Nest enlargement in leaf-cutting ants: relocated brood and fungus trigger the excavation of new chambers.

During colony growth, leaf-cutting ants enlarge their nests by excavating tunnels and chambers housing their fungus gardens and brood. Workers are expected to excavate new nest chambers at locations across the soil profile that offer suitable environmental conditions for brood and fungus rearing. It...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniela Römer, Flavio Roces
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4022738?pdf=render