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Related Experiment Videos

Phase transition between disordered and ordered foraging in Pharaoh's ants.

M Beekman1, D J Sumpter, F L Ratnieks

  • 1Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Sheffield University, United Kingdom. mbeekman@bio.usyd.edu.au

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 9, 2001
PubMed
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Colony size dictates foraging behavior in Pharaoh

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Collective Behavior
  • Insect Social Systems

Background:

  • Complex collective behavior in insect societies often requires a minimum worker threshold for effective functioning.
  • Understanding the transition from disordered to ordered behavior is crucial for comprehending social insect colony dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transition between disordered and ordered foraging in Pharaoh's ants (Monomorium pharaonis).
  • To determine the colony size at which organized, pheromone-based foraging emerges.
  • To characterize the nature of this transition, particularly under challenging foraging conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental observation of foraging behavior in Pharaoh's ant colonies of varying sizes.
  • Analysis of foraging patterns in relation to colony size and food source accessibility.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparison of observed behavioral transitions with principles of first-order phase transitions in physics.

    • Main Results:

    • Small Pharaoh's ant colonies exhibit disorganized foraging.
    • Larger colonies transition to organized, pheromone-based foraging.
    • This transition is a first-order phase transition with hysteresis when food is difficult to find.

    Conclusions:

    • Colony size is a critical factor regulating the emergence of organized foraging behavior.
    • The observed behavioral transition mirrors physical phase transitions, offering a novel framework for studying collective behavior.
    • This study provides the first experimental evidence of a behavioral phase transition from maladaptive to adaptive foraging in an insect society.