What insects live in friendly hardworking families. Biology at the Lyceum. V. Homework

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Features of the behavior of social insects

The behavior of insects is determined by a combination of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes, instincts, taxis and tropisms (you can read more about this).

Social insects living in colonies and interacting with each other in a complex way have all these components of behavior, but instincts are most strongly expressed in them - long chains of reflexes that start one after another according to a kind of "domino effect". Sometimes instinctive behavior causes such complex sets of actions that it is hard to believe that ants, termites, bees and wasps lack the ability to think and fully communicate with each other.

For the manifestation of instincts and others complex shapes behavior correspond to specific areas of the brain. In many social insects, these areas are very well developed and enlarged relative to the rest. For example, the so-called mushroom bodies, which are responsible for the integration of information received from the senses, occupy a sixth of the brain volume in a honey bee, and one third in a Formica ant. The brain itself is also more developed in comparison with other insects.

Key Features behavior of social insects are as follows:

This can be illustrated by another experiment. Near the road of the small forest ant, a special device was installed: two cameras, two curtains covering each of these chambers, and two threads connected to the curtains. If an ant pulled on one thread, the curtain opened, and in the chamber, the insect received sugar syrup as a reward. There was nothing behind the other curtain. The ants quickly realized what was happening, and opened the chamber, which contained the syrup, more than 60 times per hour. Moreover, sometimes some ants pulled the thread, keeping the curtain open and giving others the right to feast on the syrup.

Another feature is that social insects purposefully and harmoniously can perform one common work necessary for the interests of the colony. They build anthills, get food, carry out masonry and care for them in accordance with some kind of unspoken agreement in which each member of the community is assigned a certain role. (a photo)

Behavior and division into castes

It would be impossible to ensure the autonomous existence of a colony if all insects in the group had "equal rights". Therefore, within a family, social insects are usually divided into castes - subgroups whose representatives perform certain tasks. On the example of bees, you can see that in the hive there is only one queen that lays, several drones that fertilize her, and all other individuals are worker bees. They are responsible for life support, food storage, egg care, etc. Accordingly, these three subgroups have absolutely different models behavior. The structure of the community in ants is even more complicated. In some genera and species of ants, “scouts”, “foragers”, “warriors”, “water carriers”, “nannies”, etc. are distinguished among working individuals. In total, there can be up to 11 castes in one anthill, and they behave, respectively, in different ways.

The behavior of social insects in general is very complex. But within each family, the "acts" of its individual members are more similar than the actions of different insects one species leading a solitary lifestyle. This is explained by the fact that insects in a group live in approximately the same conditions, so they develop similar conditioned reflexes and form similar life experiences.

However, each insect of the family is unique. It has been found that the ability to learn and other innate properties vary among different members of the community, even within the same caste. In other words, as among people, among ants, bees, etc. There are "stupid" and "smart" ones. Their behavior is different.

wasps

There are many more examples of how amazing the behavior of social insects can be. But even these examples make us convinced that in their development representatives of the class Insecta sometimes even surpass organisms that are at higher stages of evolution. It is precisely the peculiarities of the behavior of social insects that to this day make some experts express the opinion that, probably, along with everything else (reflexes, instincts, etc.), insects have rudimentary forms of rational activity.

In this article, we will analyze the behavior of bees and ants, their differences and similarities.

Somehow the phrase "social insects" suggests that they belong to society. But, in fact, such a name is obtained due to the structure and complexity of its behavior. What insects belong to this group, and how they differ, will be considered in this material.

What are social insects?

Who are insects, even a preschooler does not need an explanation. To make it clear who these social insects are, watch the ants. The most common forest red or black garden insects. Pay attention to how beautifully and harmoniously they move in their anthill.

• Therefore, we can note the first distinguishing feature of social insects - this is presence of families. They do not live alone, but only in large groups. Moreover, each of the representatives has its own role in such a community.
• Polyetism- this main feature social insects. In other words, it is a separation of duties.
• The second distinguishing feature is presence of castes on sexual and reproductive functions. Social insects may have one queen (i.e., monogyny) or several breeding females ( polygyny). But this is reflected in the size of the masonry and size. Even working individuals are smaller in size from such queens.
  • At the head of social insects is mother or queen, on whose shoulders lies the responsibility for reproduction and offspring. The whole family with colonies is built around it.
  • And for protection there are special soldiers! These representatives do not have the opportunity to breed, but they have weapons. Namely, strong stings in bees or powerful jaws in termites and ants.
  • But someone has to feed them too. And this responsibility falls on the shoulders work force, which also cannot produce its own offspring. Incredibly, even working representatives are further divided into subspecies depending on the work.
• That is why these groups of insects are in close relationship with each other. If at least one puzzle falls out, then the other part of the picture is lost. After all, some insects protect, others feed, and still others take care of their offspring.

