A New Report of Chimpanzee Ant-Fishing from the Issa Valley, Tanzania
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African Primates 11(1): 1-18 (2016)/ 1 A New Report of Chimpanzee Ant-fishing from the Issa Valley, Tanzania Eden M. Wondra1, Adam van Casteren2 , Alejandra Pascual-Garrido3, Fiona Stewart1,4, and Alexander K. Piel1,5 1Ugalla Primate Project, Box 108, Uvinza, Tanzania; 2Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; 3Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; 4Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; 5School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK Abstract: Tool use in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) is widespread across their geographical distribution, having been documented in all populations studied to date. Ant-fishing, specifically, is less frequently observed, reported so far in only ten different communities. We describe the first observations of ant-fishing of Camponotus chrysurus by chimpanzees living in the mosaic landscape of the Issa Valley, western Tanzania. After two separate bouts, both occurring in the same position in a fig treeFicus ( lutea vahl), we recovered five ant-fishing tools made from the liana Dichapetalum crassifolium chodat. Tool types closely resemble those described for earlier reports of the same behavior in near-by Mahale Mountains chimpanzees, and thus may have implications for cultural diffusion of the habit across populations. Key words: Chimpanzee, Camponotus, ant-fishing, insectivory, Issa Valley INTRODUCTION Tool use in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) is for termites and to access plant underground storage widespread across their geographical distribution, organs (Hernandez-Aguilar et al. 2007; Stewart & having been documented in all populations that have Piel 2014). been thoroughly studied to date (McGrew 2010). The Probably because of the lower mass intake rate type, function, and prevalence in tool use behaviors of ant-fishing (chimpanzee predation of carpenter differ widely, however, suggesting that an interplay ants through the use of tools – Camponotus spp.), between culture, where the behavior is transmitted compared to that of ant-dipping for Dorylus repeatedly through social or observational learning ants (with a higher mass intake rate) and termite to become a community-level-characteristic, and fishing, carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) are not as the environment explains such variation (McGrew commonly consumed by chimpanzees as are other 1992; Whiten et al. 1999; Koops et al. 2013; Sanz et invertebrates (O’Malley & Power 2014). Compared al. 2014). Chimpanzees exhibit a rich repertoire of to the 21 communities of chimpanzees where tool-use behaviors, used most often to improve or termite fishing has been described, ant-fishing has gain access to a variety of foods including termites, been described in only 10 different communities bees and honeycomb, nuts, and ants (McGrew (Table 1; Figure 1). This is surprising given that 1992). Chimpanzees of the Issa Valley are known to Camponotus has the most ecologically diverse manufacture and use tools made from plants to fish geographical range, and the broadest distribution of Correspondence to: Alex Piel, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, L33AF, Liverpool, UK; Phone: +44 7557915813; E-mail: [email protected]. 2 / Table 1. Presence or absence and type of insectivory in communities with reports of chimpanzee tool use for gathering insects or their products: +/+ Wondra present/eaten; +/− present/not eaten; +/+?, present/probably eaten; ? unknown; H consumed with hands; T consumed with tools; H? probably consumed with hands; T? probably consumed with tools. Spaces were left blank for those sites where we failed to find any report of prey’s presence/absence or its consumption. Species targeted are provided when known. Note: We incorporate the Sonso, Busingiro and Kasongoire communities to the table (even though et al. they are not known to manufacture tools for gathering insects) to address the local variability in Pan foraging for this region. Name of Stingless Bees Honey Bees Termites Camponotus Country Dorylus ants References Community (Meliponini) (Apis mellifera) (Macrotermes) ants 1. Cameroon Campo +/+/T Muroyama 1991 Macrotermes lilljeborgi; M. vitrialatus 2. Cameroon Dja Biosphere +/+/T +/- +/+/T +/+/H +/+/H Deblauwe et al. Reserve, La M. lilljeborgi; M. 2006; Deblauwe & Belgique muelleri; M. nobilis Janssens 2008 3. Cameroon Ntale +/+/T Ingmanson 1997 4. Central Bai Hokou +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T ? ? Fay & Carroll 1994 African Trigona gribodoi; Republic Trigona (Meliplebia) beccardi 5. Central Ndakan +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T ? ? Fay & Carroll 1994 African Trigona Republic (Hypotrigona) gribodoi Mag 6. Central Ngotto +/+/T +/+/T +?