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Chen J, Guo X, Charbonneau D, Azizi A, Fewell J, Kang Y. Dynamics of Information Flow and Task Allocation of Social Insect Colonies: Impacts of Spatial Interactions and Task Switching. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:50. [PMID: 38581473 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01280-6] [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: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Models of social interaction dynamics have been powerful tools for understanding the efficiency of information spread and the robustness of task allocation in social insect colonies. How workers spatially distribute within the colony, or spatial heterogeneity degree (SHD), plays a vital role in contact dynamics, influencing information spread and task allocation. We used agent-based models to explore factors affecting spatial heterogeneity and information flow, including the number of task groups, variation in spatial arrangements, and levels of task switching, to study: (1) the impact of multiple task groups on SHD, contact dynamics, and information spread, and (2) the impact of task switching on SHD and contact dynamics. Both models show a strong linear relationship between the dynamics of SHD and contact dynamics, which exists for different initial conditions. The multiple-task-group model without task switching reveals the impacts of the number and spatial arrangements of task locations on information transmission. The task-switching model allows task-switching with a probability through contact between individuals. The model indicates that the task-switching mechanism enables a dynamical state of task-related spatial fidelity at the individual level. This spatial fidelity can assist the colony in redistributing their workforce, with consequent effects on the dynamics of spatial heterogeneity degree. The spatial fidelity of a task group is the proportion of workers who perform that task and have preferential walking styles toward their task location. Our analysis shows that the task switching rate between two tasks is an exponentially decreasing function of the spatial fidelity and contact rate. Higher spatial fidelity leads to more agents aggregating to task location, reducing contact between groups, thus making task switching more difficult. Our results provide important insights into the mechanisms that generate spatial heterogeneity and deepen our understanding of how spatial heterogeneity impacts task allocation, social interaction, and information spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chen
- Simon A. Levin Mathematical and Computational Modeling Sciences Center, Arizona State University, 1031 Palm Walk, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Xiaohui Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | | | - Asma Azizi
- Department of Mathematics, Kennesaw State University, Marrieta, GA, 30060, USA
| | - Jennifer Fewell
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Yun Kang
- Sciences and Mathematics Faculty, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, 85212, USA.
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Jhawar J, Davidson JD, Weidenmüller A, Wild B, Dormagen DM, Landgraf T, Couzin ID, Smith ML. How honeybees respond to heat stress from the individual to colony level. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230290. [PMID: 37848056 PMCID: PMC10581772 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0290] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A honey bee colony functions as an integrated collective, with individuals coordinating their behaviour to adapt and respond to unexpected disturbances. Nest homeostasis is critical for colony function; when ambient temperatures increase, individuals switch to thermoregulatory roles to cool the nest, such as fanning and water collection. While prior work has focused on bees engaged in specific behaviours, less is known about how responses are coordinated at the colony level, and how previous tasks predict behavioural changes during a heat stress. Using BeesBook automated tracking, we follow thousands of individuals during an experimentally induced heat stress, and analyse their behavioural changes from the individual to colony level. We show that heat stress causes an overall increase in activity levels and a spatial reorganization of bees away from the brood area. Using a generalized framework to analyse individual behaviour, we find that individuals differ in their response to heat stress, which depends on their prior behaviour and correlates with age. Examining the correlation of behavioural metrics over time suggests that heat stress perturbation does not have a long-lasting effect on an individual's future behaviour. These results demonstrate how thousands of individuals within a colony change their behaviour to achieve a coordinated response to an environmental disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitesh Jhawar
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, 380009, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Jacob D. Davidson
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anja Weidenmüller
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Benjamin Wild
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - David M. Dormagen
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Iain D. Couzin
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Michael L. Smith
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 36849 Auburn AL, USA
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Chen S, Wang Y, Li Y, Zhang X, Wu J. Effects of honeybee ( Apis cerana) visiting behaviour on toxic plant ( Tripterygium hypoglaucum) reproduction. AOB PLANTS 2022; 14:plac002. [PMID: 35531307 PMCID: PMC9071085 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees play a significant role in the plant-pollinator interactions of many flowering plants. The ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-pollinator interactions vary by geographic region, and the effects of honeybees on the reproduction of toxic plants have not been well studied. We measured the florescence of toxic plants, the flower-visiting behaviour of honeybees and the effects of pollination on the fertility, weight and moisture content of seeds. The effects of climatic factors on the number of flowers, and the spatial and temporal variation in pollinator visits were evaluated, and the effects of pollinator visits on seed quality were evaluated. Flower visitors were diverse, climatic factors had a great impact on spatio-temporal flowering variation and the number of bee visits was strongly correlated with the spatio-temporal variation in the number of flowers. Honeybees strongly increase the fullness and weight of seeds. Our study demonstrated a good ecological fit between the spatio-temporal variation in the flowering of toxic plants and the general validity of honeybee pollination syndrome in the south of Hengduan Mountains in East Asia. A linear relationship between honeybee visitation and plant reproduction can benefit the stabilization of plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunan Chen