IMPORTANT: Different subspecies of even one species of insects can differ significantly in some rules.

• Housing– here is another difference. Yes, animals and insects are looking for a warm overnight stay for the winter. But only social insects build nests so complex and thought out to the smallest detail. And how they take care of their masonry!
• Such insects can communicate. No, they do not have their own language. In fact, it's a bit odd. More often use body language and its movements.
  • Bees can dance! But this is not just a desire to stretch, so they report the location of the nectar.
  • Ants use the sweet scent they leave along the way they need to. For example, after an edible find, an ant will leave such a trace to its anthill, informing these of its relatives.
• But the connection between the uterus and its subordinates is of the greatest value. This merit pheromones! In this structure, everything is insanely finely thought out. The fact is that this substance is secreted by the larvae. Thus, they communicate their hunger. But only the mother can hear them!
  • And only she tells her workforce to bring food supplies. Why, she gives clear instructions on what food is needed and in what quantity. Without the queen, the rest of the representatives will simply die, because they do not know what to do!
  • But there are also insects that have a chance to grow a new queen. True, this is a very painstaking and time-consuming process. New uterus requires special conditions cultivation, that is, it requires special cells. Yes, she is picky about food.

Now we can make a final and already substantiated conclusion about who the social insects are.

Public insects - these are those representatives who lead a public or social way of life. As can be seen from the above information, they step over the behavior of other insects and even compete well with upper classes animal kingdoms. That is, social insects can create societies. Therefore, the science that studies them is sociobiology.

Features of the complex behavior of social insects: description

In these insects, the development of the brain and nervous system. And this is naturally reflected in the behavior of social insects, distinguishing them from similar loners.

• Brain directly depends on the diversity and mobility of the life of the insect. That is, the more active it is, the more developed and larger the brain is. For example, working ants and productive representatives. The latter insects have a smaller brain size.
• Incredibly, social insects can distinguish shapes and colors! For example, the Australian ethologist Karl Frisch conducted experiments on bees. As a result, it was found that they land on bright colors.
• This aspect has not been fully studied, but insects may be far from their nest, but they will still find their way home. An experiment was carried out with bumblebees, which were placed in boxes at different distances from the house, they were necessarily marked with colored paint. By evening, all the insects were in place.
• They are not just remember the way home, but they also go out in search of, for example, nectar with a strictly thought-out plan of action. For example, a bee focuses not only on the relief shape and bright color but also on the quality of the smell.

IMPORTANT: To communicate with each other, social insects use a whole chain of stimuli - these are auditory and visual contacts, chemical, vibrational and tactile stimuli.

• These insects have memory and can transfer experience. For example, ants live 1.5-2.5 years, and for them it carries important value. Remember the cartoon "Luntik", ants always have a leader or commander!
  • They single out those individuals who have a good memory and rich experience in order to find a solution in case of incidents. That is what the leader does. They act strictly according to the laid route, but if an obstacle appears on the way, the activist will lead the rest after him, bypassing it.

• Moreover, such insects can even think logically and find solutions from difficult situations. An experiment was conducted (again on ants) when a small dose of radiation (up to 10 R/h) was delivered to their nest. This went on for 3 years. And to reduce the incoming dose, the ants built a covered road.
• In social insects, they form and develop faster conditioned reflexes. This is another confirmation of the development of their memory and ability to draw conclusions. They have such a divided and thoughtful work of each representative that it requires certain skills. And this indicates a good ability to learn.
  • They have a goal and are moving towards its fulfillment! They work so harmoniously with each other that they easily compete even with higher animals. Even a person can develop some skills for himself.
• They have incredible care of offspring. The womb devotes herself and her whole life to taking care of them. And in case of urgent need and a threat to offspring, she, without hesitation, will sacrifice herself.
  • Look even again at the anthill, they do not leave their cocoons close to the entrance, but lower them to other floors. If the house is in danger, they will be the first thing to endure it!

IMPORTANT: Social insects have a chain of complex reflexes that are responsible for their instinct.

• In addition to memory, the ability to remember and think, as well as to draw logical conclusions, among the species of even one family of insects, there are "stupid" and "smart" individuals.
• It is also worth highlighting such a quality of social insects as thriftiness. What ants, what bees make stocks of food.
• And that's not all, because they are able to share it among themselves. Yes, this is the result of organized work in the caste. But it is also a kind of concern for the surrounding family members.

Some illustrative examples.

