Behavior of Ants

The successful life of insect societies has evolved from the division of labor among more or less specialized individuals, who carry out all necessary tasks for the maintenance and growth of the colony. The extreme division of labor has produced workers specialized in the removal of dead members of the colony, an evident and highly stereotyped behavior called undertaking which consists of the ability to recognize and dispose of the dead members of the colony using specific chemical cues. Although living in enclosed nests has contributed to the ecological success of social insects due to environmental control, it also poses disadvantages. Nests of social insects, containing dense groups of genetically close individuals with frequent physical contact, present ideal conditions for the incidence and dispersion of infectious diseases. To maintain strict microbiological control inside the nest, these insects have evolved hygienic behavioral strategies to avoid and control the proliferation of pathogens. Undertaking behavior is one of the fundamental strategies to exert microbiological control inside the nest by means of suitable management and removal of dead members of the colony, to prevent the emergence of epidemics that may lead the insect society to extinction. Therefore, undertaking behavior has been fundamental to the evolution of social insects. This stereotyped behavior constitutes an excellent model for the understanding of both social evolution and the neurobiological basis of social behavior. In this paper, we review the present knowledge on undertaking behavior, and outline some perspectives of the study of such far-reaching behavior of social organization.

... Document Details : Title: Insects in Classical Persian Literature Subtitle: The Case of the Ant Mayazar muri ki danakish ast ki jan darad u jan-i shirin khush ast Author(s): SEYED-GOHRAB, AA Journal: Persica Volume: 16 Date: 2000 Pages: 109-144 DOI: 10.2143/PERS.16.0 ...

A protocol for rapid access to the relative and absolute configurations of the solenopsins, the venom alkaloids of fire ants (Solenopsis spp.), was developed based on chiral capillary gas chromatography. The synthesis of racemic mixtures of 2-methyl-6-alkylpiperidines and the isolation of natural (2R,6R)- and (2R,6S)-2-methyl-6-undecylpiperidines allowed for the standardization of the chromatographic method. Application of this protocol revealed the previously unknown natural occurrence of four stereoisomers of 2-methyl-6-undecylpiperidine in venom samples from workers and gynes of Solenopsis saevissima.

A variety of social insects use visual cues for homing. In this study, we examine the possible factors affecting the learning and retention of nest-associated visual cues by the Australian desert ant Melophorus bagoti and the manner in which such cues are encoded by foraging ants. We placed four prominent cylindrical landmarks around a nest and trained foragers from that nest to a food source. Ants were tested with the landmark array in a distant testing field after (1) a known number of exposures to the landmarks (1, 3, 7 or 15 trials, spread over a period of 1 day, 2 days or ≥3 days) and (2) after a known period of delay (0, 24, 48, 96 or 192 h). The results show that a combination of an increase in training trials and an increase in number of training days affected the acquisition of landmark memory. Moreover, once the landmarks were learnt, they became a part of long-term memory and lasted throughout the ants’ foraging lifetime. To examine visual cue encoding behaviour, ants trained under similar conditions for 4 days were tested with (1) an identical landmark array, (2) landmarks of the same size used in training, but placed at twice the distance from each other, and (3) landmarks whose dimensions were doubled and placed at twice the distance from each other. In conditions (1) and (3), the ants searched extensively at the centre of the four landmarks, suggesting that, similar to the Saharan ant (genus Cataglyphis) and the honeybee, M. bagoti too uses a snapshot to match the view of the landmarks around the nest. But contrary to the snapshot model, in condition (2), the ants did not search extensively at the centre of the landmarks, but searched primarily 0.5 m from the landmark, the distance from each landmark to the nest during training. We discuss how various search models fare in accounting for these findings.

Research has shown that in the recent years disaster incidents are increasing rapidly all over the world. Natural disasters - geologic, climatic and biological hazards (e.g. earthquake, landslides, volcanic eruptions, windstorms, floods, viral epidemics etc) or anthropogenic disasters (such as industrial hazard contaminations, fire disasters, terror attacks etc) can strike anywhere without notice. Disasters inflict damages to people, infrastructure and generally stagnate development process. In many countries, advanced technologies are applied for disaster management. In many cases, technologies for disaster management are beyond the ability of common people. The main objective of this paper is to develop a simple, cost effective, and community friendly model that simplifies information flow in disaster management. This paper is developed based on principles of biomimicry (learning from nature), and integration of information and communications technology to design a framework for community information dissemination in pre-disaster and post-disaster scenarios. This multidisciplinary framework hinges on ideas derived from Quran (chapter 27: verse 18). The ideas of this verse are coupled with principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and social media networking. The framework is premised on community geographic information, participatory monitoring, internet access and social media platforms. The model underscores the vital role of community information sharing on looming disasters and identification of best solutions for disaster and knowledge about ambient environments. The paper affirms that the strength of disaster management lies in community participation. Community is the primary layer of the society and its ability to avert disasters depends on its information sharing capacity. The social media could effectively help contemporary communities to build friendly and functional disaster management information system similar to those of ant colony.