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Key Laboratory of Bee Products for Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Bee Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunfei Wang
- Committee of Communist Youth League, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Li
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuewen Zhang
- Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 661101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Key Laboratory of Bee Products for Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Bee Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
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Task repertoires of hygienic workers reveal a link between specialized necrophoric behaviors in honey bees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2731-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Reconsidering response threshold models—short-term response patterns in thermoregulating bumblebees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2709-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Leighton GM, Charbonneau D, Dornhaus A. Task switching is associated with temporal delays in Temnothorax rugatulus ants. Behav Ecol 2016; 28:319-327. [PMID: 28127225 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The major evolutionary transitions often result in reorganization of biological systems, and a component of such reorganization is that individuals within the system specialize on performing certain tasks, resulting in a division of labor. Although the traditional benefit of division of labor is thought to be a gain in work efficiency, one alternative benefit of specialization is avoiding temporal delays associated with switching tasks. While models have demonstrated that costs of task switching can drive the evolution of division of labor, little empirical support exists for this hypothesis. We tested whether there were task-switching costs in Temnothorax rugatulus. We recorded the behavior of every individual in 44 colonies and used this dataset to identify each instance where an individual performed a task, spent time in the interval (i.e., inactive, wandering inside, and self-grooming), and then performed a task again. We compared the interval time where an individual switched task type between that first and second bout of work to instances where an individual performed the same type of work in both bouts. In certain cases, we find that the interval time was significantly shorter if individuals repeated the same task. We find this time cost for switching to a new behavior in all active worker groups, that is, independently of worker specialization. These results suggest that task-switching costs may select for behavioral specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin M Leighton
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Corson-Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 , USA and
| | - Daniel Charbonneau
- Department of Entomology and Insect Science, Forbes 410, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721 , USA
| | - Anna Dornhaus
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Corson-Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 , USA and
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Hammel B, Vollet-Neto A, Menezes C, Nascimento FS, Engels W, Grüter C. Soldiers in a Stingless Bee. Am Nat 2016; 187:120-9. [DOI: 10.1086/684192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Sting, Carry and Stock: How Corpse Availability Can Regulate De-Centralized Task Allocation in a Ponerine Ant Colony. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114611. [PMID: 25493558 PMCID: PMC4262436 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We develop a model to produce plausible patterns of task partitioning in the ponerine ant Ectatomma ruidum based on the availability of living prey and prey corpses. The model is based on the organizational capabilities of a “common stomach” through which the colony utilizes the availability of a natural (food) substance as a major communication channel to regulate the income and expenditure of the very same substance. This communication channel has also a central role in regulating task partitioning of collective hunting behavior in a supply&demand-driven manner. Our model shows that task partitioning of the collective hunting behavior in E. ruidum can be explained by regulation due to a common stomach system. The saturation of the common stomach provides accessible information to individual ants so that they can adjust their hunting behavior accordingly by engaging in or by abandoning from stinging or transporting tasks. The common stomach is able to establish and to keep stabilized an effective mix of workforce to exploit the prey population and to transport food into the nest. This system is also able to react to external perturbations in a de-centralized homeostatic way, such as to changes in the prey density or to accumulation of food in the nest. In case of stable conditions the system develops towards an equilibrium concerning colony size and prey density. Our model shows that organization of work through a common stomach system can allow Ectatomma ruidum to collectively forage for food in a robust, reactive and reliable way. The model is compared to previously published models that followed a different modeling approach. Based on our model analysis we also suggest a series of experiments for which our model gives plausible predictions. These predictions are used to formulate a set of testable hypotheses that should be investigated empirically in future experimentation.
