Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures
Leaf-cutting ant workers dig underground chambers, for housing their symbiotic fungus, interconnected by a vast quantity of tunnels whose function is to permit the entrance of food (leaves), gaseous exchanges, and movement of workers, offspring, and the queen. Digging is a task executed by a group o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/426719 |
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| author | Roberto da Silva Camargo Ricardo Toshio Fujihara Luiz Carlos Forti |
| author_facet | Roberto da Silva Camargo Ricardo Toshio Fujihara Luiz Carlos Forti |
| author_sort | Roberto da Silva Camargo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Leaf-cutting ant workers dig underground chambers, for housing their symbiotic fungus, interconnected by a vast quantity of tunnels whose function is to permit the entrance of food (leaves), gaseous exchanges, and movement of workers, offspring, and the queen. Digging is a task executed by a group of workers, but little is known about the group effect and group-constructed functional structures. Thus, we analyzed the structures formed by worker groups (5, 10, 20, and 40 individuals) of the leaf-cutting ant, Atta sexdens rubropilosa, for 2 days of excavation. The digging arena was the same for the 4 groups, with each group corresponding to a different density. Our results verified a pattern of tunneling by the workers, but no chamber was constructed. The group effect is well known, since the 40-worker group dug significantly more than the groups of 5, 10, and 20. These groups did not differ statistically from each other. Analysis of load/worker verified that workers of the smallest group carried the greatest load. Our paper demonstrates the group effect on the digging of nests, namely, that excavation is proportional to group size, but without emergence of a functional structure such as a chamber. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7007ac44db7a4d08b5c238b1a40e12eb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7007ac44db7a4d08b5c238b1a40e12eb2025-02-03T01:02:22ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/426719426719Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional StructuresRoberto da Silva Camargo0Ricardo Toshio Fujihara1Luiz Carlos Forti2Laboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga, Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, UNESP, P.O. Box 237, 18603-970 Botucatu, SP, BrazilLaboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga, Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, UNESP, P.O. Box 237, 18603-970 Botucatu, SP, BrazilLaboratório de Insetos Sociais-Praga, Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, UNESP, P.O. Box 237, 18603-970 Botucatu, SP, BrazilLeaf-cutting ant workers dig underground chambers, for housing their symbiotic fungus, interconnected by a vast quantity of tunnels whose function is to permit the entrance of food (leaves), gaseous exchanges, and movement of workers, offspring, and the queen. Digging is a task executed by a group of workers, but little is known about the group effect and group-constructed functional structures. Thus, we analyzed the structures formed by worker groups (5, 10, 20, and 40 individuals) of the leaf-cutting ant, Atta sexdens rubropilosa, for 2 days of excavation. The digging arena was the same for the 4 groups, with each group corresponding to a different density. Our results verified a pattern of tunneling by the workers, but no chamber was constructed. The group effect is well known, since the 40-worker group dug significantly more than the groups of 5, 10, and 20. These groups did not differ statistically from each other. Analysis of load/worker verified that workers of the smallest group carried the greatest load. Our paper demonstrates the group effect on the digging of nests, namely, that excavation is proportional to group size, but without emergence of a functional structure such as a chamber.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/426719 |
| spellingShingle | Roberto da Silva Camargo Ricardo Toshio Fujihara Luiz Carlos Forti Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures |
| title_full | Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures |
| title_fullStr | Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures |
| title_short | Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures |
| title_sort | nest digging by leaf cutting ants effect of group size and functional structures |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/426719 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertodasilvacamargo nestdiggingbyleafcuttingantseffectofgroupsizeandfunctionalstructures AT ricardotoshiofujihara nestdiggingbyleafcuttingantseffectofgroupsizeandfunctionalstructures AT luizcarlosforti nestdiggingbyleafcuttingantseffectofgroupsizeandfunctionalstructures |