![]() ![]() Based on the individual color tags described above, the setup in the picture allows us to track the behavior of individual ants in up to 140 colonies simultaneously.Ĭlonal raider ants show aggressive behavior, for example towards intruders from foreign colonies (non-nestmate discrimination) or towards members of their own colony that become reproductively active out of sync with the rest of the colony (worker policing).Īrmy ants do not build permanent nests, but instead form so-called bivouacs, made up entirely of the live ants themselves. Our lab has developed a series of setups for automated behavioral tracking. ![]() This colony is in the brood care phase of the colony cycle, during which ants forage and tend the larvae, but do not lay eggs. The ants form a main cluster around the larvae, while some ants leave the cluster to explore and forage. A lone ant is exploring the environment in the foreground, while the main nest cluster can be seen in the background.Ī laboratory colony of clonal raider ants seen from above. Figure 2.24Ī laboratory colony of clonal raider ants. ![]() The ants are individually tagged with unique combinations of color dots for behavioral tracking. Clonal raider ant workers carrying larvae. ![]()
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