The Exploratory Behavior in the Tropical Fire Ants
This study examined individual and group exploration behaviors of Solenopsis geminata workers. There were significant effects of nest and food source on dwell time in the individual exploration assay, with workers spending more time on potato chips and less time on honey water. Comparing the average time spent exploring food items between groups of workers with and without experience, no significant difference was found in Nest 1, but a significant difference appeared in Nest 2. Group workers located food faster, although no significant difference was observed between individual exploration assays and the same workers in group exploration assays. Behavioral variation among workers at both individual and group levels is essential for rapid responses to environmental changes in their invaded regions. The differences in exploratory behavior among individual workers and groups, both within and between colonies, could affect foraging efficiency and resource utilization.
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