Food Exploitation By Social Insects

Omnipresent in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and of undisputed ecological and economical importance, the study of social insects is an area that continues to attract a vast number of researchers. As a consequence, a huge amount of information about their biology and ecology has accumulated. Distilling this scattered information into a highly focused reference, Food Exploitation by Social Insects: Ecological, Behavioral, and Theoretical Approaches unites traditional behavioral and ecological studies with theoretical and mathematical models. The book covers foraging ecology and behavior of social insects, their communication mechanisms, and theoretical models of important aspects. It examines two different but inseparably interlaced levels of social insect foraging: the macroscopic or colony level and the microscopic or individual level. The chapters include discussions of foraging decisions, patterns and strategies of social insect colonies, and information use and information transfer between workers. The book provides examples of how this biological knowledge can be used as a basis for the construction of mathematical and neural network models that in return may increase understanding of social insect foraging. The contributors provide a fresh look on their topics, covering a wide range of subjects and recent scientific developments that are unprecedented in breadth and depth. The coverage of ants, bees, and wasps in one resource is a unique feature of the book. This taxonomic content combined with the variety of research approaches, allows the book to provide deeper insight into the subject.

Social Insect Populations focuses on observations on the populations of social insects, including egg production, nesting characteristics, and food collection. The book first underscores the evolution of social life and organization and control of social insect populations. The text also ponders on the numbers and density of social insect populations, as well as methods of estimation, numbers in colonies, and density and biomass. Egg production, stationary populations, nest size, productivity, and survival are discussed. The manuscript discusses reproduction and brood periodicity of social insect populations. Discussions focus on reproduction by single and group of queens and reciprocity among bees, wasps, and ants. The text also examines nest sites and shelters, mating structures, and food collection of social insects. Discussions focus on food supply, intergeneric competition, predators and parasites, and population regulation among bees, wasps, termites, and ants. The book is a dependable reference for readers interested in the study of social insect populations.

The book provides a first comprehensive overview of both experimental and theoretical research on information processing in insect societies. Its purpose is to make the reader familiar with the methodology and ways of thinking followed by scientists at the leading edge of the field. The book is aimed at postgraduate students and researchers working on social insects and insects that live in groups as well as any reader interested in behavioural ecology, communication and social organization.

Here is a guide to the ecology of social insects. It is intended for general ecologists and entomologists as well as for undergraduates and those about to start research on social insects; even the experienced investigator may find the comparison between different groups of social insects illuminating. Most technical terms are translated into common language as far as can be done without loss of accuracy but scientific names are unavoidable. Readers will become familiar with the name even though they cannot visualize the animal and could reflect that only a very few of the total species have been studied so far! References too are essential and with these it should be possible to travel more deeply into the vast research literature, still increasing monthly. When I have cited an author in another author's paper, this implies that I have not read the original and the second author must take responsi bility for accuracy! Many hands and heads have helped to make this book. I thank all my colleagues past and present for their enduring though critical support, and I thank with special pleasure: E. ]. M. Evesham who fashioned the diagrams; ]. Free, D. J. Stradling and]. P. E. C. Darlington who supplied photographs; D. Y. Brian and R. A. Weller who were meticulous on the linguistic side; and G. Frith and R. M. Jones who collated the references. List of plates 1. Fungus combs of Acromyrmex octospinosus and Macrotermes michaelseni. 13 2. Mouthparts of larval Myrmica.

This book provides updated information on this intriguing and exciting group of insects: Neotropical Social Wasps. These insects have a particular biology and their colonies are formed by a few cooperative females living in either small or massive, structured nests where stinging individuals organize their activities and defend their offspring. Topics include evolutionary aspects, biogeography, post-embryonic development, community behavior and ecology, economic importance, and research methods.

The stingless bees are one of the most diverse, attractive, fascinating, conspicuous and useful of all the insect groups of the tropical world. This is a formidable and contentious claim but I believe it can be backed up. They are fifty times more species rich than the honey bees, the other tribe of highly eusocial bees. They are ubiquitous in the tropics and thrive in tropical cities. In rural areas, they nest in a diversity of sites and are found on the flowers of a broad diversity of crop plants. Their role in natural systems is barely studied but they almost certainly deserve that hallowed title of keystone species. They are popular with the general public and are greatly appreciated in zoos and gardens. The chapters of this book provide abundant further evidence of the ecological and economic importance of stingless bees.