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Dynamic pathogen detection and social feedback shape collective hygiene in ants

Biology

Dynamic pathogen detection and social feedback shape collective hygiene in ants

B. Casillas-pérez, K. Bodová, et al.

Discover how individual ants make grooming decisions that enhance collective hygiene in their colonies! This study by Barbara Casillas-Pérez, Katarina Bodová, Anna V. Grasse, Gasper Tkacik, and Sylvia Cremer reveals the intricate behaviors that enable ants to efficiently combat fungal pathogens through local interactions.

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Playback language: English
Abstract
This study investigates the individual decision-making processes underlying collective hygiene in ants. Using garden ants and fungal pathogens, the researchers identified behavioral rules governing individual ant grooming choices and their contribution to colony-level hygiene. Time-resolved behavioral analysis, pathogen quantification, and probabilistic modeling revealed that ants increase grooming and preferentially target highly infected individuals when perceiving high pathogen loads, but temporarily suppress grooming after being groomed themselves. These individual decisions, based on local and dynamically updated information, synergistically lead to efficient colony-wide pathogen removal.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Jun 03, 2023
Authors
Barbara Casillas-Pérez, Katarina Bodová, Anna V. Grasse, Gasper Tkacik, Sylvia Cremer
Tags
ant hygiene
grooming behavior
pathogen removal
colony dynamics
individual decision-making
fungal pathogens

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