1
|
Martin R, Leroy C, Maák I, d'Ettorre P. Group phenotypic composition drives task performances in ants. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20230463. [PMID: 38195057 PMCID: PMC10776233 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Differences in individual behaviour within a group can give rise to functional dissimilarities between groups, particularly in social animals. However, how individual behavioural phenotypes translate into the group phenotype remains unclear. Here, we investigate whether individual behavioural type affects group performance in a eusocial species, the ant Aphaenogaster senilis. We measured individual behavioural traits and created groups of workers with similar behavioural type, either high-exploratory or low-exploratory workers. We tested these groups in four different, ecologically relevant, tasks: reaction to an intruder, prey retrieval from a maze, nest relocation and tool use. We show that, compared to groups of low-exploratory workers, groups of high-exploratory workers were more aggressive towards intruders, more efficient in collecting prey, faster in nest relocation and more likely to perform tool use. Our results demonstrate a strong link between individual and collective behaviour in ants. This supports the 'behavioural type hypothesis' for group dynamics, which suggests that an individual's behaviour in a social environment reflects its own behavioural type. The average behavioural phenotype of a group can therefore be predicted from the behavioural types of individual group members.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rayanne Martin
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, 99 Avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Chloé Leroy
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, 99 Avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - István Maák
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00679 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, 99 Avenue J.-B. Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Madrzyk M, Pinter-Wollman N. Colonies of ants allocate exploratory individuals to where they are ecologically needed. Curr Zool 2023; 69:585-591. [PMID: 37637320 PMCID: PMC10449417 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in behavior have large consequences for the way in which ecology impacts fitness. Individuals differ in how they explore their environment and how exploratory behavior benefits them. In group-living animals, behavioral heterogeneity can be beneficial because different individuals perform different tasks. For example, exploratory individuals may discover new food sources and recruit group members to exploit the food, while less exploratory individuals forgo the risks of exploration. Here we ask how individual variation in exploratory behavior affects the ability of Argentine ant Linepithema humile colonies to (1) locate novel food sources, (2) exploit known food resources, and (3) respond to disruptions while foraging. To address these questions, we conducted field experiments on L. humile foraging trails in which we manipulated food availability near and at the foraging trails and disrupted the foraging trails. We sampled individuals based on their response to the perturbations in the field and tested their exploratory behavior in the lab. We found that exploratory individuals benefit the colony by locating novel foods and increasing resource exploitation, but they do not play an important role in the recovery of a foraging trail after disruption. Thus, the benefits of behavioral heterogeneity to the group, specifically in exploratory behavior, differ across ecological contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max Madrzyk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Natta G, Laini A, Roggero A, Fabbriciani F, Rolando A, Palestrini C. Behavioural Repeatability and Behavioural Syndrome in the Dung Beetle Copris umbilicatus (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:529. [PMID: 37367344 DOI: 10.3390/insects14060529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Although personality studies have primarily focused on vertebrates, the evidence showing invertebrates to be capable of displaying personalities has been steadily growing in recent years. In this study, we investigated the behavioural repeatability (repetition of a behaviour over time) and behavioural syndromes (a set of correlated behaviours) in Copris umbilicatus, which is a dung beetle species showing complex sub-social behaviour. We analysed three behaviours (activity, thanatosis and distress call emission) by measuring seven distinct behavioural traits (i.e., three activity-, one thanatosis- and three distress call-related traits). We found moderate to high levels of individual repeatability in all behavioural traits considered. The duration of thanatosis was inversely correlated with two activity traits, hinting a behavioural syndrome for thanatosis and activity, with bolder individuals exhibiting shorter thanatosis and higher locomotor activity in contrast with fearful individuals, which display longer thanatosis and poor locomotor activity. No relationships were found between the behavioural traits and body size or sex. Results of the principal component analysis (PCA) suggested personality differences among individuals. Dung beetles provide an impressive variety of ecosystem services. Since the provision of these services may depend on the personalities represented in local populations and communities, studies on the ecology of personality in dung beetles should be encouraged in future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Natta
- Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Alex Laini
- Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Angela Roggero
- Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Rolando
- Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Claudia Palestrini
- Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Differential Gene Expression Correlates with Behavioural Polymorphism during Collective Behaviour in Cockroaches. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182354. [PMID: 36139214 PMCID: PMC9495117 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary It is currently well accepted that animals differ from one another in their behaviour and tendency to perform actions, a property we refer to as animal personality. In group-living animals, variation in animal personality can be important to determine group survival, as it determines how individuals interact with each other and with their environment. However, we have little knowledge of the proximal mechanisms underlying personality, particularly in group-living organisms. Here, we investigate the relationship between gene expression and two behavioural types (bold and shy) in a gregarious species: the American cockroach. Our results show that bold individuals have upregulated genes with functions associated with sensory activity (phototaxis and odour detection) and aggressive/dominant behaviour, and suggest that social context can modulate gene expression related to bold/shy characteristics. This work could help identify genes important in the earliest stages of group living and social life, and provides a first step toward establishing cockroaches as a focal group for the study of the evolution of sociality. Abstract Consistent inter-individual variation in the propensity to perform different tasks (animal personality) can contribute significantly to the success of group-living organisms. The distribution of different personalities in a group influences collective actions and therefore how these organisms interact with their environment. However, we have little understanding of the proximate mechanisms underlying animal personality in animal groups, and research on this theme has often been biased towards organisms with advanced social systems. The goal of this study is to investigate the mechanistic basis for personality variation during collective behaviour in a species with rudimentary societies: the American cockroach. We thus use an approach which combines experimental classification of individuals into behavioural phenotypes (‘bold’ and ‘shy’ individuals) with comparative gene expression. Our analyses reveal differences in gene expression between behavioural phenotypes and suggest that social context may modulate gene expression related to bold/shy characteristics. We also discuss how cockroaches could be a valuable model for the study of genetic mechanisms underlying the early steps in the evolution of social behaviour and social complexity. This study provides a first step towards a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with differences in boldness and behavioural plasticity in these organisms.
