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Preemptive Defensive Self-Sacrifice by Ant Workers.
- Source :
- American Naturalist; Nov2008, Vol. 172 Issue 5, pE239-E243, 5p, 7 Color Photographs, 3 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- Worker insects altruistically sacrifice their own reproduction to rear nondescendant kin. This sacrifice reaches its most spectacular level in suicidal colony defense. Suicidal defense, such as when the sting of a honeybee worker embeds in a predator and then breaks off, is normally a facultative response. Here we describe the first example of preemptive self-sacrifice in nest defense. In the Brazilian ant Forelius pusillus, the nest entrance is closed at sunset. One to eight workers finish the job from the outside and, in doing so, sacrifice their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ANT behavior
INSECT behavior
INSECT societies
LIFE (Biology)
SELF-sacrifice
COLONIES
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00030147
- Volume :
- 172
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- American Naturalist
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35368582
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1086/591688