Ants’ Solutions to some Nature-Inspired Problems

Pathak, Manish Kumar (2024) Ants’ Solutions to some Nature-Inspired Problems. PhD thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Text (PhD thesis of Manish Kumar Pathak (17RS049)) 17RS049.pdf - Submitted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (8MB)

Abstract

This Ph.D. thesis analyzes the problem-solving capabilities of organisms, with a partic-ular emphasis on social insects, notably ants. Social insect colonies, regarded as “su-perorganisms,” work together to increase the overall fitness of the colony, aiding them in dominating their habitats. Intriguingly, ants of the primitively eusocial ponerine sub-family thrive and dominate in diverse environments despite manifesting low superor-ganismic traits; such as monomorphism, low queen fertility leading to small colony size, independent non-claustral colony establishment by young queens, solitary forag-ing, and limited or no food exchange by trophallaxis. This phenomenon is termed the ‘ponerine paradox’. I selected Diacamma indicum, a ponerine ant species, for an in-depth examination of their problem-solving abilities. Specific ecological problems presumably faced for thousands of years include maintaining tandem pair cohesion during relocation through heterogeneous substrates, the rescue of adults and pupae upon subterranean nest col-lapse, and managing delicate pupa handling at narrow nest entrance and traffic conges-tion during relocation through one-way paths. This study discovered inaudible vibrational signals used in communication: one during tandem running recruitment (400-600 Hz, magnitude ~1 μm) and a similar but louder signal produced by distressed pupae (200-300Hz, magnitude ~10 μm). Remarkably, the ants efficiently overcame the given hurdles, with their success hinging on behavioral flexibility, cooperation, and efficient communication. The thesis underscores the adapt-ability of ponerine ants, rendering them capable of overcoming ecological challenges.

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