Collapse
|
5
|
Baudier KM, Ostwald MM, Haney BR, Calixto JM, Cossio FJ, Fewell JH. Social Factors in Heat Survival: Multiqueen Desert Ant Colonies Have Higher and More Uniform Heat Tolerance. Physiol Biochem Zool 2022; 95:379-389. [PMID: 35914287 DOI: 10.1086/721251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractInvestigations of thermally adaptive behavioral phenotypes are critical for both understanding climate as a selective force and predicting global species distributions under climate change conditions. Cooperative nest founding is a common strategy in harsh environments for many species and can enhance growth and competitive advantage, but whether this social strategy has direct effects on thermal tolerance was previously unknown. We examined the effects of alternative social strategies on thermal tolerance in a facultatively polygynous (multiqueen) desert ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus, asking whether and how queen number affects worker thermal tolerances. We established and reared lab colonies with one to four queens, then quantified all colony member heat tolerances (maximum critical temperature [CTmax]). Workers from colonies with more queens had higher and less variant CTmax. Our findings resemble weak link patterns, in which colony group thermal performance is improved by reducing frequencies of the most temperature-vulnerable individuals. Using ambient temperatures from our collection site, we show that multiqueen colonies have thermal tolerance distributions that enable increased midday foraging in hot desert environments. Our results suggest advantages to polygyny under climate change scenarios and raise the question of whether improved thermal tolerance is a factor that has enabled the success of polygyne species in other climatically extreme environments.
Collapse
|
6
|
Byrne B, de Kort SR, Pedley SM. Leafcutter ants adjust foraging behaviours when exposed to noise disturbance. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269517. [PMID: 35675369 PMCID: PMC9176835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate the impact of anthropogenic noise on the foraging efficiency of leafcutter ants (Acromyrmex octospinosus) in a controlled laboratory experiment. Anthropogenic noise is a widespread, pervasive and increasing environmental pollutant and its negative impacts on animal fitness and behaviour have been well documented. Much of this evidence has come from studies concerning vertebrate species with very little evidence for terrestrial invertebrates, especially social living invertebrates. We compare movement speed, forage fragment size, and colony activity levels of ants exposed to intermittent elevated noise and in ambient noise conditions. We use intermittent and temporally unpredictable bursts of white noise produced from a vibration speaker to create the elevated noise profile. Ant movement speed increased under elevated noise conditions when travelling to collect forage material and when returning to the colony nest. The size of individually measured foraged material was significantly reduced under elevated noise conditions. Colony activity, the number of ants moving along the forage route, was not affected by elevated noise and was consistent throughout the foraging events. Increased foraging speed and smaller forage fragments suggests that the ants had to make more foraging trips over an extended period, which is likely to affect energy expenditure and increases exposure to predators. This is likely to have significant fitness impacts for the colony over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Briony Byrne
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Selvino R. de Kort
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Scott M. Pedley
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Neumann K, Pinter-Wollman N. The effect of resource availability on interspecific competition between a native and an invasive ant. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210146. [PMID: 35369748 PMCID: PMC8977667 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition influences the composition of ecological communities. Species may differ in their needs for different resources, therefore resource availability may determine the outcome of interspecific interactions. Species often compete over food, shelter or both. When more than one resource is limited, different species may prioritize different resources. To determine the impact of resource availability on the competitive relationship between an invasive and a native species, we examined interactions between groups of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and the native odorous ant (Tapinoma sessile) over (1) food, (2) shelter or (3) both simultaneously. We further examined the mechanisms underlying the competitive relationship, asking whether aggressive interactions, exploratory behaviour or the order of arrival at a resource explained resource use. Shelter was preferred by both species when no competitors were present. In a competitive setting, L. humile groups controlled shelter through aggressive displacement but lost control over food due to investment of workers in the control of shelter. Thus, there are tradeoffs when competing over multiple resources and aggressive interactions allow invasive species to displace native species from a preferred resource. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Intergroup conflict across taxa’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Neumann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kim S, Álvarez‐Quintero N, Metcalfe NB. Does the match between individual and group behavior matter in shoaling sticklebacks? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8581. [PMID: 35222959 PMCID: PMC8844133 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In animals living in groups, the social environment is fundamental to shaping the behaviors and life histories of an individual. A mismatch between individual and group behavior patterns may have disadvantages if the individual is incapable of flexibly changing its state in response to the social environment that influences its energy gain and expenditure. We used different social groups of juvenile three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) with experimentally manipulated compositions of individual sociability to study the feedback between individual and group behaviors and to test how the social environment shapes behavior, metabolic rate, and growth. Experimentally created unsociable groups, containing a high proportion of less sociable fish, showed bolder collective behaviors during feeding than did corresponding sociable groups. Fish within groups where the majority of members had a level of sociability similar to their own gained more mass than did those within mismatched groups. Less sociable individuals within sociable groups tended to have a relatively low mass but a high standard metabolic rate. A mismatch between the sociability of an individual and that of the majority of the group in which it is living confers a growth disadvantage probably due to the expression of nonadaptive behaviors that increase energetic costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sin‐Yeon Kim
- Grupo Ecoloxía AnimalTorre CACTICentro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de VigoVigoSpain
| | | | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
McMahon EK, Cavigelli SA. Gaps to Address in Ecological Studies of Temperament and Physiology. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1917-1932. [PMID: 34097030 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecology is a diverse field with many researchers interested in drivers and consequences of variability within populations. Two aspects of variability that have been addressed are behavioral and physiological. While these have been shown to separately influence ecological outcomes such as survival, reproductive success and fitness, combined they could better predict within-population variability in survival and fitness. Recently there has been a focus on potential fitness outcomes of consistent behavioral traits that are referred to as personality or temperament (e.g. boldness, sociability, exploration, etc.). Given this recent focus, it is an optimal time to identify areas to supplement in this field, particularly in determining the relationship between temperament and physiological traits. To maximize progress, in this perspective paper we propose that the following two areas be addressed: (1) increased diversity of species, and (2) increased number of physiological processes studied, with an eye toward using more representative and relatively consistent measures across studies. We first highlight information that has been gleaned from species that are frequently studied to determine how animal personality relates to physiology and/or survival/fitness. We then shine a spotlight on important taxa that have been understudied and that can contribute meaningful, complementary information to this area of research. And last, we propose a brief array of physiological processes to relate to temperament, and that can significantly impact fitness, and that may be accessible in field studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elyse K McMahon
- Ecology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Loftus JC, Perez AA, Sih A. Task syndromes: linking personality and task allocation in social animal groups. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:1-17. [PMID: 33708004 PMCID: PMC7937036 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of eusocial insects have extensively investigated two components of task allocation: how individuals distribute themselves among different tasks in a colony and how the distribution of labor changes to meet fluctuating task demand. While discrete age- and morphologically-based task allocation systems explain much of the social order in these colonies, the basis for task allocation in non-eusocial organisms and within eusocial castes remains unknown. Building from recent advances in the study of among-individual variation in behavior (i.e., animal personalities), we explore a potential mechanism by which individuality in behaviors unrelated to tasks can guide the developmental trajectories that lead to task specialization. We refer to the task-based behavioral syndrome that results from the correlation between the antecedent behavioral tendencies and task participation as a task syndrome. In this review, we present a framework that integrates concepts from a long history of task allocation research in eusocial organisms with recent findings from animal personality research to elucidate how task syndromes and resulting task allocation might manifest in animal groups. By drawing upon an extensive and diverse literature to evaluate the hypothesized framework, this review identifies future areas for study at the intersection of social behavior and animal personality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J C Loftus
- Department of Anthropology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - A A Perez
- Department of Entomology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - A Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Jaffe A, Burns MP, Saltz JB. Genotype-by-genotype epistasis for exploratory behaviour in D. simulans. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200057. [PMID: 32517624 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interactions can influence the expression and underlying genetic basis of many traits. Yet, empirical investigations of indirect genetic effects (IGEs) and genotype-by-genotype epistasis-quantitative genetics parameters representing the role of genetic variation in a focal individual and its interacting partners in producing the observed trait values-are still scarce. While it is commonly observed that an individual's traits are influenced by the traits of interacting conspecifics, representing social plasticity, studying this social plasticity and its quantitative-genetic basis is notoriously challenging. These challenges are compounded when individuals interact in groups, rather than (simpler) dyads. Here, we investigate the genetic architecture of social plasticity for exploratory behaviour, one of the most intensively studied behaviours in recent decades. Using genotypes of Drosophila simulans, we measured genotypes both alone, and in social groups representing a mix of two genotypes. We found that females adjusted their exploratory behaviour based on the behaviour of others in the group, representing social plasticity. However, the direction of this plasticity depended on the identity of group members: focal individuals were more likely to emerge from a refuge if group members who were the same genotype as the focal remained inside for longer. By contrast, focal individuals were less likely to emerge from a refuge if partner-genotype group members remained inside for longer. Exploratory behaviour also depended on the identities of both genotypes that composed the group. Together, these findings demonstrate genotype-by-genotype epistasis for exploratory behaviour both within and among groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison Jaffe
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Madeline P Burns
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Julia B Saltz
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Neumann KM, Pinter-Wollman N. Collective responses to heterospecifics emerge from individual differences in aggression. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:801-808. [PMID: 31210722 PMCID: PMC6562301 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in individual behavior among group members impacts collective outcomes. The ability of both individuals and groups to outcompete others can determine access to resources. The invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, dominates resources and displaces native species. To determine how access to resources by groups of L. humile is impacted by their behavioral composition, we first determined that L. humile workers consistently vary in aggressive behavior. We then asked if variation in aggression within a group influences the group's ability to access a resource in the presence of cues of a native species, Tapinoma sessile. We found that the behavioral composition of L. humile groups impacted the groups' collective response to cues of T. sessile. Group behavior was the result of mostly additive, rather than synergistic, combinations of the behaviors of the group members. The behavior of groups that contained 50% highly aggressive and 50% low-aggression individuals was similar to the average of the behaviors of groups of all highly aggressive and groups of all low-aggression individuals. Uncovering the mechanisms that allow social invasive species to dominate the ecological communities they invade can inform the mitigation of invasion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Neumann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wright CM, Lichtenstein JLL, Doering GN, Pretorius J, Meunier J, Pruitt JN. Collective personalities: present knowledge and new frontiers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
14
|
Page H, Sweeney A, Pilko A, Pinter-Wollman N. Underlying mechanisms and ecological context of variation in exploratory behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb188722. [PMID: 30385482 PMCID: PMC6307874 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering how and why animals explore their environment is fundamental for understanding population dynamics, the spread of invasive species, species interactions, etc. In social animals, individuals within a group can vary in their exploratory behavior, and the behavioral composition of the group can determine its collective success. Workers of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) exhibit individual variation in exploratory behavior, which affects the colony's collective nest selection behavior. Here, we examine the mechanisms underlying this behavioral variation in exploratory behavior and determine its implications for the ecology of this species. We first establish that individual variation in exploratory behavior is repeatable and consistent across situations. We then show a relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of genes that have been previously linked with other behaviors in social insects. Specifically, we found a negative relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of the foraging (Lhfor) gene. Finally, we determine how colonies allocate exploratory individuals in natural conditions. We found that ants from inside the nest are the least exploratory individuals, whereas workers on newly formed foraging trails are the most exploratory individuals. Furthermore, we found temporal differences throughout the year: in early-mid spring, when new resources emerge, workers are more exploratory than at the end of winter, potentially allowing the colony to find and exploit new resources. These findings reveal the importance of individual variation in behavior for the ecology of social animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Page
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andrew Sweeney
- Biocircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anna Pilko
- Institute of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Institute of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pruitt JN, Keiser CN, Banka BT, Liedle JS, Brooks AJ, Schmitt RJ, Holbrook SJ. Collective aggressiveness of an ecosystem engineer is associated with coral recovery. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carl N Keiser
- Rice University Academy of Fellows, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Brett T Banka
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - John S Liedle
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J Brooks
- Rice University Academy of Fellows, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Russell J Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Sally J Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Pruitt JN, Berdahl A, Riehl C, Pinter-Wollman N, Moeller HV, Pringle EG, Aplin LM, Robinson EJH, Grilli J, Yeh P, Savage VM, Price MH, Garland J, Gilby IC, Crofoot MC, Doering GN, Hobson EA. Social tipping points in animal societies. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181282. [PMID: 30232162 PMCID: PMC6170811 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal social groups are complex systems that are likely to exhibit tipping points-which are defined as drastic shifts in the dynamics of systems that arise from small changes in environmental conditions-yet this concept has not been carefully applied to these systems. Here, we summarize the concepts behind tipping points and describe instances in which they are likely to occur in animal societies. We also offer ways in which the study of social tipping points can open up new lines of inquiry in behavioural ecology and generate novel questions, methods, and approaches in animal behaviour and other fields, including community and ecosystem ecology. While some behaviours of living systems are hard to predict, we argue that probing tipping points across animal societies and across tiers of biological organization-populations, communities, ecosystems-may help to reveal principles that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Andrew Berdahl
- School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Holly V Moeller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Lucy M Aplin
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, Radolfzell, 78315, Germany
| | - Elva J H Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Pamela Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Van M Savage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | | | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Grant N Doering
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Carere C, Audebrand C, Rödel HG, d'Ettorre P. Individual behavioural type and group performance in Formica fusca ants. Behav Processes 2018; 157:402-407. [PMID: 30036642 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The link between individual and group-level behaviour may help understanding cooperation and division of labour in social animals. Despite the recent surge of studies, especially in social insects, the way individual differences translate into group performance remains debated. One hypothesis is that groups may simply differ in the average personality of their members and this would translate into inter-group differences in collective behaviour. We tested the hypothesis of a linear relationship between individual and group phenotype in the ant Formica fusca by using same-age groups of workers after measuring an individual behavioural trait. Individual exploratory activity in an open-field arena was significantly repeatable. Based on this trait, groups were composed, each consisting of 6 individuals with similar exploration tendency housed with 3 cocoons and a refuge. Individual exploratory activity was associated with the performance in cocoon recovery at the group level: groups composed of high exploratory individuals started transporting displaced cocoons significantly earlier and transported more cocoons into the refuge than groups with low exploratory workers. When in a group, more exploratory animals showed significantly more returns to the refuge than less exploratory ones and tended to transport more cocoons. These results show a direct linear link between individual and collective behaviour, suggesting that colony personality reflects the average personality of workers involved in a given task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Carere
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Italy.
| | - Celine Audebrand
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Heiko G Rödel
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée EA4443, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Social tipping points in animal societies in response to heat stress. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1298-1305. [PMID: 29942021 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0592-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Living systems sometimes experience abrupt tipping points in response to stress. Here we investigate the factors contributing to the appearance of such abrupt state transitions in animal societies. We first construct a mathematical account of how the personality compositions of societies could alter their propensity to shift from calm to violent states in response to thermal stress. To evaluate our model, we subjected experimental societies of the spider Anelosimus studiosus to heat stress. We demonstrate that both colony size and personality composition influence the timing of and recoverability from sudden transitions in social state. Groups composed of aggressive personalities transitioned into violent within-group dynamics sooner during heating, and also resisted recovery to baseline non-aggressive behaviour during cooling. We further observed hysteresis in groups composed of aggressive individuals, where group behaviour depended strongly on whether the colony had previously been in a calm or agitated state. These results demonstrate that a society's susceptibility to sudden state shifts and their recoverability from them can be driven by the personalities of their constituents.
Collapse
|
19
|
Arbilly M. High-magnitude innovators as keystone individuals in the evolution of culture. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170053. [PMID: 29440519 PMCID: PMC5812966 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrowing from the concept of keystone species in ecological food webs, a recent focus in the field of animal behaviour has been keystone individuals: individuals whose impact on population dynamics is disproportionally larger than their frequency in the population. In populations evolving culture, such may be the role of high-magnitude innovators: individuals whose innovations are a major departure from the population's existing behavioural repertoire. Their effect on cultural evolution is twofold: they produce innovations that constitute a 'cultural leap' and, once copied, their innovations may induce further innovations by conspecifics (socially induced innovations) as they explore the new behaviour themselves. I use computer simulations to study the coevolution of independent innovations, socially induced innovations and innovation magnitude, and show that while socially induced innovation is assumed here to be less costly than independent innovation, it does not readily evolve. When it evolves, it may in some conditions select against independent innovation and lower its frequency, despite it requiring independent innovation in order to operate; at the same time, however, it leads to much faster cultural evolution. These results confirm the role of high-magnitude innovators as keystones, and suggest a novel explanation for the low frequency of independent innovation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Bridging cultural gaps: interdisciplinary studies in human cultural evolution'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Arbilly
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Crall JD, Gravish N, Mountcastle AM, Kocher SD, Oppenheimer RL, Pierce NE, Combes SA. Spatial fidelity of workers predicts collective response to disturbance in a social insect. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1201. [PMID: 29615611 PMCID: PMC5882771 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03561-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals in social insect colonies cooperate to perform collective work. While colonies often respond to changing environmental conditions by flexibly reallocating workers to different tasks, the factors determining which workers switch and why are not well understood. Here, we use an automated tracking system to continuously monitor nest behavior and foraging activity of uniquely identified workers from entire bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colonies foraging in a natural outdoor environment. We show that most foraging is performed by a small number of workers and that the intensity and distribution of foraging is actively regulated at the colony level in response to forager removal. By analyzing worker nest behavior before and after forager removal, we show that spatial fidelity of workers within the nest generates uneven interaction with relevant localized information sources, and predicts which workers initiate foraging after disturbance. Our results highlight the importance of spatial fidelity for structuring information flow and regulating collective behavior in social insect colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James D Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02143, USA.
