On foraging, recruitment systems and optimum number of scouts in eusocial colonies

摘要: A numerical model of an eusocial colony foraging for food showed that, each set values resource density, size and recruitment system employed, a given optimal proportion scouts in the maximize amount resources retrieved by during fixed period. The predicts that ants using mass systems should have larger colonies with small foragers, forage on large sources. Retrieval sources is best achieved workers individual strategies. For several are democratic decision-making recruitment, whereas very at low mean patch autocratic optimal. Some experimental evidence available discussed light these findings, as they confirm prediction systems, generally lone foragers.