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Conrad Bérubé |
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Conrad Bérubé |
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The following is an excerpt from a handout prepared for
Entomology 111: Insects and Human Affairs at the
University of California/Davis.
Social insects are, of course, much more dependent on the transfer of information than are solitary insects. In order to maintain proper coordination of all the tasks necessary for the survival of the colony social insects such as termites, ants and bees have had to evolve a number of different modes of signalling to one another. Soldiers of some termite species drum their heads against the floor of their nest to signal alarm and draw others of their kind to a breech in their fortifications or to the site of some altercation. Predatory ants foraging for insect prey will dash about in a circle around a potential victim drawing others of its nestmates to assist in subduing it-- vision alone seems sufficient to induce recruitment. Vibrations set up by the whirring of wings and motion along the comb seem to be important constituents in the melange of signals used by dancing honeybees (components of communication confirmed through research utilizing a mechanical bee). All of these insects produce subtle blends of chemical cocktails, pheromones, that can elicit distinct types of behaviors in their peers. Likewise, all of the social insects have been favorite subjects of research to understand communication amongst insects. Aside from suggesting techniques for more efficient economic exploitation of honeybee colonies, and possible control measures for ants and termites, understanding the mechanisms of communication and interaction amongst the social insects may help us gain a better understanding of the motives and instincts that affect our own societies.
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