David couldn't bring down Goliath: museum specimen reveals a failed predation attempt by fire ants (Solenopsis Westwood, 1840) upon a large hawk moth Eumorpha phorbas (Cramer, 1775)
Insights into insect predatory behaviour can be inferred indirectly from specimens housed in Natural History Collections. In this work, we document a unique interaction, never recorded before, involving the remains of a Solenopsis Westwood, 1840 ant worker —probably S. saevissima (Smith, 1855)— whos...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Biodiversity Data Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/142671/download/pdf/ |
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| Summary: | Insights into insect predatory behaviour can be inferred indirectly from specimens housed in Natural History Collections. In this work, we document a unique interaction, never recorded before, involving the remains of a Solenopsis Westwood, 1840 ant worker —probably S. saevissima (Smith, 1855)— whose head is firmly attached by its mandibles to an antenna of a female hawk moth Eumorpha phorbas (Cramer, 1775) (Sphingidae). This specimen is part of the Entomology Collection at the MNCN-CSIC in Madrid, Spain. As fire ants have very large colonies showing collective hunting behaviour, this worker was likely trapped while taking part in a group attack with nestmates attempting to subdue this comparatively large moth. This observation highlights the value of museum specimens in revealing aspects of predator-prey interactions that might otherwise remain undocumented. |
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| ISSN: | 1314-2828 |