SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN NESTS OF THE ANT LEPTOTHORAX-UNIFASCIATUS (LATR) AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DIVISION-OF-LABOR

被引:128
作者
SENDOVAFRANKS, AB
FRANKS, NR
机构
[1] School of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, Claverton Down
关键词
D O I
10.1006/anbe.1995.0226
中图分类号
B84 [心理学]; C [社会科学总论]; Q98 [人类学];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ; 030303 ; 04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
This paper investigates how the movement zones of all the ants in a colony are organized inside the nest. The workers in nine colonies of the ant Leptothorax unifasciatus (Latr.) were marked individually and their positions in the nest were recorded over 33 periods of observation spread throughout the year. Results from randomization tests demonstrated that the individual workers in L. unifasciatus colonies had movement zones of limited area. These are termed spatial fidelity zones (SFZs). SFZs were specific to individuals. They occurred with partial overlap, in a sequence from the colony centre to the colony periphery. The size of SFZs increased from the centre of the colony towards the periphery. The median size of SFZ in a colony varied with the time of year; they expanded gradually after hibernation with a peak in May and then contracted gradually until the following hibernation. The frequency of a worker's brood care behaviour was related to the amount of overlap between her SFZ and the spatial distribution of the brood. Individuals on the periphery of the colony were most likely to leave the nest. No clear segregation on the basis of age was observed. The division of labour in L. unifasciatus was flexibly organized along the continuum of SFZs where each worker performed the tasks within her spatial fidelity zone. (C) 1995 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
引用
收藏
页码:121 / 136
页数:16
相关论文
共 28 条
[1]   VISUAL CUES AND TRAIL-FOLLOWING IDIOSYNCRASY IN LEPTOTHORAX-UNIFASCIATUS - AN ORIENTATION PROCESS DURING FORAGING [J].
ARON, S ;
DENEUBOURG, JL ;
PASTEELS, JM .
INSECTES SOCIAUX, 1988, 35 (04) :355-366
[2]  
Becker RA, 1988, NEW S LANGUAGE PROGR
[3]  
Bonner J.T., 1974, DEV BIOL FORM
[4]  
Brian M. V., 1983, SOCIAL INSECTS ECOLO
[5]   NONPARAMETRIC ESTIMATES OF INTERACTION FROM RADIO-TRACKING DATA [J].
DONCASTER, CP .
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY, 1990, 143 (04) :431-443
[6]  
Franks N., 1987, P122
[7]  
FRANKS NR, 1990, B MATH BIOL, V52, P597, DOI 10.1016/S0092-8240(05)80368-4
[8]  
FRANKS NR, 1992, BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, V30, P109
[9]   SELF-ORGANIZING NEST CONSTRUCTION IN ANTS - SOPHISTICATED BUILDING BY BLIND BULLDOZING [J].
FRANKS, NR ;
WILBY, A ;
SILVERMAN, BW ;
TOFTS, C .
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 1992, 44 (02) :357-375
[10]   MUTUAL EXCLUSION AS A MECHANISM FOR INFORMATION EXCHANGE WITHIN ANT NESTS [J].
HATCHER, MJ ;
TOFTS, C ;
FRANKS, NR .
NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN, 1992, 79 (01) :32-34