3 replies to this topic

[spinyeti]

http://news.sciencem...ies-study-shows

Interesting article if you've not seen it already. Different colonies have different personality traits. I can see (or maybe I'm projecting) different personalities between my two Camponotus pennsylvanicus queens; I hope it carries through into their colonies in an observable way!

[NightsWebs]

Read the article, not sure how much of the research would actually be attributed to "personality" but certainly is an interesting avenue of research.

[spinyeti]

I think "personality" is mostly the label they are using to describe the different traits of each colony. A certain amount of personification is inherent, for sure.

[prettycode]

I've got two messor colonies with completely different personalities. At first I thought it was the humidity levels that were affecting their behavior, but now that the humidity in both are the same, I don't think so.

 

One is SUPER active. Probably 25 of the 35 ants spend 100% of their time foraging or working on the seed pile outside the nest. They're also very non-reactive to light and to me observing them, and LOVE byFormica Formula 100.

 

The other one is SUPER sluggish. Probably 25 of the 30 workers spend 100% of the time sitting in the nest, around the brood, motionless, while the other five (or less) work on the seed pile outside the nest. They're super skittish and reactive frantically any time I'm observing them or take their cover off, and won't touch byFormica Formula 100.

 

Both queens were caught at the same time and are same age. 

Edited by prettycode, September 4 2015 - 9:11 PM.