@article{fdi:010055741,
  title = {{T}he hunter becomes the hunted : when cleptobiotic insects are captured by their target ants},
  author = {{D}ejean, {A}. and {C}arpenter, {J}. {M}. and {C}orbara, {B}. and {W}right, {P}. and {R}oux, {O}livier and {L}a{P}ierre, {L}. {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{H}ere we show that trying to rob prey (cleptobiosis) from a highly specialized predatory ant species is risky. {T}o capture prey, {A}llomerus decemarticulatus workers build gallery-shaped traps on the stems of their associated myrmecophyte, {H}irtella physophora. {W}e wondered whether the frequent presence of immobilized prey on the trap attracted flying cleptoparasites. {N}ine social wasp species nest in the {H}. physophora foliage; of the six species studied, only {A}ngiopolybia pallens rob prey from {A}llomerus colonies. {F}or those {H}. physophora not sheltering wasps, we noted cleptobiosis by stingless bees ({T}rigona), social wasps ({A}. pallens and five {A}gelaia species), assassin bugs ({R}eduviidae), and flies. {A} relationship between the size of the robbers and their rate of capture by ambushing {A}llomerus workers was established for social wasps; small wasps were easily captured, while the largest never were. {R}eduviids, which are slow to extract their rostrum from prey, were always captured, while {T}rigona and flies often escaped. {T}he balance sheet for the ants was positive vis-{A} -vis the reduviids and four out of the six social wasp species. {F}or the latter, wasps began by cutting up parts of the prey's abdomen and were captured (or abandoned the prey) before the entire abdomen was retrieved so that the total weight of the captured wasps exceeded that of the prey abdomens. {F}or {A}. pallens, we show that the number of individuals captured during attempts at cleptobiosis increases with the size of the {A}llomerus' prey.},
  keywords = {{A}nt predation ; {M}yrmecophyte ; {C}leptobiosis ; {S}ocial wasps ; {S}tingless bees ; {F}lies and {R}eduviidae},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{N}aturwissenschaften},
  volume = {99},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {265--273},
  ISSN = {0028-1042},
  year = {2012},
  DOI = {10.1007/s00114-012-0895-3},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010055741},
}