Insect Chronobiology

Abstract

The highly developed sociality of insects has been well studied from the perspectives of animal behavior, physiology, and ecology. However, less effort has been devoted to examining the chronobiology of social insects, likely because the lifestyle of most insects involves dense cohabitation of many individuals within small, dark places. This chapter reviews the circadian behavioral rhythms of social insects such as bees, ants, and termites, focusing first on the general features of circadian patterns in social hymenopterans and termites and then on insect entrainment to environmental cycles such as light and social cues, which are fundamental properties of circadian rhythms. Finally, the ontogeny and plasticity of insect circadian rhythms are discussed.