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A Consensus-Based Grouping Algorithm for Multi-agent Cooperative Task Allocation with Complex Requirements. Cognit Comput 2014; 6:338-350. [PMID: 25191527 PMCID: PMC4150994 DOI: 10.1007/s12559-014-9265-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
This paper looks at consensus algorithms for agent cooperation with unmanned aerial vehicles. The foundation is the consensus-based bundle algorithm, which is extended to allow multi-agent tasks requiring agents to cooperate in completing individual tasks. Inspiration is taken from the cognitive behaviours of eusocial animals for cooperation and improved assignments. Using the behaviours observed in bees and ants inspires decentralised algorithms for groups of agents to adapt to changing task demand. Further extensions are provided to improve task complexity handling by the agents with added equipment requirements and task dependencies. We address the problems of handling these challenges and improve the efficiency of the algorithm for these requirements, whilst decreasing the communication cost with a new data structure. The proposed algorithm converges to a conflict-free, feasible solution of which previous algorithms are unable to account for. Furthermore, the algorithm takes into account heterogeneous agents, deadlocking and a method to store assignments for a dynamical environment. Simulation results demonstrate reduced data usage and communication time to come to a consensus on multi-agent tasks.
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Pamminger T, Foitzik S, Kaufmann KC, Schützler N, Menzel F. Worker personality and its association with spatially structured division of labor. PLoS One 2014; 9:e79616. [PMID: 24497911 PMCID: PMC3907378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Division of labor is a defining characteristic of social insects and fundamental to their ecological success. Many of the numerous tasks essential for the survival of the colony must be performed at a specific location. Consequently, spatial organization is an integral aspect of division of labor. The mechanisms organizing the spatial distribution of workers, separating inside and outside workers without central control, is an essential, but so far neglected aspect of division of labor. In this study, we investigate the behavioral mechanisms governing the spatial distribution of individual workers and its physiological underpinning in the ant Myrmica rubra. By investigating worker personalities we uncover position-associated behavioral syndromes. This context-independent and temporally stable set of correlated behaviors (positive association between movements and attraction towards light) could promote the basic separation between inside (brood tenders) and outside workers (foragers). These position-associated behavior syndromes are coupled with a high probability to perform tasks, located at the defined position, and a characteristic cuticular hydrocarbon profile. We discuss the potentially physiological causes for the observed behavioral syndromes and highlight how the study of animal personalities can provide new insights for the study of division of labor and self-organized processes in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Pamminger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katharina C. Kaufmann
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Natalie Schützler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Charbonneau D, Blonder B, Dornhaus A. Social Insects: A Model System for Network Dynamics. UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX SYSTEMS 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-36461-7_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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Duarte A, Scholtens E, Weissing FJ. Implications of behavioral architecture for the evolution of self-organized division of labor. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002430. [PMID: 22457609 PMCID: PMC3310710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Division of labor has been studied separately from a proximate self-organization and an ultimate evolutionary perspective. We aim to bring together these two perspectives. So far this has been done by choosing a behavioral mechanism a priori and considering the evolution of the properties of this mechanism. Here we use artificial neural networks to allow for a more open architecture. We study whether emergent division of labor can evolve in two different network architectures; a simple feedforward network, and a more complex network that includes the possibility of self-feedback from previous experiences. We focus on two aspects of division of labor; worker specialization and the ratio of work performed for each task. Colony fitness is maximized by both reducing idleness and achieving a predefined optimal work ratio. Our results indicate that architectural constraints play an important role for the outcome of evolution. With the simplest network, only genetically determined specialization is possible. This imposes several limitations on worker specialization. Moreover, in order to minimize idleness, networks evolve a biased work ratio, even when an unbiased work ratio would be optimal. By adding self-feedback to the network we increase the network's flexibility and worker specialization evolves under a wider parameter range. Optimal work ratios are more easily achieved with the self-feedback network, but still provide a challenge when combined with worker specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Duarte
- Theoretical Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - E. Scholtens
- Theoretical Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - F. J. Weissing
- Theoretical Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Karsai I, Phillips MD. Regulation of task differentiation in wasp societies: A bottom-up model of the “common stomach”. J Theor Biol 2012; 294:98-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2011] [Revised: 10/27/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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14
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Johnson BR, Lam SK. Self-organization, Natural Selection, and Evolution: Cellular Hardware and Genetic Software. Bioscience 2010. [DOI: 10.1525/bio.2010.60.11.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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15
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Johnson BR. Task partitioning in honey bees: the roles of signals and cues in group-level coordination of action. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Johnson BR, Nieh JC. Modeling the Adaptive Role of Negative Signaling in Honey Bee Intraspecific Competition. JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR 2010; 23:459-471. [PMID: 21037953 PMCID: PMC2955239 DOI: 10.1007/s10905-010-9229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/16/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Collective decision making in the social insects often proceeds via feedback cycles based on positive signaling. Negative signals have, however, been found in a few contexts in which costs exist for paying attention to no longer useful information. Here we incorporate new research on the specificity and context of the negative stop signal into an agent based model of honey bee foraging to explore the adaptive basis of negative signaling in the dance language. Our work suggests that the stop signal, by acting as a counterbalance to the waggle dance, allows colonies to rapidly shut down attacks on other colonies. This could be a key adaptation, as the costs of attacking a colony strong enough to defend itself are significant. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10905-010-9229-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Johnson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, 245 Hilgard Hall, MC3114, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114 USA
| | - James C. Nieh
- Section of Ecology, Behaviour, and Evolution, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, MC 0116, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116 USA
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Johnson BR. Spatial effects, sampling errors, and task specialization in the honey bee. INSECTES SOCIAUX 2010; 57:239-248. [PMID: 20351761 PMCID: PMC2839491 DOI: 10.1007/s00040-010-0077-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2009] [Revised: 01/23/2010] [Accepted: 01/28/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Task allocation patterns should depend on the spatial distribution of work within the nest, variation in task demand, and the movement patterns of workers, however, relatively little research has focused on these topics. This study uses a spatially explicit agent based model to determine whether such factors alone can generate biases in task performance at the individual level in the honey bees, Apis mellifera. Specialization (bias in task performance) is shown to result from strong sampling error due to localized task demand, relatively slow moving workers relative to nest size, and strong spatial variation in task demand. To date, specialization has been primarily interpreted with the response threshold concept, which is focused on intrinsic (typically genotypic) differences between workers. Response threshold variation and sampling error due to spatial effects are not mutually exclusive, however, and this study suggests that both contribute to patterns of task bias at the individual level. While spatial effects are strong enough to explain some documented cases of specialization; they are relatively short term and not explanatory for long term cases of specialization. In general, this study suggests that the spatial layout of tasks and fluctuations in their demand must be explicitly controlled for in studies focused on identifying genotypic specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. R. Johnson
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr 0116, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116 USA
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Johnson BR. Division of labor in honeybees: form, function, and proximate mechanisms. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009; 64:305-316. [PMID: 20119486 PMCID: PMC2810364 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0874-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2009] [Revised: 09/30/2009] [Accepted: 10/20/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees exhibit two patterns of organization of work. In the spring and summer, division of labor is used to maximize growth rate and resource accumulation, while during the winter, worker survivorship through the poor season is paramount, and bees become generalists. This work proposes new organismal and proximate level conceptual models for these phenomena. The first half of the paper presents a push–pull model for temporal polyethism. Members of the nursing caste are proposed to be pushed from their caste by the development of workers behind them in the temporal caste sequence, while middle-aged bees are pulled from their caste via interactions with the caste ahead of them. The model is, hence, an amalgamation of previous models, in particular, the social inhibition and foraging for work models. The second half of the paper presents a model for the proximate basis of temporal polyethism. Temporal castes exhibit specialized physiology and switch caste when it is adaptive at the colony level. The model proposes that caste-specific physiology is dependent on mutually reinforcing positive feedback mechanisms that lock a bee into a particular behavioral phase. Releasing mechanisms that relate colony level information are then hypothesized to disrupt particular components of the priming mechanisms to trigger endocrinological cascades that lead to the next temporal caste. Priming and releasing mechanisms for the nursing caste are mapped out that are consistent with current experimental results. Less information-rich, but plausible, mechanisms for the middle-aged and foraging castes are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Johnson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 245 Hilgard Hall, MC3114, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114 USA
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