢穴的工人，我们发现 C. leydigi 占据了物理上分开但社会上相连的巢穴（相隔达 30 m），这种现象被称为多态性。C. leydigi 地上兴趣运动的观察数据证实了巢单位之间的合作交流，并确认了几种类型的社会联系，包括液体和固体食物的利益转移、群体成员（育雏、工人）的运输、孤独工人的流动和利益招募。Polydomous C. leydigi 在 1,700 平方米的范围内分配觅食者，主要以白蚁和植物来源的渗出物为食。渗出液的流入量是固体食物的三倍。蜥蜴排泄的尿酸颗粒占 C. leydigi 固体食物的 20%，这是对蚂蚁中这种特殊类型的氮补充的罕见定量评估。根据视频记录，我们假设 C. leydigi 的巢穴分散可能会减少由于侵略性蚂蚁 Ectatomma brunneum Smith, F.（膜翅目：蚁科）的明显干扰而导致的觅食限制，这种蚂蚁经常阻塞巢穴入口。