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Preemptive Defensive Self-Sacrifice by Ant Workers
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 20:45 authored by Adam Tofilski, Margaret J Couvillon, Sophie E F Evison, Heikki Helanterä, Elva J H Robinson, Francis RatnieksWorker 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.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
American NaturalistISSN
0003-0147External DOI
Issue
5Volume
172Article number
E239-E243Pages
5.0Department affiliated with
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes