Trophallaxis in Lasius niger: a variable frequency and constant duration for three food types

• Published in: Insectes sociaux Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 177 - 183
• Main Authors: Buffin, A, Mailleux, A.-C, Detrain, C, Deneubourg, J. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Basel : SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 01.05.2011; SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel; Birkhäuser
• Subjects: Animal ethology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Entomology; Food distribution; foraging; Formicidae; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lasius niger; Life Sciences; melezitose; nutrition; probability; proteins; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Research Article; social insects; sucrose; trophallaxis; Ants; Nutrition; Trophallaxis; Food distribution; Formicidae; Feeding behavior; Insecta; Lasius niger; Duration; Social insect; Formicoidea; Foraging behavior; Social behavior; Arthropoda; Frequency; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Aculeata

While food recruitment and foraging have been the subject of many studies, the regulation of the food sharing behaviour remains poorly understood. In this study, we focused on trophallaxis (or mouth-to-mouth food exchange) within a group of worker ants as the first step in characterizing food sharin...