Group and Mass Recruitment in Ant Colonies: The Influence of Contact Rates

Eric Bonabeau, Guy Theraulaz and Jean-Louis Deneubourg

Working Papers from Santa Fe Institute

Abstract: The influence of contact rates on the efficiency (the ability to exploit a profitable environment) and flexibilty (the ability to track a changing environment) of foraging in ants is studied theoretically in the case where foraging relies on a mixture of group and mass recruitment. It is shown that a combination of efficiency and flexibility can be reached across a range of group sizes (1) mass recruitment is combined with a low level of group recruitment, and (2) contact rates are weakly regulated. These results are discussed in relation to empirical work.

To appear in: J. Theor. Biol.

Keywords: Ants; foraging; recruitment; flexibility; contact rates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1998-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cmp and nep-evo
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wop:safiwp:98-07-063

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