Nonrandom search geometry in subterranean termites

Abstract

[Extract] Studies of the organization of search in ants suggest that individual and colonylevel patterns are related to foraging ecology and may be adaptive [1, 2]. The organization of search in termites has received far less attention, in part because of their cryptic, subterranean foraging habits. Search in subterranean termites involves the construction of a gallery system, a series of branching tunnels in the soil that brings termites into contact with food. The organization of the gallery system might reflect the efficiency of colony search. In this paper we describe the nonrandom colony- level search pattern of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes ftavipes (Kollar), and suggest that it may be organized to minimize search redundancy.