Response thresholds alone cannot explain empirical patterns of division of labor in social insects.

ABSTRACT: The effects of heterogeneity in group composition remain a major hurdle to our understanding of collective behavior across disciplines. In social insects, division of labor (DOL) is an emergent, colony-level trait thought to depend on colony composition. Theoretically, behavioral response threshold models have most commonly been employed to investigate the impact of heterogeneity on DOL. However, empirical studies that systematically test their predictions are lacking because they require control over colony composition and the ability to monitor individual behavior in groups, both of which are challenging. Here, we employ automated behavioral tracking in 120 colonies of the clonal raider ant with unparalleled control over genetic, morphological, and demographic composition. We find that e

SUBMITTER: Ulrich Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8211278 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature