Social organization of Platythyrea lamellosa (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): II. Division of labour

Abstract

Although colonies of Platythyrea lamellosa were found to be consistently queenless, the division of labour amongst workers resembled the pattern generally characteristic of ants. Mated workers were involved only with reproduction and tending larvae. The behaviour of virgin workers was influenced by their age. Athough they showed a degree of individual variation in behaviour, they were clearly organized into three roles: nursing eggs and larvae; tending cocoons and domestic tasks; and foraging. Behaviours sharing a common focus (e.g. larvae or prey) were highly associated. The integration of individual variability into a relatively precise pattern at the level of the colony was not merely a statistical artifact, but probably involved the way that tasks were spatially localized within the nest, as well as the changing physiological state of individual ants. Nest structure is probably important in this regard.