Two castes sizes of leafcutter ants in task partitioning in foraging activity

Ciência Rural

Helene, André Frazão²  Watel, Halee Rachel¹  Carrossoni, Priscilla Shiota Fedichina²  Toledo, Marcelo Arruda de²  Klebaner, Daniella¹  Ribeiro, Pedro Leite²  Hoffman, Ashley Nicole¹  Iannini, Carlos Arturo Navas²  Tomotani, João Vitor² 

[1] Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee, States of America;Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

关键词: Atta;    ant behavior;    leaf cutting;    ecological adaptation;   

DOI  :  10.1590/0103-8478cr20151491

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

来源: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria * Centro de Ciencias Rurais

【 摘 要 】

:Task partitioning in eusocial animals is most likely an evolutionary adaptation that optimizes the efficiency of the colony to grow and reproduce. It was investigated indirect task partitioning in two castes sizes; this involves task partitioning in which the material transported is not transferred directly from one individual to another, but where it is dropped by one ant to be picked up by another. In two separate approaches, it was confirmed previous results pertaining to leaf caching activities amongAtta colombica withtask partitioning activities involving leaf dropping among Atta sexdens rubropilosa , in which there is a correlation between the size of an individual ant and the leaf fragment it transports. It was also suggested that this correlation exists only in individual ants that cut and transport (CaT) the same fragment to the nest. When task partitioning occurs and individual ants transporting (T) leaf fragments cut by other ants, the correlation becomes looser or disappears. We also observed that CaT ants are smaller than T ants.

【 授权许可】

Unknown