Social Carrying and Defensive Behavior During Colony Emigration in the Leaf-cutting Ant Atta sexdens

• Published in: Sociobiology (Chico, CA) Vol. 64; no. 4; p. 492
• Main Authors: Valadares, Lohan, Nascimento, Fábio S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana 01-12-2017
• Subjects: adult transport; Animal behavior; Atta sexdens
• ISSN: 0361-6525; 2447-8067
• DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v64i4.2087

In this work, we describe for the first time and under laboratory conditions, the behaviors related to social carrying and defensive strategies during colony emigration in the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens. Once colonies were laid on a tray under suboptimal conditions, groups of workers aggregated all over the body surface of the queen and brood, with mandibles half open and legs widely open in a ‘entangle’ formation. Queens were the first caste to be reallocated, followed respectively by the transportation of brood, newly-emerged workers, and pieces of fungus garden to the new nesting site. Contrary to what have been reported to the Myrmicinae species, adult transport followed a stereotyped sequence of acts involving approach, seize and transportation of newly-emerged workers to new target areas. Our results suggest that, in front of rapid unfavorable changes, leaf-cutting ants are capable of reorganize the nest in order to protect their members and resources.