We studied the circadian variation of the electroretinogram (ERG) response of individual isolated ants of two castes: major workers and virgin queens of the species Campanotus atriceps subjected to different experimental light protocols. The experiments demonstrated that both castes of this species show similar ERG endogenous circadian rhythms able to entrain to 24 h LD cycles changing phase and period. This is the first work reporting circadian changes in the eye’s electrophysiological response to light in ants.

17(3):5471-5524. Abstract. Mutualism is a fundamental relationship that can shape species communities through co-evolutionary adaptations and also has a great ability to change ecosystem functions. Aphids and ants are common insect groups which are distributed widely across the world. The mutualistic relationships between them have gained much attention in history. However, very few studies have been carried out on the diversity of associated aphid and ant species pairs. In this study, we tried to gather available published data about the diversity of species pairs of aphids and ants to find out potential ecological and geographical patterns. The results showed that 284 species of aphids belonging to 83 genera and 9 subfamilies were mutualistically associated with 193 species of ants belonging to 38 genera and 4 subfamilies. In this report we elucidated a total of 972 aphid-ant interactions and 915 ant-aphid interactions (one aphid species may associate with many ant species and vice versa). Among these relationships, a highest number of ant species were associated with the aphid genus Aphis, while a highest number of aphids were associated with the ant genus Formica. Besides, an obvious geographical pattern was indicated that the subtropical region may have a higher diversity of aphid-ant associations. This global analysis of current knowledge about diversity and patterns of aphid-ant mutualistic relationships also indicates that more taxonomic and ecological studies are needed to enrich our understanding of these associations.

The goal of my work is a dichotomous key to the identification of ♂♂ winged ants and an analysis of the periodicity of the flight mating. This study is based on 260 genera  belonging to all the 17 subfamilies currently present in the World of the Formicidae family.
I presented an study and classification of the forewings of the ♂♂ ants divided into four Typologies and I classify the hindwings in three Typologies. In this study, I deepen the morphology aspects of the forewings and hindwings of ♂♂ ants, which represent the main characteristic on which my dichotomous key is written. www.wingedant.com

A combined field experiment and modelling approach has been used to provide evidence that ants may be responsible for an observed lower patchiness and higher plant diversity in the neighbourhood of ant nests, within Mediterranean dry grasslands belonging to the phytosociological class Tuberarietea guttatae. The hypothesis was that seeds occurring in clumps may have a higher probability to be harvested than seeds having a scattered distribution. In order to test this hypothesis, four analysis steps were performed. First, pattern of seed production and dispersal of four species was recorded; two of them were more abundant next to ant nests (Tuberaria guttata, Euphorbia exigua), whereas the other two were more abundant away from ant nests (Bromus scoparius and Plantago bellardi). Second, a stochastic model was developed to simulate the observed dispersal patterns of each studied species. Third, 10 seed spatial arrangements in accordance to the distribution patterns created by the model were offered to ants and the location of predated seeds was recorded. Finally, the observed pattern of seed predation was matched to models performed by different distributions of probability. Results showed that the probability of being predated decreased as distance among seeds increased. This preference of ants for high concentration of food items holds down the dominant species sufficiently to allow the subordinates to survive, thus increasing diversity near nests. The observed higher frequency of small-seeded, small-sized, or creeping therophytes close to the ant nests can be therefore seen as an example of indirect myrmecophily.

In the ants colonies of most species, the mating flight is carried out once or several times during the year, depending on the reproductive strategy and the environmental characteristics. Winged females and males ants, after leaving the nest, are subject to dangers posed by adverse climatic conditions and predators. Therefore, the species of ants have developed, in the course of their evolution, different mating flight strategies to avoid these dangers and synchronize flight with other colonies, so that individuals of the opposite sex have greater opportunity to meet.
The process of urbanization fragment, degrade and isolates natural areas, depending on the density and urban and economic development form, by generating different profiles of urban landscapes. The objective of this study is to understand whether the environmental conditions, generated by different urbanization profiles, influence the mating flight of ants.
Winged ants were captured daily over a two year period at two urban sites in the city of São Paulo, using light traps. Approximately 113,000 individuals were captured and assigned to eight subfamilies and 44 genera. At São Paulo city, in January, I recorded the largest number of ant genera in mating flight, probably associated with the maximum mean temperature values and the rainfall. The periodicity analysis of mating flight at subfamily and genera level shows different patterns between the two urban sites.
I hypothesize that the trophic structure of ant communities reflects the dynamics of the trophic availability in different urban microhabitats showing, as a result, plasticity in the mating flight periodicity.

The successful life of insect societies has evolved from the division of labor among more or less specialized individuals, who carry out all necessary tasks for the maintenance and growth of the colony. The extreme division of labor has produced workers specialized in the removal of dead members of the colony, an evident and highly stereotyped behavior called undertaking which consists of the ability to recognize and dispose of the dead members of the colony using specific chemical cues. Although living in enclosed nests has contributed to the ecological success of social insects due to environmental control, it also poses disadvantages. Nests of social insects, containing dense groups of genetically close individuals with frequent physical contact, present ideal conditions for the incidence and dispersion of infectious diseases. To maintain strict microbiological control inside the nest, these insects have evolved hygienic behavioral strategies to avoid and control the proliferatio...

