Ant Behavior

About this book

As social insects, like bees or wasps, ants operate within complex societies working toward common goals, such as caring for the young, collecting and storing food, and protecting their colonies from harm. Ant Behavior uses evolution as a lens for understanding ant sociality. This comprehensive book covers all aspects of ant behaviour and society, including ant colony structure, nest architecture, reproductive competition, communication and conflict within the colony, division of labour and caste systems. It also demonstrates that an ant colony is not just a society, but actually acts as a single "superorganism" and behaves collectively as if with one mind. Incorporating the latest research and most up-to-date knowledge, Ant Behavior is a must-have resource for students and researchers in entomology and zoology, especially those interested in social insects and evolutionary biology.

Contents

1. Ant life history and colony structure
2. Reproductive behavior and modes of reproduction
3. Modes of colony foundation
4. Communication
5. The behavior underlying Cooperation and conflicts in ant societies
6. Behavioral aspects of division of labor
7. The ant society as superorganism - behavioral aspects
8. The genomic basis of ant behavior
9. Intra- and inter-specific social competition and parasitism

Customer Reviews

Biography

Prof. Abraham Hefetz is a chemical ecologist and evolutionary biologist. He is currently an Emeritus Professor in the School of Zoology at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel. His specific field of interest lies in the evolution of chemical communication (pheromones) in social insects. His lab engages with both unravelling the chemical nature of pheromones and the behaviour that they elicit. He has taught courses on Social Evolution and Behavioral Ecology to name a few, and has published extensively on bumble bees, honeybees, and ants.