Social and Individual Processes of Prey Selection in Ants
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
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The significance of studying the behavioral organization and ecology of         ants cannot be underestimated.  In some habitats, ants comprise up to           30% of the total animal biomass, and are important predators of other           invertebrates, especially insects.  In both the tropics and temperate           zone they are important in bringing topsoil to the surface.  Ants               comprise a group of social insects whose behavior and ecology is of             considerable importance to man, and, because they are important                 predators of other insects, they can be of great economic importance in         agricultural practices.  Weaver ants, common in Africa and Asia, are            known to be effective biological control agents.  Wood ants in Europe           prey on a wide variety of pest insects, and have successfully been              introduced into the United States in control programs.  Because of the          large number of workers in a single colony (sometimes greater than              1,000,000) ants are able to exert their predatory effects over large            areas.                                                                                                                                                          Dr. Traniello's research will focus on one of the most abundant,                ecologically dominant groups of ants in North America.  The species to          be studied preys on economically important insects, and is common in            agricultural situations.  Little is known of its biology.  An                   understanding of its social adaptations is fundamental to understanding         its economic potential.  Information on how prey are selected is                necessary in order to appreciate the range of pests that these ants prey        on and the effect on the pest populations.                                                                                                                      One social activity that is extremely important in this light is                foraging.  Foraging includes search behavior, its social regulation,            communication, and the influence of the environment on the evolution of         these traits.  An experimental study of these behaviors emphasizing             their ecological significance is necessary to fully evaluate the                potential use of ants as predators in agroecosystems.                                                                                                           Dr. Traniello's study also uses ants as a model system to understand the        effect of early social experience and aging on behavior.  Furthermore,          it will contribute to an understanding of how the environment may               constrain an animal's learning ability.  The principles derived from the        study may be applicable to other animal systems, including vertebrates,         and will therefore foster our understanding of these phenomena in               general.
{'FirstName': 'James', 'LastName': 'Traniello', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'James Traniello', 'EmailAddress': 'jft@bu.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000099893', 'StartDate': '04/15/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
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