黃蜂和螞蟻常常為食物而競(jìng)爭(zhēng),，一項(xiàng)最新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)蜂蟻大戰(zhàn)中的一個(gè)有趣現(xiàn)象：黃蜂會(huì)依仗體大且會(huì)飛的優(yōu)勢(shì),，將螞蟻?zhàn)ト〉娇罩胁⑦h(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地拋離食物,。這是一種前所未知的動(dòng)物干涉行為,。
新一期英國(guó)《生物學(xué)通訊》雜志刊登報(bào)告說(shuō),，新西蘭維多利亞大學(xué)的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，當(dāng)?shù)氐狞S蜂和螞蟻經(jīng)常為了食物而競(jìng)爭(zhēng),。當(dāng)螞蟻成群結(jié)隊(duì)地爬上食物時(shí),，氣急敗壞的黃蜂就會(huì)用強(qiáng)壯的上顎叼起食物上的螞蟻,，飛起來(lái)將它拋到一邊，然后再回去享受美食,。實(shí)驗(yàn)顯示,，食物上的螞蟻數(shù)量越多，黃蜂的這種“空襲”行為越頻繁,，將螞蟻拋開的距離也越長(zhǎng),。
研究人員說(shuō)，如果將螞蟻看作一個(gè)人,，那么它被拋開的距離大致相當(dāng)于半個(gè)足球場(chǎng)的長(zhǎng)度,。實(shí)驗(yàn)顯示，黃蜂飛起再拋下螞蟻的高度并不高,，不會(huì)傷害螞蟻,，但能起到一定的震懾效果，許多被拋開的螞蟻落地后都顯得有些懵了,，不會(huì)再回到食物地點(diǎn)與黃蜂爭(zhēng)食,。
不過(guò)集團(tuán)作戰(zhàn)的螞蟻總是前赴后繼地沖向食物，雖然黃蜂的體型比它們大200倍,，但是小螞蟻會(huì)采用噴酸性物質(zhì)或撕咬等手段與之爭(zhēng)斗,，為自己爭(zhēng)到部分食物。
研究人員說(shuō),，黃蜂將爭(zhēng)食的螞蟻拋開的這種行為非常有趣,，是一種前所未知的動(dòng)物干涉行為。黃蜂可以借助這種行為在與螞蟻的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中獲得更多食物,，這再次說(shuō)明在自然界的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中體型差距的重要性,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Biol. Lett. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0165
A novel interference behaviour: invasive wasps remove ants from resources and drop them from a height
Julien Grangier* and Philip J. Lester
Abstract
This study reports a novel form of interference behaviour between the invasive wasp Vespula vulgaris and the New Zealand native ant Prolasius advenus. By videotaping interactions at bait stations, we found that wasps commonly remove ant competitors from food resources by picking up the workers in their mandibles, flying backward and dropping them unharmed some distance from the food. Both the frequency and the efficiency of the wasp behaviour significantly increased with the abundance of ant competitors. Ant removals were the most common interference events initiated by wasps when ants were numerous, while intraspecific conflicts among wasps were prominent when few ants were present. The ‘ant-dropping’ behaviour emphasizes how asymmetry in body sizes between competitors can lead to a pronounced form of interference, related to asymmetric locomotion modes.
