Variability in activity differs between castes in the ant Linepithema humile

1. The study of behavioural variability has a long research tradition in social insects. Because of their contribution to division of labour, between-individual variations have been mostly studied within the worker caste. In contrast, the level of behavioural variation between queens has been much less studied. 2. In ants, a high level of behavioural variability could contribute to the ecological success of invasive species by favouring the colonisation of new environments. 3. In the invasive ant species Linepithema humile (Mayr), we used a standardised test to assess plasticity and predictability in activity level between workers and queens. 4. We found that only queens, not workers, displayed between-individual variability in plasticity. 5. We propose that the behavioural variability of queens could be an asset favouring the adaptation of invasive ant species to changing environments.

Automated summary

The study found that in invasive ant species, only queens showed variability in behavioral plasticity among individuals, while workers did not. This behavioral variability in queens may help invasive ants adapt to changing environments and increase their ecological success.