Collective behavior in social caterpillars

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine the organization of group behavior at the level of the individual, & discuss the extent & significance of individual behavioral specialization to group success. Studies of ants in which the behavior of individuals as well as the group is recorded often reveal a high degree of individual specialization in the absence of either age or morphological caste differences. Typically referred to as examples of elitism, idiosyncracy or specialization, we incorporate these examples into a new classification, the key individual concept. This concept defines specialized individuals oil the basis of their functional relationship to the behavior of the group as a whole &indicates that a number of different organizational principles can underlie group behavior. Some key individuals (catalysts) act to increase the activity level of other group members, whereas other key individuals (organisers) serve to ensure group cohesion & task completion. The demonstration that even large-scale process such as nest emigration can be organized by a subgroup of highly active individuals suggests that studies of group action might benefit from simultaneous analysis at both the individual & group level. Individuals may not always be behavioraly interchangeable, & individual behavioral specialization, in the absence of age or caste differences, can be a significant component of group organization.