Sn. Beshers et Jfa. Traniello, POLYETHISM AND THE ADAPTIVENESS OF WORKER SIZE VARIATION IN THE ATTINE ANT TRACHYMYRMEX SEPTENTRIONALIS, Journal of insect behavior, 9(1), 1996, pp. 61-83
Division of labor was studied in colonies from Long Island and Florida
populations of the fungus-gardening ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis.
Workers showed age polyethism and a weak size polyethism, and these p
atterns of division of labor were not different in colonies from the t
wo populations. Individual workers had repertoires comprised of three
to five roles but tended to concentrate their labor within a single ro
le. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that worker polymorphi
sm and the elaboration of size-related behavior in the attine ants evo
lved along with the use of fresh vegetation as the fungal substrate. T
he data do not support the hypothesis that size variation in colonies
of T. septentrionalis evolved to promote efficient division of labor.
Division of labor within the worker caste is based mainly on age and a
ppears to be an attribute of the species rather than an adaptation to
a particular habitat.