Social and Individual Processes of Prey Selection in Ants

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The significance of studying the behavioral organization and ecology of ants cannot be underestimated. In some habitats, ants comprise up to 30% of the total animal biomass, and are important predators of other invertebrates, especially insects. In both the tropics and temperate zone they are important in bringing topsoil to the surface. Ants comprise a group of social insects whose behavior and ecology is of considerable importance to man, and, because they are important predators of other insects, they can be of great economic importance in agricultural practices. Weaver ants, common in Africa and Asia, are known to be effective biological control agents. Wood ants in Europe prey on a wide variety of pest insects, and have successfully been introduced into the United States in control programs. Because of the large number of workers in a single colony (sometimes greater than 1,000,000) ants are able to exert their predatory effects over large areas. Dr. Traniello's research will focus on one of the most abundant, ecologically dominant groups of ants in North America. The species to be studied preys on economically important insects, and is common in agricultural situations. Little is known of its biology. An understanding of its social adaptations is fundamental to understanding its economic potential. Information on how prey are selected is necessary in order to appreciate the range of pests that these ants prey on and the effect on the pest populations. One social activity that is extremely important in this light is foraging. Foraging includes search behavior, its social regulation, communication, and the influence of the environment on the evolution of these traits. An experimental study of these behaviors emphasizing their ecological significance is necessary to fully evaluate the potential use of ants as predators in agroecosystems. Dr. Traniello's study also uses ants as a model system to understand the effect of early social experience and aging on behavior. Furthermore, it will contribute to an understanding of how the environment may constrain an animal's learning ability. The principles derived from the study may be applicable to other animal systems, including vertebrates, and will therefore foster our understanding of these phenomena in general.