scholarly journals Teaching in tandem-running ants

Nature ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 439 (7073) ◽  
pp. 153-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel R. Franks ◽  
Tom Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Tandem Running

scholarly journals Tight knit under stress: colony resilience to the loss of tandem leaders during relocation in an Indian ant

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (9) ◽  
pp. 150104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swetashree Kolay ◽  
Sumana Annagiri
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Similar Rate ◽  
Tandem Running ◽  
Frequent Event ◽  
Random Removal ◽  
Task Organization

The movement of colonies from one nest to another is a frequent event in the lives of many social insects and is important for their survival and propagation. This goal-oriented task is accomplished by means of tandem running in some ant species, such as Diacamma indicum . Tandem leaders are central to this process as they know the location of the new nest and lead colony members to it. Relocations involving targeted removal of leaders were compared with unmanipulated and random member removal relocations. Behavioural observations were integrated with network analysis to examine the differences in the pattern of task organization at the level of individuals and that of the colony. All colonies completed relocation successfully and leaders who substituted the removed tandem leaders conducted the task at a similar rate having redistributed the task in a less skewed manner. In terms of network structure, this resilience was due to significantly higher density and outcloseness indicating increased interaction between substitute leaders. By contrast, leader–follower interactions and random removal networks showed no discernible changes. Similar explorations of other goal-oriented tasks in other societies will possibly unveil new facets in the interplay between individuals that enable the group to respond effectively to stress.

scholarly journals Route learning during tandem running in the rock ant Temnothorax albipennis

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (9) ◽  
pp. jeb221408
Author(s):  
Takao Sasaki ◽  
Leo Danczak ◽  
Beth Thompson ◽  
Trisha Morshed ◽  
Stephen C. Pratt
Keyword(s):  
Temnothorax Albipennis ◽  
Tandem Running ◽  
Route Learning

scholarly journals Revealing the structure of information flows discriminates similar animal social behaviors

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Valentini ◽  
Nobuaki Mizumoto ◽  
Stephen C. Pratt ◽  
Theodore P. Pavlic ◽  
Sara Imari Walker
Keyword(s):  
Effective Means ◽  
Communication Protocols ◽  
Coptotermes Formosanus ◽  
Directional Information ◽  
Tandem Running ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Bidirectional Flow ◽  
Flow Of Information

Behavioral correlations stretching over time are an essential but often neglected aspect of interactions among animals. These correlations pose a challenge to current behavioral-analysis methods that lack effective means to analyze complex series of interactions. Here we show that non-invasive information-theoretic tools can be used to reveal communication protocols that guide complex social interactions by measuring simultaneous flows of different types of information between subjects. We demonstrate this approach by showing that the tandem-running behavior of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and that of the termites Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes speratus are governed by different communication protocols. Our discovery reconciles the diverse ultimate causes of tandem running across these two taxa with their apparently similar signaling mechanisms. We show that bidirectional flow of information is present only in ants and is consistent with the use of acknowledgement signals to regulate the flow of directional information.

scholarly journals Revealing the structure of information flows discriminates similar animal social behaviors

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Valentini ◽  
Nobuaki Mizumoto ◽  
Stephen C Pratt ◽  
Theodore P Pavlic ◽  
Sara I Walker
Keyword(s):  
Effective Means ◽  
Communication Protocols ◽  
Coptotermes Formosanus ◽  
Directional Information ◽  
Tandem Running ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Bidirectional Flow ◽  
Flow Of Information

Behavioral correlations stretching over time are an essential but often neglected aspect of interactions among animals. These correlations pose a challenge to current behavioral-analysis methods that lack effective means to analyze complex series of interactions. Here we show that non-invasive information-theoretic tools can be used to reveal communication protocols that guide complex social interactions by measuring simultaneous flows of different types of information between subjects. We demonstrate this approach by showing that the tandem-running behavior of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and that of the termites Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes speratus are governed by different communication protocols. Our discovery reconciles the diverse ultimate causes of tandem running across these two taxa with their apparently similar signaling mechanisms. We show that bidirectional flow of information is present only in ants and is consistent with the use of acknowledgement signals to regulate the flow of directional information.

scholarly journals Trophic Ecology of the Ant Pachycondyla crassinoda (Formicidae: Ponerinae) in a Lowland Neotropical Forest

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 744
Author(s):  
Anesty E. Tudor ◽  
Christopher K Starr ◽  
Kristen Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Food Source ◽  
New World ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Tandem Running ◽  
Neotropical Forest ◽  
Fallen Leaves

ABSTRACT- Pachycondyla crassinoda (Latr. 1902) is one of the largest ant species in the New World tropics. We studied its foraging habits in the field in a lowland forest in Trinidad, West Indies, with supplemental observations in the laboratory.  At our study site the density of colonies was estimated at 144/ha.  Like other members of its genus, P. crassinoda forages on the forest floor, apparently never climbing trees or other plants.  Foraging is mostly limited to periods when the ground is relatively dry and is largely close to the nest.  Ants searched under fallen leaves at a high frequency and preyed mostly on small arthropods.  They seldom stung prey, never unless the prey struggled vigorously.  The only form of food-source recruitment observed was tandem running, with a maximum of two nestmates following the scout.

scholarly journals Characterization of recruitment through tandem running in an Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicum

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 160476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajbir Kaur ◽  
Joby Joseph ◽  
Karunakaran Anoop ◽  
Annagiri Sumana
Keyword(s):  
Physical Contact ◽  
Recruitment Method ◽  
Tandem Running ◽  
Recruitment Methods ◽  
Colony Member ◽  
Single Colony ◽  
Queenless Ant

Tandem running is a primitive recruitment method employed by many ant genera. This study characterizes this behaviour during the recruitment of colony mates to a new nest in an Indian ant Diacamma indicum . Tandem leaders who have knowledge of the new nest lead a single follower at a time, to the destination by maintaining physical contact. In order to characterize tandem running, we captured and analysed 621 invitations, 217 paths and 226 termination events. Remarkably, not a single colony member was lost. While invitations were stereotypic in behaviour, termination was not. Analysis of speed revealed that the average transport speed was 4.2 cm s −1 . Coupled adult-brood transport was slower than other transports but was more efficient than individual trips. Comparing tandem running with other popular recruitment methods in ants allows us to postulate that even though tandem running is primitive it is probably just another means to achieve the same end.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document