The ecology of nest movement in social insects.
@article{McGlynn2012TheEO, title={The ecology of nest movement in social insects.}, author={Terrence P. McGlynn}, journal={Annual review of entomology}, year={2012}, volume={57}, pages={ 291-308 } }
Social insect colonies are typically mobile entities, moving nests from one location to another throughout the life of a colony. The majority of social insect species-ants, bees, wasps, and termites-have likely adopted the habit of relocating nests periodically. The syndromes of nest relocation include legionary nomadism, unstable nesting, intrinsic nest relocation, and adventitious nest relocation. The emergence of nest movement is a functional response to a broad range of potential selective…
Tables from this paper
110 Citations
A longitudinal study of nest occupancy, trail networks and foraging in a polydomous wood ant population
- Environmental ScienceInsectes Sociaux
- 2020
Most ant colonies live in a single nest (monodomy) or a group of nests (polydomy). However, the length of time for which nests are inhabited varies significantly between different species. Although…
A longitudinal study of nest occupancy, trail networks and foraging in a polydomous wood ant population
- Environmental ScienceInsectes Sociaux
- 2020
It is found that most polydomous wood ant nests are abandoned in the first 2 years after being constructed and are more likely to be abandonment in the latter part of the active season, however, the rate of nest abandonment decreases after 2 years and is lower in larger nests.
Variation in nest relocation of harvester ants is affected by population density and food abundance
- Environmental Science
- 2015
It is shown that nest relocation is both variable between the 2 populations and consistent within a population over more than more than a decade, which suggests that populations adjust their movement patterns based on the ecological conditions they face.
Ecological consequences of colony structure in dynamic ant nest networks
- Environmental ScienceEcology and evolution
- 2017
It is found that the flow of resources through a nest, which is based on its position within the wider nest network, determines a nest's likelihood of surviving and of founding new nests.
Intraspecific competition for a nest and its implication for the fitness of relocating ant colonies
- Environmental SciencebioRxiv
- 2023
Competitive interaction is important in structuring species composition of a habitat. Several studies have been conducted on intraspecific competition but little is known in the context of the…
Japanese Queenless Ants, Pristomyrmex punctatus, Prefer the Traces of Both Nestmates and Strangers in Nest Selection
- Environmental Science, BiologyZoological science
- 2013
Nest selection in another nomadic species, the Japanese queenless ant, Pristomyrmex punctatus, is investigated and two-choice tests revealed that, similar to house-hunting ants, P. punctatus preferred nests soiled by nestmates to clean nests, however, unlike house-hunter ants, this species showed no significant preference.
Migration in honey bees
- BiologyInsectes Sociaux
- 2022
The need for studies into the drivers and mechanisms of honey bee migration, as well as the promise of initiatives such as citizen science and tools such as pollen metabarcoding in studying migration in honey bees, are highlighted.
Evolution of dispersal in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a review on the dispersal strategies of sessile superorganisms
- Biology
- 2019
A research framework is presented to fill the gaps in current knowledge: including comparative studies of colony life histories and population structures, and theoretical models of the eco-evolutionary dynamics affecting dispersal, in an inclusive fitness framework.
Seasonal Patterns of the Foraging Ecology of Myrmelachista arthuri Forel, 1903 (Formicidae: Formicinae)
- Environmental Science
- 2017
This work investigates the foraging behavior and diet of M. arthuri and describes aspects of their food-searching behavior and recorded the dynamics of workers exiting and entering nests built in the stems of native Atlantic forest trees during the cold/dry and warm/wet seasons.
Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
- Environmental Science, BiologyScientific Reports
- 2020
It is found that the endothermic activity of birds within their nests created ‘heat islands’, with thermal conditions potentially promoting the survival and development of ant larvae in cool environments, and may be a previously overlooked commensal, mutualistic or parasitic relationship.
References
SHOWING 1-10 OF 100 REFERENCES
Mechanisms of dispersed central-place foraging in polydomous colonies of the Argentine ant
- Biology, Environmental ScienceAnimal Behaviour
- 2000
Assessment of mechanisms involved in dispersed central-place foraging in polydomous colonies of the Argentine ant Linepithema humile found that this highly flexible system of allocating nests, workers and brood throughout a colony's foraging area potentially increases foraging efficiency and competitive ability.
The Colony Structure and Population Biology of Invasive Ants
- Environmental Science
- 2003
The population biology of invasive ants is reviewed, focusing on the role of sociality and colony structure in their success, and different hypotheses that have been proposed for the observed transitions in social structure of the two most well-studied ant invaders.
Group decision making in nest-site selection among social insects.
- BiologyAnnual review of entomology
- 2007
The choice of a new nest site is ecologically critical for an insect colony. In swarm-founding social insects, or those that move as colonies from one site to another, this choice is one of the…
Nest relocation and encounters between colonies of the seed-harvesting ant Messor andrei
- Environmental ScienceInsectes Sociaux
- 1999
Nest relocation in ants may be an attempt to escape areas of high competition and other possible cues for nest relocation, including predation, disease, microclimatic effects, and local resource depletion are discussed.
Frequent nest relocation in the ant Aphaenogaster araneoides: resources, competition, and natural enemies
- Environmental Science
- 2004
This paper document several cycles of nest relocation in a population of the Central American ant Aphaenogaster araneoides and proposes that nest relocation is driven by the escape from natural enemies.
Ecological specialization and the evolution of a specialized caste in Cephalotes ants
- Biology, Environmental Science
- 2008
Overall, theses findings provide strong comparative support for the hypothesis that ecological specialization has played a key role in the evolution of a specialized soldier caste in Cephalotes.
Recent advances in army ant biology (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
- Biology
- 2009
The aim of this review is to provide a synthesis of the most recent work on army ant biology, to outline an evolutionary scenario that connects the different aspects of army ant life-history, and to give some directions for future research.
Dynamics of colony emigration in the ant Aphaenogaster senilis
- BiologyInsectes Sociaux
- 2009
It is argued that species-specific traits, such as whether workers are transported to the new nest or relocate by themselves, may affect parts of the process of colony emigration.
Colony migration in the tropical honey beeApis dorsata F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
- Environmental ScienceInsectes Sociaux
- 2005
Observations of a colony preparing for migration revealed that the dance language is involved in organizing the colony's departure, but that dancers signal only the direction to be taken, rather than, as in dances to feeding sites, both the direction and distance of a particular location.
Mechanisms of Interference and Foraging Among Colonies of the Harvester ant Pogonomyrmex Californicus in the Mojave Desert
- Environmental Science
- 1979
Following an encounter involving physical struggle, ants returned to and remained in their nests for an extended period of time, thereby reducing seed input to the colony, thus indicating that such aggression may have a substantial impact on colony size.