Self-organization in the division of labor in incipient societies of the ant Ectatomma ruidum (Formicidae : Ponerinae): Emergence of an age polyethism

This study describes sociogenesis in natural incipient societies of the Pon erine ant Ectatomma ruidum, from the foundation stage (ST0) to the 10 worke rs stage (ST10). The data recorded on 36 societies enabled us to determine the behavioral profiles of each ant for each stage studied. Based on the la tter, it appears that during the earlier stages (from ST1 through, approxim ately, ST5), young workers may specialize in any task, including guarding a nd foraging. During the later stages (from, approximately, ST6 through ST10 ) an age polyethism progressively appears. These results may be interpreted in two different ways, a maturational or a n emergent one, according to the manner "age polyethism" is considered. In this study, we emphasize the emergent approach and consider behavioral flex ibility to be the key mechanism of social organization for the species stud ied. The high variability of behavioral profiles in the species' very early stages, as well as the tendency towards an age polyethism schedule in late r ones, can be explained by the same local individual rules, which are at t he basis of the social self-organization characteristic of sociogenesis.