Comprising a substantial part of living biomass on earth, ants are integral to the functioning
of terrestrial ecosystems. More than 12,000 species have been described to date, and it is …

Leaf-cutting ants employ diverse behavioral strategies for promoting the growth of fungal
cultivars in a structure known as fungus garden. As a nutritionally rich resource for the ants …

Since their origin about 120 million years ago (Mya), ants have evolved to become the most
species-rich and ecologically diverse group of social insects (Grimaldi and Engel 2005; …

Adaptive management at its most basic level involves the continual incorporation of new
knowledge into a decision-making process to refine and improve project actions and …

Associations between ants of the genera Crematogaster and Camponotus are found in
many parts of the world. Associated species use common trails (trail sharing) or even share …

Social parasites exploit the colony resources of social insects. Some of them exploit the host
colony as a food resource or as a shelter whereas other species also exploit the brood care …

How foraging trails are formed and the chemical communication between individual ants is
well known. However, communication between partners in mutualistic relationships, such as …

Insect pheromone research has a long and rich history built up primarily by studies
conducted in the Northern hemisphere. Not surprisingly, these studies have largely targeted …

The ability to distinguish nestmates from foreign individuals is central to the functioning of
insect societies. In ants, workers from multiple-queen colonies are often less aggressive …

Chemical-based mimicry and camouflage are known to be employed by invertebrate
parasites of social insect colonies, but the use of this strategy by vertebrates to avoid being …