The frequency of leaf transfer in Atta cephalotes along horizontal and vertical surfaces near the bases of trees
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Insectes Sociaux
RESEARCH ARTICLE
The frequency of leaf transfer in Atta cephalotes along horizontal and vertical surfaces near the bases of trees K. M. Kwaku1 · E. A. Gonick1 · E. M. Ostapovich1 · I. P. Weinberg1 Received: 30 April 2020 / Revised: 23 August 2020 / Accepted: 9 September 2020 © International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI) 2020
Abstract Leaf transfer is a specific type of task partitioning in leafcutter ants defined as the passing of fragments between two ants (direct transfer) or dropping leaf fragments along the trail for others to pick up later (indirect transfer). While research on leaf transfer has been conducted along horizontal paths, we aimed to discover how traveling down a tree may change this behavior in the leafcutter ant, Atta cephalotes. We conducted an observational study that compared the frequency of leaf transfer on the trunk, at the base of the tree, and on the ground of Atta cephalotes foraging trails. For direct transfer, there were no significant differences in mean transfer frequency among trail sections. However, mean indirect transfer frequency was significantly affected by trail section, with ants engaging in significantly less indirect transfer on the trunk of trees, and more at the base. This suggests that leaf caches at the bases of trees are primarily a consequence of indirect transfer at the base and not on the trunk. The observed increased transfer at the base also suggests that ants treat the base of the tree as a trail junction, similar to those between novel and established trails. Keywords Leafcutter ants · Atta cephalotes · Leaf transfer · Task partitioning · Division of labor · Foraging behavior
Introduction Division of labor and task partitioning are characteristic features of work organization in eusocial insects, such as some species of bees (Johnson 2010), wasps (Karsai and Schmickl 2011), termites (Crosland and Traniello 1997), and ants (Schatz et al. 1996; Hart et al. 2002). Division of labor refers to the separation of tasks performed by behaviorally distinct castes (e.g. foragers vs. nurses in honeybees) over prolonged periods of time. Task partitioning refers to the division of a single task into sequential stages between multiple workers, typically in the context of moving material into or out of the nest (Jeanne 1986a; Ratnieks and Anderson 1999). For example, honeybees engage in task partitioning when returning nectar to the hive, with foragers transferring nectar loads to nest workers through trophallaxis, who then store them within the hive (Seeley 1995). Both division of labor and task partitioning promote colony survival and increase colony efficiency (Jeanne 1986b; Rodriguez et al. 2018). * K. M. Kwaku [email protected] 1
Department of Biology, Tufts University, Robinson Hall 200 College Ave., Medford, MA 02155, USA
Leaf transfer is a specific type of task partitioning in leafcutter ants in which foragers employ a relay process to complete the task of returning a leaf fragment to the nest (Hubbell et al. 1980). Leaf
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