Worker size-related task partitioning in the foraging strategy of a seed-harvesting ant species
Worker size-related task partitioning in the foraging strategy of a seed-harvesting ant species
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DOI：
10.1007/s00265-011-1197-z
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发表时间：
2011-10-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Rodrigo, Anselm
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Arnan, Xavier;Ferrandiz-Rovira, Mariona;Rodrigo, Anselm
布维耶蚁是一种种子收获蚁，工蚁在从蚁穴到搜索区域的路径上觅食。以前的观察返回巢的工人之间的种子转移事件建议潜在的任务划分。在这项研究中，我们描述了种子运输和分析任务划分的作用，在觅食策略的这个物种的种子摄入效率的成本和效益的基础上，运输速度和任务的可靠性。我们通过比较合作种子运输（CST）和个体种子运输（IST）事件来评估任务划分的收获效率。我们的研究结果表明，任务划分的形式，一系列的工人之间的转移事件从搜索区域的巢。重要的是，尽管该物种的工蜂多态性较弱，但这一序列涉及不同大小的工蜂，种子通常由较小的工蜂沿着传递到较大的工蜂。此外，我们还发现，小工蚁更善于寻找种子（花更少的时间寻找种子），而大工蚁更善于运输种子（走回巢穴时更快，丢失的种子更少）。然而，我们未能证明，不同规模的工人专门从事他们擅长的任务。总体而言，M.与IST相比，bouvieri导致更大的种子摄入，因为种子搜索时间减少，任务可靠性增加。讨论了CST的决定因素和适应效益。
Messor bouvieri is a seed-harvesting ant species in which workers forage in trails from the nest to a search area. A previous observation of seed transfer events between workers returning to the nest suggested potential task partitioning. In this study, we describe seed transportation and analyze the role of task partitioning in the foraging strategy of this species in terms of seed intake efficiency in relation to costs and benefits based on transport speed and task reliability. We assess the harvesting efficiency of task partitioning by comparing cooperative seed transport (CST) and individual seed transport (IST) events. Our results show task partitioning in the form of a sequence of transfer events among workers going from the search area to the nest. Importantly, and despite the weak worker polymorphism of this species, this sequence involved workers of different sizes, with seeds usually being passed along from smaller to larger workers. In addition, we show that small workers are better at finding seeds (spend less time finding a seed), and large workers are better at transporting them (were faster when walking back to the nest and lost fewer seeds). However, we failed to demonstrate that workers of different sizes are specialized in performing the task in which they excel. Overall, sequential CST in M. bouvieri results in a greater seed intake because seed search time decreases and task reliability increases, compared to IST. The determinants and adaptive benefits of CST are discussed.