Task partitioning in foraging: general principles, efficiency and information reliability of queueing delays

Abstract

The collection and handling of colony resources such as food, water, and nest construction material is often divided into subtasks in which the material is passed from one worker to another. This is known as task partitioning. Transfer between workers may be direct with the material passed between individuals, or indirect, with the material left in a cache or dump for others to collect. In this chapter, we review the various forms of task partitioning found in insect societies. If tasks are partitioned with direct transfer of material between foragers and receivers, queueing delays will occur as individuals search or wait for a transfer partner. A computer simulation of direct transfer of material between two groups of workers is used to study the effects of colony size and worker allocation on the magnitude and variance of these delays. These delays are important in colony organisation because they can be used in recruitment. Two mechanisms, multiple transfer and averaging delays over multiple trips, by which workers can enhance the information content of these delays are discussed.