@misc{Ślipiński_Piotr_Spatial_2026,
 author={Ślipiński, Piotr},
 volume={69},
 number={1},
 copyright={Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license},
 journal={Fragmenta Faunistica 2026, 69: 1},
 address={Warszawa},
 howpublished={online},
 year={2026},
 publisher={Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk},
 language={eng},
 language={eng},
 abstract={The present study constitutes a pilot investigation of the activity density of Formica fusca (Linnaeus) workers around their own nests using food baits placed in two zones around the colonies. The foraging activity of ant workers is one of the key parameters describing the ecological functioning of ant colonies. The results demonstrate that the activity density of F. fusca workers was strongly affected by both bait availability and the spatial arrangement of food resources around the nest. Worker activity increased significantly during the bait phase, confirming that the presence of attractive food resources stimulated recruitment and intensified foraging effort. Following bait application, activity increased significantly at baits in both inner and outer zones, and the differences in activity of workers between these zones disappeared, indicating that bait presence promoted increased worker activity at more distant baits and reduced the spatial gradient in foraging activity. This pilot study provides useful baseline data on the activity density of F. fusca workers for future studies on ants foraging patterns in more complex scenarios.},
 title={Spatial patterns of bait exploitation by Formica fusca (Linnaeus) ant workers around their nests},
 type={Text},
 URL={http://rcin.org.pl/Content/263325/WA058_300409_P256_FF.pdf},
 keywords={foraging, activity, density, behaviour, recruitment},
}