Two years of observations on oil palm trees plantations in Malaysia had shown novel nesting behavior of the Asian weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) that was never reported.
These contained an average of 3.98 ±1.74 (mean ± SD, range 1-13) nests per tree with the only odd number of nests in each surveyed trees.
The phenomena exist during both dry and rainy seasons of the year. In the biological system, only one case is clearly reported in North America for the cicadas insect eaten by birds when with a life cycle of 13 or 17 years, which still remain a mystery. The ants exhibited polydomous nesting behaviour, as reported by other authors (Debout et al. 2007), with multiple nests in a single palm tree, and multiple queens were sometimes observed in the main nest, suggesting polygyny (Exélis Pierre and Azarae, 2012- in press).
Four experimental design testing had shown all positive results demonstrating that there are factors regulating the mechanism, from the queens. How and why? it is yet to be found out...
I would like to know if the modeling equation system could help to explain the underlying biological mechanism regulating this. Beside the swarm intelligence of these ants. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
Well so far, there were 616 reads up to this day for that unique biological factor observed on Asian weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina Latreille, but yet not a single idea came forward. What is the best statistical test to be used in order to facilitate the analysis of those mostly odd numbers of nests found in occupied palm trees? any suggestions? These ants have demonstrated an incredible superior organisation standard of management at colony level suggesting that something else from the chemical queen pheromones for communication is determining specific activities related to the queen herself with other unknown mechanisms and capacity of controlling her whole workers' population.
Nesting behaviors of O. smaragdina in oil palm plantations
Objective:
How a colony of O. smaragdina distributes its workforce and territory iIs a key behavior in the biological pest management using this ant. There are two processes (1) nest-allocation to each tree (how many nests are constructed in a specific tree), and (2) worker-allocation to each food items (how many workers take part in when they bring food item) and each part of the territory.
Methods:
(1) Nest-allocation
a. Our preliminary study suggests a strange phenomenon that we observed in each oil palm tree whereby the ant constructs the odd number of nests. We examine if this phenomenon does really exist (not only on oil palms but on other trees).
b. If the above phenomenon exists we experimentally study its mechanism by manipulating the number of nests in the field.
(2) Worker allocation
a. Examine the relationship between the size of the food item and group size by video especially focusing on its movements.
b. Monitor the daily activity of foragers in the field to know when they hunt what items on what time?
A national survey is conducted on the total number of nest occupying each palm trees in Peninsular, Sabah & Sarawak, related to a unique phenomenon of oddness number of nests. The survey is carried out during both rainy and dry season of the year.
Direct counting is done using a binocular device for tall palms. This is a novel study on an exceptional behavior rarely seen in nature. The phenomena of odd prime number exist only among the insect periodical cicadas Magicicada septendecim, M. septendecula, and M. cassini in North America with a life cycle of emergence after 13 or 17 years (Fontaine et al., 2007). Little is known on this unique factor related to the odd number of 13 and 17 (it is never 12 or 18; even numbers). A recent report related the cicadas timing of emergence to the abundance and synchrony of avian predators populations in the USA. Cuckoos (Coccyzus spp.) increased highly during emergence years to decline consequently profusely while red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes Carolinus), Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata), Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) and Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrusater) had their population abundance increase for 1-3 years subsequently to cicadas emergence to finally decline (Koenig & Liebhold, 2005). What are the underlying biological mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon? in the case of O. smaragdina nesting behaviors in oil palm plantations.
To investigate the underlying biological mechanism, to understand this, performing the following experiments might lead to verify the existing nesting behavior among Oecophylla smaragdina ants devising the tendency of constructing an odd prime number of nests per palm tree. From the previous survey of occupancy:
I- By adding a nest to a tree that already has a nest, and observe what happen (if the populations of the added nest are always absorbed to the old one?).
II- Or release a few collected but disturbed nests on the base of a palm tree where already a nest exists on the canopy.
III- From these, the expected hypothesis is - Ants whose nests were collected and disturbed may climb up to the nearest palm tree to reconstruct a new nest. However, on the tree, there is already a nest belonging to the same polydomous colony. If there is any mechanism that regulating the nest numbers leading to the odd prime number phenomenon, ants should never reconstruct a nest, but if they do they will make 2 or 4 new nests in both cases
IV- . Another trial is to destructively cut a frond of a palm tree having i.e 11 nests to artificially reduce the total nest number to 10. In that case, if there is a real apparatus and variable responsible or explaining this mysteriousness, the ants shall rebuild at least one new nest to rebalance the tendency of odd nest number to obtain again 11 nests in total. It is possible that three more nests would be added for a final total of 13 nests.
The trial is statistically analysed by Chi Square test X2, and data are verified by Fisher’s exact test or Barnard’s exact test which is a more powerful alternative of the previous for samples size n < 1000. Barnard’s exact test can verify the strength of the data record on odd prime total nest number per palm tree obtained.
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