| | - Nick Gravish
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, Engineer Ln, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | | | - Sarah D Kocher
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
| | - Robert L Oppenheimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 105 Main St., Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02143, USA
| | - Stacey A Combes
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wright CM, Hyland TD, Izzo AS, McDermott DR, Tibbetts EA, Pruitt JN. Polistes metricus queens exhibit personality variation and behavioral syndromes. Curr Zool 2018; 64:45-52. [PMID: 29492037 PMCID: PMC5809027 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent differences in behavior between individuals, otherwise known as animal personalities, have become a staple in behavioral ecology due to their ability to explain a wide range of phenomena. Social organisms are especially serviceable to animal personality techniques because they can be used to explore behavioral variation at both the individual and group level. Despite the success of personality research in social organisms generally, and social Hymenoptera in particular, social wasps (Vespidae) have received little to no attention in the personality literature. In the present study, we test Polistes metricus (Vespidae; Polistinae) paper wasp queens for the presence of repeatable variation in, and correlations ("behavioral syndromes") between, several commonly used personality metrics: boldness, aggressiveness, exploration, and activity. Our results indicate that P. metricus queens exhibit personalities for all measured traits and correlations between different behavioral measures. Given that paper wasps have served as a model organism for a wide range of phenomena such as kin selection, dominance hierarchies, mate choice, facial recognition, social parasitism, and chemical recognition, we hope that our results will motivate researchers to explore whether, or to what degree, queen personality is important in their research programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Wright
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Trevor D Hyland
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Amanda S Izzo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Donna R McDermott
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Tibbetts
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
| | - Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ślipiński P, Żmihorski M. Changes in the speed of ants as a result of aggressive interactions. INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:842-852. [PMID: 27130718 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Subordinate ant species utilize different tactics to reduce competition with the stronger, larger and more aggressive individuals of a dominant species. In our experimental study, we assessed the behavioral response of individual workers of 4 subordinate ant species during their co-occurrence with workers of a single dominant species. Contrary to most classical experiments focused on aggressive interactions, we assessed workers' speed as a crucial factor in the outcome of co-occurrence. Generally, there was a large intraspecific variation in the speed of the studied species-each had slow and fast individuals. Workers of all studied species moved faster just after interaction, suggesting that contact between 2 hostile workers is a stressful stimulus, generating a behavioral reaction of increasing speed. Also, the number of aggressive contacts experienced by a given individual positively affected its speed. Moreover, workers which were fast when exploring territory were also fast after interspecific interactions. The duration of aggression was significantly reduced by the speed and body size of a subordinate species worker-the more quickly a worker reacted and bigger it was, the shorter was the time of cumulative aggression. To our knowledge, this is the first study of this type to be conducted on ants and we conclude that speed is an overlooked and important characteristic of species and also individuals, therefore it should be considered as a driver of patterns of co-occurrence in ant assemblages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Ślipiński
- Laboratory of Social and Myrmecophilous Insects, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Żmihorski
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Szorkovszky A, Kotrschal A, Herbert Read JE, Sumpter DJT, Kolm N, Pelckmans K. An efficient method for sorting and quantifying individual social traits based on group‐level behaviour. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Szorkovszky
- Mathematics DepartmentUppsala University Uppsala Sweden
- IT DepartmentUppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Niclas Kolm
- Zoology DepartmentStockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Pinter-Wollman N, Mi B, Pruitt JN. Replacing bold individuals has a smaller impact on group performance than replacing shy individuals. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
|
25
|
Differences in behavioural traits among native and introduced colonies of an invasive ant. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1353-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|
26
|
Blight O, Villalta I, Cerdá X, Boulay R. Personality traits are associated with colony productivity in the gypsy ant Aphaenogaster senilis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2224-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
|
27
|
Hasenjager MJ, Dugatkin LA. Familiarity affects network structure and information flow in guppy (Poecilia reticulata) shoals. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
|
28
|
Norman VC, Pamminger T, Hughes WOH. The effects of disturbance threat on leaf-cutting ant colonies: a laboratory study. INSECTES SOCIAUX 2016; 64:75-85. [PMID: 28255181 PMCID: PMC5310565 DOI: 10.1007/s00040-016-0513-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The flexibility of organisms to respond plastically to their environment is fundamental to their fitness and evolutionary success. Social insects provide some of the most impressive examples of plasticity, with individuals exhibiting behavioral and sometimes morphological adaptations for their specific roles in the colony, such as large soldiers for nest defense. However, with the exception of the honey bee model organism, there has been little investigation of the nature and effects of environmental stimuli thought to instigate alternative phenotypes in social insects. Here, we investigate the effect of repeated threat disturbance over a prolonged (17 month) period on both behavioral and morphological phenotypes, using phenotypically plastic leaf-cutting ants (Atta colombica) as a model system. We found a rapid impact of threat disturbance on the behavioral phenotype of individuals within threat-disturbed colonies becoming more aggressive, threat responsive, and phototactic within as little as 2 weeks. We found no effect of threat disturbance on morphological phenotypes, potentially, because constraints such as resource limitation outweighed the benefit for colonies of producing larger individuals. The results suggest that plasticity in behavioral phenotypes can enable insect societies to respond to threats even when constraints prevent alteration of morphological phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V. C. Norman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9QG UK
| | - T. Pamminger
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9QG UK
| | - W. O. H. Hughes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9QG UK
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Pasquier G, Grüter C. Individual learning performance and exploratory activity are linked to colony foraging success in a mass-recruiting ant. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
|
30
|
