Changes in Nutrient Content during One Year in Workers of the Imported Fire Ant1,2

Abstract

Analyses for total protein, lipids, glycogen, and glycerol were made on samples of major and minor workers of the imported fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima richteri Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which were collected over a period of one year. Protein content decreased during brood production and increased during periods when brood was not present in the mound. There was a buildup of lipid during the summer which appeared to be utilized during the cold months. Glycogen increased during the summer and may have been used for brood production when other nutrients were not abundant. Glycerol appeared to increase in response to aphid tending, decreasing in winter.