Ants (Temnothorax nylanderi) adjust tandem running when food source distance exposes them to greater risks
Ants (Temnothorax nylanderi) adjust tandem running when food source distance exposes them to greater risks
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DOI：
10.1007/s00265-018-2453-2
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发表时间：
2018-03-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Grueter, Christoph
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Glaser, Simone M.;Grueter, Christoph
群居昆虫群体利用不同的食物来源，在其盈利能力和风险。影响盈利能力和风险的一个因素是觅食距离：越远的资源开采成本越高，个体面临更大的捕食或航行风险。夜蛾侦察兵使用串联奔跑来招募同伴获取资源，如食物或巢穴。串联跑经常不成功，留下追随者在潜在的未知或危险的领域。因此，随着觅食距离的增加，沟通失误的代价可能会更高。我们测试了领导者和追随者是否会随着觅食距离的增加而调整他们的串联跑步行为。我们询问了成功率、招募概率和失去联系后的等待时间是否取决于觅食距离。研究发现，蚁群的觅食成功率（75 ~ 86%）不随觅食距离的增加而降低，而随觅食经验的增加而迅速增加，从第一次的67%增加到第四次的94%。成对行进的速度更快，当寻找距离更远的食物来源时，失去联系的追随者寻找同伴的时间更长。进行串联跑的概率不随觅食距离的增加而降低，而随觅食经验的增加而增加。我们的研究结果表明，蚂蚁可能会试图通过在访问更远的食物来源时更快地前进来减少风险。随着蚂蚁变得越来越有经验，它们会进行更多、更好的串联跑动。这些发现表明，领导者和追随者都会对开发遥远资源所带来的潜在危险做出反应。觅食距离对动物的能量消耗和捕食风险都有影响，在动物的生态系统中起着重要的作用。蚂蚁已经进化出几种合作觅食策略，以尽可能有效地利用食物来源，包括一种称为“串联奔跑”的招募方法。在这里，一个见多识广的领导者引导一个天真的追随者获得宝贵的资源。我们测试了如果食物来源较远，串联跑步行为是否会发生变化。觅食距离确实有影响，当食物来源较远时，失去联系后，领导者走得更快，追随者寻找的时间更长。
Social insect colonies exploit food sources that vary in their profitability and riskiness. One factor that affects both profitability and riskiness is the foraging distance: more distant resources are both more costly to exploit and expose individuals to greater predation or navigational risks. Temnothorax nylanderi scouts use tandem running to recruit nestmates to resources, such as food or nest sites. Tandem runs are often unsuccessful, leaving followers in potentially unknown or dangerous territory. Thus, as foraging distances increase, communication mistakes are likely to be more costly. We tested if leaders and followers adjust their tandem running behavior in response to increasing foraging distances. We asked whether the success rate, the probability to recruit, and the waiting time following a loss of contact depend on the foraging distances. We found that the success rate (75-86%) of tandem runs does not decrease with increasing foraging distance but rapidly increases with the leader's experience, from 67% for the first tandem run to 94% for the fourth. Pairs progressed faster, and followers search longer for their partner after a loss of contact when visiting more distant food sources. The probability to perform a tandem run did not decrease with the foraging distance but increased with foraging experience. Our results indicate that ants might attempt to reduce exposure to risks by progressing faster when visiting more distant food sources. As ants become more experienced, they lead more and better tandem runs. These findings suggest that both leaders and followers respond to the potential dangers posed by exploiting faraway resources.Significance statementForaging distance plays an important ecological role in animals as the foraging distance affects both energetic costs and predation risk. Ants have evolved several cooperative foraging strategies to exploit a food source as efficiently as possible, including a recruitment method called "tandem running." Here, an informed leader guides a naive follower to a valuable resource. We tested if tandem running behavior changes if food sources are more distant. Foraging distance indeed had an impact as leaders walked faster and followers searched for longer after a contact loss when food sources were more distant.