Annagiri S, Kolay S, Paul B, Sona C. Network approach to understanding the organization of and the consequence of targeted leader removal on an end-oriented task. Curr Zool 2016; 63:269-277. [PMID: 29491985 PMCID: PMC5804180 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Relocation is an important event in the lives of several social insects whereby all colony members have to be transferred to a new nest when conditions in the old nest become unfavorable. In the current study, network tools were used to examine the organization of this goal-oriented task in the Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicum which relocate their colonies by means of tandem running. Individual ants were used as nodes and tandem runs as directed edges to construct unweighted networks. Network parameters were characterized in control relocations (CRs) and in relocations where the node with the highest outdegree, that is, the Maximum tandem leader (Max TL) was experimentally removed. These were then compared to 1) randomized networks, 2) simulated networks in which Max TL was removed, and 3) simulated networks with removal of a random leader. Not only was there complete recovery of the task, but the manner in which it was organized when Max TL was removed was comparable to CRs. The results obtained from our empirical study were significantly different from the results predicted by simulations of leader removal. At an individual level, the Max TL had a significantly higher outdegree than expected by chance alone and in her absence the substitute Max TL did comparable work. In addition, the position of the Max TL in the pathway of information flow was conserved in control and experimentally manipulated conditions. Understanding the organization of this critical event as more than the sum of individual interactions using network parameters allows us to appreciate the dynamic response of groups to perturbations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumana Annagiri
- Behaviour & Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India and
| | - Swetashree Kolay
- Behaviour & Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India and
| | - Bishwarup Paul
- Behaviour & Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India and
| | - Chandan Sona
- Department of Pharmacology, CSIR-CDRI, Jankipurm Vistar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226021, India
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Cote J, Bocedi G, Debeffe L, Chudzińska ME, Weigang HC, Dytham C, Gonzalez G, Matthysen E, Travis J, Baguette M, Hewison AJM. Behavioural synchronization of large-scale animal movements - disperse alone, but migrate together? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1275-1296. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Cote
- ENFA and UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS; Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier; Toulouse cedex 9 F-31062 France
| | - Greta Bocedi
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- CEFS, INRA; Université de Toulouse; Castanet Tolosan 31320 France
- Department of Biology; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2 Canada
| | | | - Helene C. Weigang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics; University of Helsinki; P.O. Box 68 Helsinki 00014 Finland
| | - Calvin Dytham
- Department of Biology; University of York; York YO10 5DD UK
| | - Georges Gonzalez
- CEFS, INRA; Université de Toulouse; Castanet Tolosan 31320 France
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Department of Biology; University of Antwerp; Antwerp B-2610 Belgium
| | - Justin Travis
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - Michel Baguette
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Experimentale; CNRS UMR 5321; Moulis 09200 France
- Institut De Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité, UMR 7205; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Paris cedex 5 FR-75005 France
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wright CM, Keiser CN, Pruitt JN. Colony personality composition alters colony-level plasticity and magnitude of defensive behaviour in a social spider. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
|
33
|
Ant workers exhibit specialization and memory during raft formation. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:36. [PMID: 27056046 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1360-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
By working together, social insects achieve tasks that are beyond the reach of single individuals. A striking example of collective behaviour is self-assembly, a process in which individuals link their bodies together to form structures such as chains, ladders, walls or rafts. To get insight into how individual behavioural variation affects the formation of self-assemblages, we investigated the presence of task specialization and the role of past experience in the construction of ant rafts. We subjected groups of Formica selysi workers to two consecutive floods and monitored the position of individuals in rafts. Workers showed specialization in their positions when rafting, with the same individuals consistently occupying the top, middle, base or side position in the raft. The presence of brood modified workers' position and raft shape. Surprisingly, workers' experience in the first rafting trial with brood influenced their behaviour and raft shape in the subsequent trial without brood. Overall, this study sheds light on the importance of workers' specialization and memory in the formation of self-assemblages.
Collapse
|
34
|
Pruitt JN, Wright CM, Keiser CN, DeMarco AE, Grobis MM, Pinter-Wollman N. The Achilles' heel hypothesis: misinformed keystone individuals impair collective learning and reduce group success. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20152888. [PMID: 26817771 PMCID: PMC4795039 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animal societies rely on highly influential keystone individuals for proper functioning. When information quality is important for group success, such keystone individuals have the potential to diminish group performance if they possess inaccurate information. Here, we test whether information quality (accurate or inaccurate) influences collective outcomes when keystone individuals are the first to acquire it. We trained keystone or generic individuals to attack or avoid novel stimuli and implanted these trained individuals within groups of naive colony-mates. We subsequently tracked how quickly groups learned about their environment in situations that matched (accurate information) or mismatched (inaccurate information) the training of the trained individual. We found that colonies with just one accurately informed individual were quicker to learn to attack a novel prey stimulus than colonies with no informed individuals. However, this effect was no more pronounced when the informed individual was a keystone individual. In contrast, keystones with inaccurate information had larger effects than generic individuals with identical information: groups containing keystones with inaccurate information took longer to learn to attack/avoid prey/predator stimuli and gained less weight than groups harbouring generic individuals with identical information. Our results convey that misinformed keystone individuals can become points of vulnerability for their societies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Colin M Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carl N Keiser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alex E DeMarco
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Matthew M Grobis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Crall JD, Souffrant AD, Akandwanaho D, Hescock SD, Callan SE, Coronado WM, Baldwin MW, de Bivort BL. Social context modulates idiosyncrasy of behaviour in the gregarious cockroach Blaberus discoidalis. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
