Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects, School of Life Sciences, John Maynard-Smith Building, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QG, UK.
J Theor Biol. 2013 Jun 21;327:23-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.02.013. Epub 2013 Feb 27.
Task-partitioning is an important organisational principle in insect colonies and is thought to increase colony efficiency. In task-partitioning, tasks such as the collection of resources are divided into subtasks in which the material is passed from one worker to another. Previous models have assumed that worker-worker interactions are random, but experimental evidence suggests that receivers can have preferences to handle familiar materials. We used an agent-based simulation model to explore how non-random interactions during task-partitioning with direct transfer affect colony work efficiency. Because task-partitioning also allows receivers and donors to acquire foraging related information we analysed the effect of non-random interactions on informative interaction patterns. When receivers non-randomly rejected donors offering certain materials, donors overall experienced increased time delays, hive stay durations and a decreased number of transfer partners. However, the number of transfers was slightly increased, which can improve the acquisition and quality of information for donors. When receivers were non-randomly attracted to donors offering certain materials, donors experienced reduced transfer delays, hive stay durations and an increased number of simultaneous receivers. The number of transfers is slightly decreased. The effects of the two mechanisms "non-random rejection" and "non-random attraction" are biggest if the number of foragers and receivers is balanced. In summary, our results show that colony ergonomics are improved if receivers do not reject donors and if mechanisms exist that help receivers detect potential donors, such as learning the odour of the transferred food. Finally, our simulations suggest that non-random interactions can potentially affect the foraging patterns of colonies in changing environments.
任务分工是昆虫群体中的一个重要组织原则，被认为可以提高群体效率。在任务分工中，资源收集等任务被细分为子任务，材料在工人之间传递。以前的模型假设工人之间的相互作用是随机的，但实验证据表明，接收者可以优先处理熟悉的材料。我们使用基于代理的模拟模型来探索具有直接转移的任务分工中非随机相互作用如何影响群体工作效率。由于任务分工还允许接收者和捐赠者获取与觅食相关的信息，我们分析了非随机相互作用对信息交互模式的影响。当接收者非随机地拒绝提供某些材料的捐赠者时，捐赠者总体上会经历更长的时间延迟、更长的蜂巢停留时间和更少的转移伙伴。然而，转移次数略有增加，这可以提高捐赠者获取和信息质量。当接收者非随机地被提供某些材料的捐赠者吸引时，捐赠者会经历更短的转移延迟、更短的蜂巢停留时间和更多的同时接收者。转移次数略有减少。如果觅食者和接收者的数量平衡，“非随机拒绝”和“非随机吸引”这两种机制的效果最大。总之，如果接收者不拒绝捐赠者，并且存在帮助接收者检测潜在捐赠者的机制，例如学习转移食物的气味，那么群体的工效学就会得到改善。最后，我们的模拟表明，非随机相互作用可能会影响到在不断变化的环境中觅食的群体的模式。
