Daily activity and visual discrimination reflects the eye organization of weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
The currently studied ant Oecophylla smaragdina is arboreal in nature. It shows unique property in terms of its nest building behavior using leaves of the tree. The ant uses its eye to locate the food and nest. Eye types vary among ants living in the different habitat. In this context, the structure of the eye, daily activity and the foraging behaviour of O. smaragdina are missing from the literature. For the first time, the current study discovers: (1) the ant O. smaragdina forage in fully lighted condition. (2)The eye structure shows that the eye is adapted to a diurnal lifestyle.(3) The daily activity is proportional to the temperature of the surroundings. The study significantly correlates the role of vision in the foraging behaviour of O. smaragdina. The daily activity is further associated with the surrounding light and ambient temperature. The current study uncovers the structure of the eye and eye-related behaviour of the animal not described in earlier studies.