|
36
|
Lichtenstein JL, Pruitt JN, Modlmeier AP. Intraspecific variation in collective behaviors drives interspecific contests in acorn ants. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
37
|
Modlmeier AP, Laskowski KL, Brittingham HA, Coleman A, Knutson KA, Kuo C, McGuirk M, Zhao K, Keiser CN, Pruitt JN. Adult presence augments juvenile collective foraging in social spiders. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
38
|
De Winter G, Stratford JP, Chapman BB. Using bacteria to study consistent variation in individual behavior. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
|
39
|
Blight O, Albet Díaz-Mariblanca G, Cerdá X, Boulay R. A proactive–reactive syndrome affects group success in an ant species. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
|
40
|
Bockoven AA, Wilder SM, Eubanks MD. Intraspecific Variation among Social Insect Colonies: Persistent Regional and Colony-Level Differences in Fire Ant Foraging Behavior. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133868. [PMID: 26197456 PMCID: PMC4510567 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals vary within a species in many ecologically important ways, but the causes and consequences of such variation are often poorly understood. Foraging behavior is among the most profitable and risky activities in which organisms engage and is expected to be under strong selection. Among social insects there is evidence that within-colony variation in traits such as foraging behavior can increase colony fitness, but variation between colonies and the potential consequences of such variation are poorly documented. In this study, we tested natural populations of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, for the existence of colony and regional variation in foraging behavior and tested the persistence of this variation over time and across foraging habitats. We also reared single-lineage colonies in standardized environments to explore the contribution of colony lineage. Fire ants from natural populations exhibited significant and persistent colony and regional-level variation in foraging behaviors such as extra-nest activity, exploration, and discovery of and recruitment to resources. Moreover, colony-level variation in extra-nest activity was significantly correlated with colony growth, suggesting that this variation has fitness consequences. Lineage of the colony had a significant effect on extra-nest activity and exploratory activity and explained approximately half of the variation observed in foraging behaviors, suggesting a heritable component to colony-level variation in behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison A. Bockoven
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Shawn M. Wilder
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Micky D. Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Wright CM, Keiser CN, Pruitt JN. Personality and morphology shape task participation, collective foraging and escape behaviour in the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|
42
|
Briard L, Dorn C, Petit O. Personality and Affinities Play a Key Role in the Organisation of Collective Movements in a Group of Domestic Horses. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Léa Briard
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Strasbourg France
- Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
- Service d'Écologie Sociale; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Bruxelles Belgium
| | | | - Odile Petit
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Strasbourg France
- Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
- Service d'Écologie Sociale; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Bruxelles Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Masuda N, O'shea-Wheller TA, Doran C, Franks NR. Computational model of collective nest selection by ants with heterogeneous acceptance thresholds. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:140533. [PMID: 26543578 PMCID: PMC4632542 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Collective decision-making is a characteristic of societies ranging from ants to humans. The ant Temnothorax albipennis is known to use quorum sensing to collectively decide on a new home; emigration to a new nest site occurs when the number of ants favouring the new site becomes quorate. There are several possible mechanisms by which ant colonies can select the best nest site among alternatives based on a quorum mechanism. In this study, we use computational models to examine the implications of heterogeneous acceptance thresholds across individual ants in collective nest choice behaviour. We take a minimalist approach to develop a differential equation model and a corresponding non-spatial agent-based model. We show, consistent with existing empirical evidence, that heterogeneity in acceptance thresholds is a viable mechanism for efficient nest choice behaviour. In particular, we show that the proposed models show speed-accuracy trade-offs and speed-cohesion trade-offs when we vary the number of scouts or the quorum threshold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Masuda
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, Merchant Venturers Building, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Thomas A. O'shea-Wheller
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, England, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Carolina Doran
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, England, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida Brasília, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Nigel R. Franks
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, England, BS8 1TQ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Modlmeier AP, Keiser CN, Wright CM, Lichtenstein JL, Pruitt JN. Integrating animal personality into insect population and community ecology. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2015; 9:77-85. [PMID: 32846713 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite the recent surge of interest in the concept of animal personalities, that is, temporally consistent individual differences in behavior, few studies have integrated intraspecific behavioral variation in population or community ecology. Insects and other arthropods provide ideal model systems to study how intraspecific behavioral variation affects phenomena in ecology. This is due to the fact that arthropods not only are highly amenable to experimental manipulation, but they also allow us to answer general ecological questions on multiple scales of biological organization. Herein, we review recent developments and views on how the framework of animal personality could provide a deeper understanding of classic issues in (1) population ecology (e.g., local adaptation, dispersal, and invasion), (2) community ecology (e.g., food webs and ecosystem engineering), and (3) more insect-focused topics such as metamorphosis and pollination biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas P Modlmeier
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Carl N Keiser
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Colin M Wright
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - James Ll Lichtenstein
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Jonathan N Pruitt
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Cronin AL. Individual and Group Personalities Characterise Consensus Decision-Making in an Ant. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L. Cronin
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences; Iwate University; Morioka Japan
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Modlmeier AP, Keiser CN, Shearer TA, Pruitt JN. Species-specific influence of group composition on collective behaviors in ants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1799-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|