title: Ethological studies on polycalic colonies of the ants Formica exsecta nyl.
abstract: The members of a polycalic colony of Formica exsecta freely walk over its various nests, while performing social functions. It seems that the external service in the species ceases to belong strictly to one nest and forms a supra-nest attachment. The probability of this relation is more credible in the light of the results of this research which disclosed a tendency to local migrations. For, both these ethological peculiarities require an inhibition of the attachment to the restricted habitat, which seems to be characteristic of the species of the genus Formica. It seems that we are dealing here with a process of colony integration, and that we witness the extention of the social unit from the nest into the whole colony.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants; D005010:Ethology; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity