Queen influence on workers behavior of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Forel, 1908).
Braz J Biol
; 66(2A): 503-8, 2006 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16862305
ABSTRACT
In an ant colony, the queen is the single reproducer and can interact with her workers via pheromones and cuticular compounds. However, in most species queen importance is not restricted to reproduction in the initial development of the colony, her presence might play a more important role. In this work, we studied the effects of queen absence on workers behavior displayed in the foraging arena. Ants mortality and refuse accumulation was also measured daily. The results showed that queen absence did not alter either workers behavior or foraging efficiency. However, we observed increased ant mortality accompanied by a decrease in refuse dumping outside the nest. These results corroborate the hypothesis that environmental factors are more important than intrinsical factors in the allocation of external tasks. Probably, the queen could only influence internal activities of the colony.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Ants
/
Social Behavior
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Braz J Biol
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
Year:
2006
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil