What can ants tell us about collective behavior during a natural catastrophe?

Cassill, Deby L.; Casella, Alexander; Clayborn, Jaeson; Perry, Matthew Calbraith; Lagarde, Michael

doi:10.1007/s10818-015-9195-2

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Research by Cassill et al suggests heterogeneity as another line of future work. They find that during raft-building, small workers behave differently from big workers and matriarchs [ 28 ]. We did not track ants by size.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire ants perpetually rebuild sinking towers

et al. 2017

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In the aftermath of a flood, fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, cluster into temporary encampments. The encampments can contain hundreds of thousands of ants and reach over 30 ants high. How do ants build such tall structures without being crushed? In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we investigate the shape and rate of construction of ant towers around a central support. The towers are bell shaped, consistent with towers of constant strength such as the Eiffel tower, where each element bears an equal load. However, unlike the Eiffel tower, the ant tower is built through a process of trial and error, whereby failed portions avalanche until the final shape emerges. High-speed and novel X-ray videography reveal that the tower constantly sinks and is rebuilt, reminiscent of large multicellular systems such as human skin. We combine the behavioural rules that produce rafts on water with measurements of adhesion and attachment strength to model the rate of growth of the tower. The model correctly predicts that the growth rate decreases as the support diameter increases. This work may inspire the design of synthetic swarms capable of building in vertical layers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire ants perpetually rebuild sinking towers

et al. 2017

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“…Another survival strategy is swimming and finding a refuge on dry land. Representatives of the genus Myrmica have often been observed swimming several meters to land or the nearest branch [22,23]. Even less is known about Myrmica ants' recolonization of suitable habitats, but it likely appears through budding from the existing colonies [24] as the nuptial flights, especially of females, are very localized [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Long-Term Floods on Spatial Dynamics of Myrmica scabrinodis, a Host Ant of a Highly Threatened Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius)

Močilar,

Jerina,

Verovnik

2023

Insects

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Extensively used wet meadows with high species diversity are under threat in Europe by anthropogenic pressure. The increasing frequency of prolonged flooding is emerging as an additional threat to this fragile environment. In our study, we investigated how prolonged flooding affects the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics (through mortality and recolonization process) of the host ant species Myrmica scabrinodis, which is essential for the survival of the endangered Scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius). The study was conducted in the flood-prone Ljubljansko barje plain situated on the southern edge of the species’ global range. Prolonged flooding in the study area, possibly affecting the past and current distribution of the host ant M. scabrinodis, was recorded in 2010, 2013, and 2017. In 2020, we set 160 ant traps to estimate the distribution of host ants in a system of meadows covering the entire gradient of flood history. Results indicate that M. scabrinodis survives the flooding for up to three days, starting to disappear if flooding persists longer. After the flooding recedes, ants gradually recolonize empty habitats from the surrounding upland refugia. Our spatial analyses predict that the average recolonization speed was about 29 m per year and that in a year, ants compensate for the mortality effects of 1.8 days of flooding by recolonization in a year. These results show that flooding should be considered as an additional (in some areas, a major) threat to the endangered P. teleius through its deleterious effects on the host ant species.

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“…However, prosocial behavior is by far not unique to homo sapiens. Well documented examples of complex cooperation in other species (with arguably lower cognitive abilities than humans) range from hunting wolf packs (Macdonald et al, 2004), through certain bird species helping strangers build their nests (Skutch, 1935), to ants building living rafts to survive floods (Cassill et al, 2015), and bees sacrificing their lives to protect the hive (Shorter and Rueppell, 2012). Many have seen this as an indication that prosociality is a natural preference which evolved in numerous species -including humans -and with which we are born (Rushton, 1991;Wesson, 1991;Nowak, 2006).…”

Section: Origins Of Prosocial Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of environmental shocks in shaping prosocial behavior

Duchoslav¹

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What can ants tell us about collective behavior during a natural catastrophe?

Cited by 7 publications

References 38 publications

Fire ants perpetually rebuild sinking towers

Fire ants perpetually rebuild sinking towers

Impact of Long-Term Floods on Spatial Dynamics of Myrmica scabrinodis, a Host Ant of a Highly Threatened Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius)

The role of environmental shocks in shaping prosocial behavior

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