Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alloethic efficiency in the patrolling networks of a polymorphic ant,Tapinoma nigerrimum (hymenoptera: Formicidae)

  • Published:
Journal of Insect Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study analyses some aspects of the role of alloethism in the networks of patrolling workers of a polymorphic ant species (Tapinoma nigerrimum) in the nest surroundings. We focus on the analysis of movement and distribution patterns of different-sized individuals, and their relationship to the potential transfer of information between each other via contacts during patrolling activities. Our results suggest that small workers are potentially more efficient in these kind of activities (information discovery and transfer), because they contact each other more than could be expected by a random process based on their proportions and, also, because their deduced energetic expenditure per unit of information found or transferred is lower than that of large workers. These differences in the contacts between patrolling ants for small and large workers cannot be explained by their movement patterns (velocity, time spend in movement, turning angles), which do not differ between both groups but, rather, seem to be a consequence of their resulting distribution patterns (overdispersed for large ants and random for small ones).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta, F. J., Zorrilla, J. M., and Ferradas, M. A. (1986). Interprétation conjointe du recrutement et de la déconnexion nid/source afin d’évaluer l’efficacité d’exploitation collective des ressources chez quatre espèces de fourmis.Oecol. Gener. 7: 381–389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adler, F. R., and Gordon, D. M. (1992). Information collection and spread in networks of patrolling ants.Am. Nat. 39: 321–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, F. (1980). Influence des densités végétales sur les fourmis méditerranéennes. C.R. UIEIS sct. française, Lausanne, 7–8 Sept., pp. 21–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhaktar, A., and Whitcomb, W. H. (1970). Artificial diet for rearing various species of ants.Fla. Entomol. 53: 229–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, C. R., and Janzen, D. H. (1973). Ecology of foraging by ants.Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 4: 231–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cerdá, X., Retana, J., Bosch, J., and Alsina, A. (1989). Exploitation of food resources by the antTapinoma nigerrimum (Hym., Formicidae).Acta Oecol. 10: 419–429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, P. J., and Evans, F. C. (1954). Distance to nearest neighbor as a measure of spatial relationships in populations.Ecology 35: 445–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Couret, H., and Passera, L. (1979). Marquage des pistes alimentaires chez trois espèces de Dolichoderinae (Hym., Formicidae):Tapinoma erraticum (Latr.)Tapinoma nigerrimum (Nyl.) etIridomyrmex humilis (Mayr).Ann. Sci. Nat. (Zool.) 1: 39–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crist, T. O., Guertin, D. S., Wiens, J. A., and Milne, B. T. (1992). Animal movement in heterogeneous landscapes: An experiment withEloedes beetles in shortgrass prairie.Funct. Ecol. 6: 536–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, D. W. (1978). Size variability in the worker caste of a social insect (Veromessor pergandei Mayr) as a function of the competitive environment.Am. Nat. 112: 523–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deneubourg, J. L., Aron, S., Goss, S., and Pasteels, J. M. (1990). The self-organizing exploratory pattern of the argentine ant.J. Insect Behav. 3: 159–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferradas, M. A., Acosta, F. J., and Serrano, J. M. (1986). Importancia de las distintas fases del proceso de reclutamiento en hormigas para la explotación de sus recursos alimenticios.Anal. Biología 8: 19–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fourcassié, V., and Deneubourg, J. L. (1992). Collective exploration in the antMonomorium pharaonis L. In Billen, J. (ed.),Biology and Evolution of Social Insects. Leuven University Press, Leuven, Belgium, pp. 369–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, H. G. (1983). Alloethism in a leaf-cutting ant: laboratory studies onAtta texana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini).Zool. Jb. Physiol. 87: 529–538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, H. G. (1985). Alloethism in the Carpenter ant,Camponotus pennsylvanicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Entomol. Gener. 11: 069–076.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, H. G., and Robinson, S. W. (1979). Foraging byAtta sexdens (Formicidae: Attini): Seasonal patterns, castes and efficiency.Ecol. Entomol. 4: 239–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franks, N. R. (1986). Teams in social insects: group retrieval of prey by army ants (Eciton burchelli, Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 18: 425–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomá, J., Acosta, F. J., Fernández Larios, P., Serrano, J. M., and Zorrilla, J. M. (1988). La colonización de eriales cerealistas como inferencia sucesional.Graellsia 44: 19–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, D. M. (1987). Group-level dynamics in harvester ants: Young colonies and the role of patrolling.Anim. Behav. 35: 833–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, D. M. (1988). Group-level exploration tactics in fire ants.Behaviour 104: 162–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, D. M. (1995). The expandable network of ant exploration.Anim. Behav. 50: 995–1007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, D. M., Paul, R. E., and Thorpe, K. (1993). What is the function of encounter patterns in ant colonies?Anim. Behav. 