Fussy ants act as nest's imagination

• Autores: Chris Simms
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3111, 2017, pág. 10
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The power to imagine a better world has helped transform human societies, and it may be doing the same to ant societies. Individual ants have differences in behavior--something almost akin to a personality--that affect colony decisions. And some ants are so different in their personal preferences that they may act as the imagination of the colony, driving it onto a better future. Rock ants (Temnothorax albipennis), found in coastal areas of the UK, make their homes in crevices. If a nest is wrecked, or if scouts find better digs, it often makes sense to relocate. But not just any crevice will do. When looking for a new home, ants have a high-maintenance list of requirements, says Thomas O'Shea-Wheller at the Ant Lab of the University of Bristol, UK.