They are made up of massive colonies

Jan 20, 2010 08:43 GMT  ·  By

According to a new scientific investigation, it may be that insect colonies made up of a great number of individuals have the ability to behave in a unitary manner, similar to a superorganism. The conclusion is especially true in terms of basic physiology, researchers from the University of Florida, who have been behind the new investigation, say. The findings refer to most species that tend to work together in larger numbers, including, but not being limited to, bees and, of course, ants, LiveScience reports.

One of the most peculiar features of any insect colony is the fact that the level of cooperation that exists between the individuals making it up is absolutely essential for the survival of the entire group. If some ants or some bees decide to stick around doing nothing, they place extra strain on those who actually work, and therefore jeopardize the security and chances of survival for the entire nest.

Bees and ants work especially hard for the common good, without regard to personal safety or well-being. One of the reasons why colonies have been likened to superorganisms, the UF researchers say, is the fact that a parallel can be drawn between each ant or bee, and an individual cell in a more complex organism.

This is not the first time such a correlation is hinted at, but the study is the first ever to actually perform a quantitative assessment of the correlations that exist between huge colonies, and single, larger organisms. The leader of the research effort, UF expert James Gillooly, says that this approach may be very useful in clearing up some of the mysteries associated with queen bees, for example. The insects are larger than all other members of the hive, and, as such, should live a shorter life. However, because they're only a part of a larger superorganism, they can live longer, the researchers say.

The investigation revealed that many of the colonies the 168 species of social insects studied created “are constrained in much the same way and follow many of the same so-called biological rules” that larger organisms did, the researchers note in this week's issue of the respected journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “It [also] suggests that these whole societies are functionally organized and are using and expending energy for the basic processes of life in much the same way that [individuals] are,” Gillooly adds. He reveals that a queen ant's long life span, of between 20 to 30 years, only makes sense when you look at it this way.