The organisation of polydomous nesting in wood ant colonies: behaviour, networks, foraging and resource redistribution.

摘要: Social behaviours are an important component of evolutionary success. This is perhaps most evident in the societies social insects: interactions between individuals underlie organisation their highly complex, and successful, societies. An socially organised determinant ecological success for insects nesting strategy. Many ant species can have a polydomous strategy: colony inhabits several spatially separated, but connected, nests. How this complex strategy largely unknown. I undertook series studies to investigate how colonies ecologically red wood Formica lugubris at individual, nest levels. found that resources redistributed locally, nests, within colonies. Further investigation showed local resource redistribution mediated by individual workers treating other nests as food sources. also investigated role which do not appear be foraging playing these non-foraging rather than having specialised role, part expansion process. explored importance acquisition investigating effect position nest-network has on survival, reproduction growth colony. dynamic was life-history My results suggest little behavioural innovation needed become polydomous, indicate benefits may provide These highlight understanding proximate mechanism development behaviour, give insights into ultimate function evolution