45: 1083–1100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hölldobler, B., and Wilson, E. O. (1990).Ants. Springer-Verlag, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffe, K., and Deneubourg, J. L. (1992). On foraging, recruitment systems and optimum number of scouts in eusocial colonies.Insectes Soc. 39: 201–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kareiva, P. M., and Shigesada, N. (1983). Analyzing insect movement as a correlated random walk.Oecologia 56: 234–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs, J. R., and Davies, N. B. (1987).An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology, Blackwell, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levings, S. C., and Franks, N. R. (1982). Patterns of nest dispersion in a tropical ground ant community.Ecology 63: 338–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mangel, M. (1995). Social interactions, nonlinear dynamics and task allocation in groups.Trends Ecol. Evol. 10: 347–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meudec, M., and Lenoir, A. (1982). Social responses to variation in food supply and nest suitability in ants (Tapinoma erraticum).Anim. Behav. 30: 284–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, M. G., Jensen, T. F., and Holm-Jensen, I. (1982). Effect of load carriage on the respiratory metabolism of running workers ofCamponotus herculeanus (Formicidae).Oikos 39: 137–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, M. G., and Baroni Urbani, C. (1990). Energetics and foraging behaviour of the European seed harvesting ant Messor capitatus. I. Respiratory metabolism and energy consumption of unloaded and loaded workers during locomotion.Physiol. Entomol. 15: 441–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonacs, P. (1991). Exploratory behavior ofLasius pallitarsis ants encountering novel areas.Insectes Soc. 38: 345–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okubo, A. (1980).Diffusion and Ecological Problems: Mathematical Models, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oster, G. F., and Wilson, E. O. (1978).Caste and Ecology in the Social Insects, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, J. N. (1995). Spatial analysis by distance indices.J. Anim. Ecol. 64: 303–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyke, C. H., Pulliam, H. R., and Charnov, E. C. (1977). Optimal foraging: A selective review of theory and tests.Q. Rev. Biol. 52: 137–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, J. L. (1987). Optimal foraging in seed-harvester ants: Computer-aided simulation.Ecology 68: 1630–1633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rissing, S. W. (1981). Prey preferences in the desert horned lizard: Influence of prey foraging method and aggressive behavior.Ecology 62: 1031–1040.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rissing, S. W. (1982). Foraging velocity of seed-harvester ants,Veromessor pergandei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).Environ. Entomol. 11: 905–907.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serrano, J. M., Acosta, F. J., Zorrilla, J. M., and Alvarez, M. (1988). El tiempo como variable relativa durante la sucesión de mirmecocenosis en eriales.Stud. Oecol. 5: 271–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serrano, J. M., Acosta, F. J., and López, F. (1993). Belowground space occupation and partitioning in an ant community during succession.Eur. J. Entomol. 90: 149–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J. N. M. (1974). The food searching behaviour of two European thrushes. I. Description and analysis of the search paths.Behaviour 48: 276–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stillman, R. A., and Sutherland, W. J. (1990). The optimal search path in a patchy environment.J. Theor. Biol. 145: 177–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stradling, D. J. (1978). The influence of size on foraging in the antAtta cephalotes and the effect of some plant defence mechanisms.J. Anim. Ecol. 47: 173–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Traniello, J. R. (1989). Foraging strategies in ants.Annu. Rev. Entomol. 34: 191–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O. (1978). Division of labor in fire ants based on physical castes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae;Solenopsis).J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 51: 615–636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O. (1980a). Caste and division of labor in leaf-cutter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:Atta). I. The overall pattern inA. sexdens.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 7: 143–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E. O. (1980b). Caste and division of labor in leaf-cutter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:Atta). II. The ergonomic optimization of leaf cutting.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 7: 157–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, M. (1979). Optimal foraging: A case for random movement.Oecologia (Berl.) 43: 261–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Francisco López, Sara G. Fungairiño, Jose M. Serrano, Francisco J. Acosta & Pasi Reunanen

Authors
  1. Francisco López
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sara G. Fungairiño
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jose M. Serrano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francisco J. Acosta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pasi Reunanen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

López, F., Fungairiño, S.G., Serrano, J.M. et al. Alloethic efficiency in the patrolling networks of a polymorphic ant,Tapinoma nigerrimum (hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Insect Behav 10, 115–127 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765478

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765478

Key words

Search

Navigation