What characterizes the metabolic and behavioral plasticity of *A. gracilipes* regarding its food acquisition methods?
Transitioning between being a semi-sedentary "farmer" and an aggressive scavenger/predator.
The remarkable metabolic and behavioral plasticity of *A. gracilipes* is demonstrated by its capability to seamlessly shift between fundamentally different foraging strategies based on environmental cues. In areas rich with honeydew producers, the ant functions effectively as a 'farmer,' focusing energy on managing its carbohydrate supply for reproduction. However, when that managed resource is scarce, or when large protein caches become available (like dead animals), the ant rapidly transitions into an aggressive scavenger or predator. This ability to effectively transition between these distinct ecological roles allows the species to persist and thrive across a wide range of diverse latitudes and habitats where specialist species would fail.