17(3):5471-5524. Abstract. Mutualism is a fundamental relationship that can shape species communities through co-evolutionary adaptations and also has a great ability to change ecosystem functions. Aphids and ants are common insect groups which are distributed widely across the world. The mutualistic relationships between them have gained much attention in history. However, very few studies have been carried out on the diversity of associated aphid and ant species pairs. In this study, we tried to gather available published data about the diversity of species pairs of aphids and ants to find out potential ecological and geographical patterns. The results showed that 284 species of aphids belonging to 83 genera and 9 subfamilies were mutualistically associated with 193 species of ants belonging to 38 genera and 4 subfamilies. In this report we elucidated a total of 972 aphid-ant interactions and 915 ant-aphid interactions (one aphid species may associate with many ant species and vic...

Ectatomma parasiticum Feitosa & Fresneau, a new ant species socially parasitic on Ectatomma tuberculatum (Olivier), is described from gynes discovered in Apazapan, state of Veracruz, Mexico, and reared in the laboratory. Ectatomma parasiticum is the first social parasite described in the Ectatomminae. This species can be distinguished from its host by morphological and behavioral features characteristic of the inquilines known in other ant subfamilies including reduced size, thickened petiole, and agonistic interactions with host species.

During salvage excavations of an Aboriginal shell midden at Hollywell, on the Gold Coast of Queensland, ant activity was noted as a contributor to both bioturbation, and to the introduction of modern material, including metal fragments, plastic, nylon fishing line and cotton thread into the deposit. This material was found at depths of up to 400 mm and adjacent to excavation units with shells with a calibrated age of 1050–900 BP. These observations prompted the development of a small experiment to illustrate the impact that one species of common Australian ant observed on site, the green-head ant (Rhytidoponera metallica), can have on cultural material in sandy deposits.

Research has shown that in the recent years disaster incidents are increasing rapidly all over the world. Natural disasters-geologic, climatic and biological hazards (such as earthquake, landslides, volcanic eruptions, windstorms, floods, viral epidemics etc) or anthropogenic disasters (such as industrial hazard contaminations, fire disasters, terror attacks etc) can strike anywhere without notice. Disasters inflict damages to people, infrastructure and generally stagnate the development process. In many countries, advanced technologies are used in disaster management or intervention programs. Some of the technologies are beyond the ability of common people to use. The main objective of this paper is to develop a simple, cost effective, and community friendly model that simplifies information flow in disaster management. This paper is developed based on principles of biomimicry (learning from nature), and integration of information and communications technology to design a framework for community information dissemination in pre-disaster and post-disaster scenarios. This multidisciplinary framework hinges on ideas derived from Quran (chapter 27: verse 18). The ideas of this verse are coupled with principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and social media networking. The framework is premised on community geographic information, participatory monitoring, internet access and social media platforms. The model underscores the vital role of community information sharing on looming disasters and identification of best solutions for disaster and knowledge about ambient environments. The paper affirms that the strength of disaster management lies in community participation. Community is the primary layer of the society and its ability to avert disasters depends on its information sharing capacity. The social media could effectively help contemporary communities to build friendly and functional disaster management information system similar to those of ant colony.

The  interspecific  competition  is  a  key  factor  that  influences migration  and  disputes  over  food resources  and  space  by  animal  communities.  Individuals  or  population  of  a  species  may  undergo
behavioral and social restrictions by interference of other species. The experiment proposed in this
manuscript  induced  competition on a small scale to observe the  competition between ants and the
ecological and behavioral processes associated. Biology and science educators can address dynamic
aspects of interactions between species and individuals and contextualize the observations with their zoology and ecology classes. Furthermore, these practice observations may assist in environmental
conservation sense for biodiversity sustenance.

The successful life of ants has evolved due to the division of reproductive labor among fertile (queens) and sterile individuals (workers), and to the support labor by different kinds of workers. Because of this and their age on Earth, ants represent an evolutionary issue in relation to their ability for social development and to survive natural catastrophes. The division of labor and colonial level phenomena make ants excellent neurobiological models to study the structure and the basis of behavior of their social organization and division of labor; also their species-specific behavioral adaptations and their sophisticated sensorial system specialized in the detection of chemical signals. One of the main issues for researchers is to elucidate the mechanisms by which individuals cooperate to the whole colony behavior. These properties have as physical substrate the brain, and it is in this minute organ that complex behaviors are generated and controlled. However, individual behavior is not what make ants dominant creatures in the biosphere, instead, the systemic behavior of the colony as a whole. Individual abilities have evolved in a social context, and no other animal group generates so many fascinating issues for biologists, psychologists, sociologists, physicists and mathematicians. In this paper, we briefly review what it is known about the social organization of ants and how the nervous system generate the complex patterns of social behavior.

In this work, the general organization of the olfactory pathways from antennal lobes (AL) and its topographic representation in the mushroom bodies (MBs) of hymenopteran social insects are described and discussed to elucidate the organization of the olfactory pathway and the meaning of its specialized structure in social insects.