Abstract
An important problem facing organisms in a heterogeneous environment is how to redistribute resources to where they are required. This is particularly complex in social insect societies as resources have to be moved both from the environment into the nest and between individuals within the nest. Polydomous ant colonies are split between multiple spatially separated, but socially connected, nests. Whether, and how, resources are redistributed between nests in polydomous colonies is unknown. We analyzed the nest networks of the facultatively polydomous wood ant Formica lugubris. Our results indicate that resource redistribution in polydomous F. lugubris colonies is organized at the local level between neighboring nests and not at the colony level. We found that internest trails connecting nests that differed more in their amount of foraging were stronger than trails between nests with more equal foraging activity. This indicates that resources are being exchanged directly from nests with a foraging excess to nests that require resources. In contrast, we found no significant relationships between nest properties, such as size and amount of foraging, and network measures such as centrality and connectedness. This indicates an absence of a colony-level resource exchange. This is a clear example of a complex behavior emerging as a result of local interactions between parts of a system.
Highlights
Resources are usually spread unevenly through the environment, and an important task for many animal species is to redistribute these resources in response to local need
Our study shows that F. lugubris polydomous nest networks are structured around exchange of foraged resources between pairs of nests, rather than at the level of the colony
In a colony based around local resource exchange, it would be worthwhile to construct long trails between distant nests only if there is an important gain to be made from the connection
Summary
Resources are usually spread unevenly through the environment, and an important task for many animal species is to redistribute these resources in response to local need. The mammalian body uses the circulatory system to redistribute oxygen through the body, birds may bring food from the environment back to their nest (Krebs et al 1977), and humans build complex transport networks to move goods to where they are needed (Guimerà et al 2005). Redistribution of information and resources is challenging for social insects because of the multiple stages through which resources have to be transferred. Polydomous colonies are spread between multiple spatially separated nests, socially connected by trails of ants travelling between them (Debout et al 2007). Resources may need to be redistributed between the different nests of the colony, as well as through all the other stages common to social insect colonies
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