/- +/+/T Hicks et al. 2005; African Hicks 2010 Republic 7. Congo Goualougo +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T Sanz & Morgan Republic Hypotrigona gribodoi; M. lilljeborgi; M. 2007, 20013; Sanz Meliponula nebulata muelleri; M. nobilis et al. 2014 8. Congo Lossi +/+/T +/+/T Bermejo & Illera Republic 1999 Table 1. Presence or absence and type of insectivory in communities with reports of chimpanzee tool use for gathering insects or their products (continued.) Name of Stingless Bees Honey Bees Termites Camponotus Country Dorylus ants References Community (Meliponini) (Apis mellifera) (Macrotermes) ants 9. Congo Ndoki +/+/T +/+/H? Suzuki et al. 1995; Republic Macrotermes Kuroda et al. 1996 muelleri 10. Congo Ndoumbi +/+/T +/+/T Bermejo & Illera Republic 1999 11. Côte Taї +/+/T +/+/T +/+/H +/+/T +/+/T Boesch & Boesch d’Ivoire D. nigricans; 1990 D. gerstaeckeri 12. DR Congo Bili-Gagu Forest +/+/T +/-? +/- +/+/T +/- Hicks et al., D. terrificus; unpublished data; D. wilverthi Hicks, C. pers. (both consumed comm. with long tools); D. kohli (consumed with thin wand); D. opacus 13. DR Congo Bili-Uele + +/-? +/- +/+/T +?/- Hicks et al. Southern (no evidence of D. terrificus; D. unpublished data; Forests (Leguga consumption) wilverthi (both Hicks, C. pers. Ant-fishing inIssaChimpanzees / Bambesa / consumed with comm. Aketi) short tools) 14. DR. Congo Kahuzi-Biega +/+/T +/+/H? +/- +/+/H? Yamagiwa et al. 1988; Yamagiwa & Basabose 2009 15. Equatorial Mboete +/+/T Takemoto et al. Guinea 2005 16. Equatorial Okorobiko +/+/T Sabater Pi 1974; Guinea M. lilljeborgi; McGrew et al. 1979 M. muelleri / 3 4 / Table 1. Presence or absence and type of insectivory in communities with reports of chimpanzee tool use for gathering insects or their products (continued.) Wondra Name of Stingless Bees Honey Bees Termites Dorylus Camponotus Country References et al. Community (Meliponini) (Apis mellifera) (Macrotermes) ants ants 17. Gabon Belinga +/+/T McGrew & Rogers M. ?nobilis 1983 18. Gabon Loango +/+/T +/+/T +/- Boesch et al. 2009 Meliponula bocandei; Meliplebeia nebulata; Meliponula lendliana; Meliponula lendiana 19. Gabon Lope +/+/T +/+/T +/- +/- +/+/T McGrew 1992; Trigona, Meliponula C. brutus Tutin & Fernandez 1992; Tutin et al 1995 20. Gabon Moukalaba- +/+/T +/+?/T? Nishimura et al. Doudou Meliponula 2003; Wilfried & Yamagiwa 2014 21. Guinea Bossou +/+/T +/- +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T Sugiyama M. bellicosus D. kohli; C. brutus 1995; Humle D. lamottei; 1999; Humle & D. militaris; Matsuzawa 2002; D. nigricans Yamamoto et al. 2008; Sanz et al. 2009 22. Guinea Seringbara, +/- +/- +/- +/+/T Koops et al. 2013; Nimba D. emeryi; Koops et al. 2015a Mountains D. nigricans; D. mayri; D. burmeisteri; D. gribodoi Table 1. Presence or absence and type of insectivory in communities with reports of chimpanzee tool use for gathering insects or their products (continued.) Name of Stingless Bees Honey Bees Termites Dorylus Camponotus Country References Community (Meliponini) (Apis mellifera) (Macrotermes) ants ants 23. Nigeria Gashaka-Gumti +/+/T +/+/T +/- +/+/T +/+/T Fowler & Sommer Hypotrigona gribodoi; M. bellicosus D. rubellus C. crhysurus 2007; Pascual- Meliponula erythra Garrido et al. 2013 24. Nigeria Ngel Nyaki +/+/T +/+ +/- +/+/T +/+/T Dutton 2012; Hypotrigona gribodoi; C. nr. perrisi Dutton & Chapman Meliponula erythra 2015a, 2015b 25. Rwanda Nyungwe +/+/T Easton 2010 26. Senegal Fongoli +/+/H? +/+/T +/+/T McGrew et al. 2005; M. subhyalinus; D. anomma Bogart & Pruetz M. bellicosus +/+/? D. 2008, 2011 burmeisteri 27. Senegal Mt. Assirik +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T McGrew et al. M. subhyalinus D. nigricans 1988; McBeath & McGrew 1992; McGrew 1992 28. Sierra Tenkere- +/+/T Alp 1993 Leone Outamba- D. nigricans Kilimi 29. Tanzania Gombe +/+/H +/+/H +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T McGrew 1974; Ant-fishing inIssaChimpanzees (Kasekela) Trigona; Hypotrigona (use of tools seen M. subhyalinus; D. molestus; C. chrysurus; Goodall 1986; (use of tools seen rarely; O’Malley, R., Pseudacanthotermes D. kohli C. vividus; Schoning et al. rarely; O’Malley, R., pers. comm.) spp. (only alates of C. sp. 1 2008; O’Malley et pers. comm) this species eaten al. 2012; O’Malley with hands) & Power 2014; O’Malley, R., pers. comm. / 5 6 / Table 1. Presence or absence and type of insectivory in communities with reports of chimpanzee tool use for gathering insects or their products (continued.) Wondra Name of Stingless Bees Honey Bees Termites Dorylus Camponotus Country References et al. Community (Meliponini) (Apis mellifera) (Macrotermes) ants ants 30. Tanzania Gombe +/+/H +/+/H +/+/T +/+/T +/+/T Schoning et al. (Mitumba) Trigona?; (use of tools only M. subhyalinus; D. molestus; C. chrysurus; 2008; O’Malley