RELATION BETWEEN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MATURATION IN A PONERINE ANT

In the ponerine ant, Ectatomma tuberculatum, workers pass through succ essive functional stages over the course of their adult life. This beh avioural ontogeny from brood care to foraging activity appears to be c losely related to glandular changes. Intranidal workers have growing o r mature ovaries, while extranidal workers have degenerated ovaries bu t a well-developed reservoir of the poison gland. Our study, which was based on individual marking and multidimensional analyses, evidenced that the behavioural differences recorded among workers of a same age class are related to at least one physiological parameter. It means th at variations in the course of the functional stages as compared to a basic age polyethism, may be partly explained by physiological maturat ion. We suggested then to substitute the term of 'age polyethism' by a more appropriate one, such as 'maturation polyethism'.