Why Ants Do but Honeybees Do Not Construct Satellite Nests

Authors: Landa J.T.¹; Tullock G.²

Source: Journal of Bioeconomics, Volume 5, Numbers 2-3, 2003 , pp. 151-164(14)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Synopsis: Ants and honeybees are both social insects that share many characteristics in common. But there is a fundamental difference between ants and bees. Ants can and do construct main nests with satellite nests, whereas bees construct only a main nest with no satellite nests. In this paper we explain the difference between the socio-economic organization of ants and bees: ants can identify nest-mates from satellite nests because ants leave odor trails connecting main nests to satellite nests so that fellow nest-mate from satellite nests smell the same. Bees, on the other hand, cannot leave odor trails in the air, and hence are unable to identify bees from another nest; bees from another nest with different pheromone smells are stung to death by guard bees in the main nest.

Keywords: cooperation; eusociality; ethnic trade networks; identity; institutions; odor paths; path dependency; pheromone; social insects; socio-economic organization; super-colony

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Economics, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada (jlanda@Yorku.ca) 2: Center for Study of Public Choice and George Mason University School of Law, 3301 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201, USA (gtulloc1@gmu.edu)

Publication date: 2003-01-01