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Nest site and weather affect the personality of harvester ant colonies

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  • Noa Pinter-Wollman
  • Deborah M. Gordon
  • Susan Holmes

Abstract

Environmental conditions and physical constraints both influence an animal's behavior. We investigate whether behavioral variation among colonies of the black harvester ant, Messor andrei, remains consistent across foraging and disturbance situations and ask whether consistent colony behavior is affected by nest site and weather. We examined variation among colonies in responsiveness to food baits and to disturbance, measured as a change in numbers of active ants, and in the speed with which colonies retrieved food and removed debris. Colonies differed consistently, across foraging and disturbance situations, in both responsiveness and speed. Increased activity in response to food was associated with a smaller decrease in response to alarm. Speed of retrieving food was correlated with speed of removing debris. In all colonies, speed was greater in dry conditions, reducing the amount of time ants spent outside the nest. While a colony occupied a certain nest site, its responsiveness was consistent in both foraging and disturbance situations, suggesting that nest structure influences colony personality.

Suggested Citation

  • Noa Pinter-Wollman & Deborah M. Gordon & Susan Holmes, 2012. "Nest site and weather affect the personality of harvester ant colonies," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 23(5), pages 1022-1029.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:beheco:v:23:y:2012:i:5:p:1022-1029.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/ars066
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andreas P. Modlmeier & Susanne Foitzik, 2011. "Productivity increases with variation in aggression among group members in Temnothorax ants," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(5), pages 1026-1032.
    2. Michael J. Greene & Deborah M. Gordon, 2007. "Interaction rate informs harvester ant task decisions," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 18(2), pages 451-455.
    3. Deborah M. Gordon & Susan Holmes & Serban Nacu, 2008. "The short-term regulation of foraging in harvester ants," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 19(1), pages 217-222.
    4. Deborah M. Gordon & Adam Guetz & Michael J. Greene & Susan Holmes, 2011. "Colony variation in the collective regulation of foraging by harvester ants," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(2), pages 429-435.
    5. Deborah M. Gordon, 2011. "The fusion of behavioral ecology and ecology," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(2), pages 225-230.
    6. Katrine S. Hoset & Anne-Laure Ferchaud & Florence Dufour & Danielle Mersch & Julien Cote & Jean-François Le Galliard, 2011. "Natal dispersal correlates with behavioral traits that are not consistent across early life stages," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(1), pages 176-183.
    7. Blaine J. Cole & Adrian A. Smith & Zachary J. Huber & Diane C. Wiernasz, 2010. "The structure of foraging activity in colonies of the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 21(2), pages 337-342.
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