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Intermediate-level parts in insect societies: Adaptive structures that ants build away from the nest

Publication ,  Journal Article
Anderson, C; McShea, DW
Published in: Insectes Sociaux
January 1, 2001

Insect societies function at various organisational levels. Most research has focused on one or other organisational extreme. At one extreme, it is the adaptive behaviours at the individual level, the behaviour of workers, which is of interest. At the other extreme, colony-level adaptive behaviour and swarm intelligence is the focus. However, between these two extremes, numerous functional adaptive units, or "parts," exist. These intermediate-level parts include the behavioural properties of "groups" or "teams" in which the functionality only emerges at the group-level and not within the individuals themselves, and also the structural properties of "self-assemblages" in which individuals link themselves together to form an adaptive configuration, such as a living bridge. We review another type of intermediate-level part in insect societies: these are the physical structures that ants build away from the nest. The structures, that are larger than an individual worker but smaller than the colony (hence intermediate), include cleared trails, walled trenches, arcades, tunnels, outstations, shelters, protective pens, shelters over nectaries, food coverings on foraging trails, elevated corridors, and bridges. They are found in a diverse range of species, and are constructed using a variety of materials. We detail the structures built by ants focussing chiefly on the adaptive benefits these structures may confer to the colony.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Insectes Sociaux

DOI

ISSN

0020-1812

Publication Date

January 1, 2001

Volume

48

Issue

4

Start / End Page

291 / 301

Related Subject Headings

  • Entomology
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0608 Zoology
  • 0603 Evolutionary Biology
 

Citation

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Anderson, C., & McShea, D. W. (2001). Intermediate-level parts in insect societies: Adaptive structures that ants build away from the nest. Insectes Sociaux, 48(4), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00001781
Anderson, C., and D. W. McShea. “Intermediate-level parts in insect societies: Adaptive structures that ants build away from the nest.” Insectes Sociaux 48, no. 4 (January 1, 2001): 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00001781.
Anderson C, McShea DW. Intermediate-level parts in insect societies: Adaptive structures that ants build away from the nest. Insectes Sociaux. 2001 Jan 1;48(4):291–301.
Anderson, C., and D. W. McShea. “Intermediate-level parts in insect societies: Adaptive structures that ants build away from the nest.” Insectes Sociaux, vol. 48, no. 4, Jan. 2001, pp. 291–301. Scopus, doi:10.1007/PL00001781.
Anderson C, McShea DW. Intermediate-level parts in insect societies: Adaptive structures that ants build away from the nest. Insectes Sociaux. 2001 Jan 1;48(4):291–301.
Journal cover image

Published In

Insectes Sociaux

DOI

ISSN

0020-1812

Publication Date

January 1, 2001

Volume

48

Issue

4

Start / End Page

291 / 301

Related Subject Headings

  • Entomology
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0608 Zoology
  • 0603 Evolutionary Biology