Ants

• They are able to conclude "friendship pact". Their association with aphids is known. The ants protect it and provide some fresh shoots for them to feed on, as well as take care of the wintering grounds. But for this they collect their sweet excrement for their nourishment. It's kind of like cattle breeding.
• But there are ants who are engaged agriculture. For example, leaf cutters carry the spores of some fungi along with the leaf supply. They plant them in an anthill, and then eat them.
• But the tropical Amazon ants take into slavery other insects. More precisely, they steal their eggs or tiny individuals. And from these cubs they grow labor force. Similar behavior is observed in other species of ants. By the way, they can also attack neighboring anthills.
• And some species of ants, such as foragers, have pension. Yes, over time they turn from active representatives into passive observers. But on the other hand, they pass on the collected traditions and experience. young generation. And in case of devastation, pensioners are able to restore everything again.

wasps

• Polist wasps show interesting behavior during the rain. The fact is that their house is covered with aspen paper, through which drops of water pass. Therefore, insects absorb it, and then spit it out.
• But vestin wasps can heat up your clutch abdominal movements. They begin to dance as if performing a belly dance. And thus, the temperature can rise by a whole degree.

termites

• They can be called real. architects. Even though their work seems chaotic and uncoordinated, the result will please the eye. After all, their buildings have not only simple form, but can be in the form of arches, canopies or entire corridors. And do not forget that termites are completely blind, so their projects are carried out purely with the help of instincts.
• Some of their species are capable of self-destruction. If a worker is attacked, it can literally explode. In this case, the enemy will be attacked by sticky slime. It is not dangerous, but is distracting.

bees

• They surprise not only with their dance, but also with the presence of emotions. Even through dance moves, they are able to pinpoint exactly where the food supply is. And also show your character.
• And many of their working representatives die as a result of the defense of their colony. After all, they leave a sting in the body of the enemy, after which they die with him.

bumblebees

• Among these representatives there are "cuckoos". The fact is that these types of insects throw their eggs into another masonry. Of course, they choose other families of bumblebees, not an ant colony. Cuckoo insects do not have their own workers. Children, on the other hand, grow up in a “foster” family, along with other cubs on an equal footing.

How do social insects differ from solitary ones: comparison, similarities and differences

Based on the above material, one exact conclusion can already be drawn - solitary insects live separately, but public representatives - only big families. Similar characteristics include the extraction of food, the need for it, as well as the protection of the territory and their offspring. It should also be noted that other insects also use a sound signal or gestures to communicate during the mating season. It's just that social insects have all the characteristics slightly improved.

• But none of them can survive on their own. The role of each “member” of the family is so thought out and organized that it acts as the missing puzzle. And without it, the whole picture will not turn out. For example, bees build families of up to 60 thousand - 100 thousand individuals.
• And therefore, such a large community is able to build big house. For example, some anthills can reach several meters in depth (according to some sources, even up to 10 m). And what termite mounds are found in nature, that single ones cannot do this. The highest termite mounds reached 9 m.
• These houses increase the safety not only of adults, but of young and clutches. In solitary species, such care for offspring is not observed. In social insects, the future generation, as well as food supplies, generally come first.
• In that huge house, where every road, descent or honeycomb is thought out, temperature and humidity are also regulated. Again, all to maintain optimal conditions masonry. But only social insects can create such a microclimate due to their large numbers.

• Such a family can also attack large prey, and this will help to make a significant supply of food.
• Well-coordinated work helps social insects defend themselves from enemies. Single representatives are weaker in this matter.
• Well, the main difference is polymorphism. That is, the presence of a uterus that deals only with offspring. The queen is engaged only in masonry. Although, for example, in some species of termites, the uterus is not even able to move independently. This protects her as much as possible from any dangers, providing a high birth rate.

What insects can and cannot be classified as social?

It is easier to name those representatives who may belong to social insects. All the rest, if they do not have the above characteristics of social life, are referred to a number of single individuals.

• Ants- almost all of their species belong to social insects. They are of great benefit to the forest, protecting it from enemies. Characterized by large anthills, which consist of ground and underground parts
  • In the center is a wingless uterus (she loses her wings after the mating season) and spends her whole life only laying eggs.
  • Working representatives clean the masonry, the uterus and bring her food.
  • Soldiers stand out large sizes and powerful jaws, whose task is to protect the colony.
• bees have only one uterus that governs them. They don't have soldiers, but they do have drones who fertilize the uterus. After mating, they die. All work, including feeding the uterus, falls on the shoulders of the workers.
• wasps live only one summer. Only fertilized females remain overwintering. Housing is also used for only one year, Build it from wood and their own saliva.
• bumblebees have the same signs of social life. But it is worth highlighting that the sting can be not only in working individuals, but also in the uterus. By the way, it has no notches, so insects can use it repeatedly.
• termites live in termite mounds, and their family can number up to 1 million individuals. The uterus of this species can live up to 10 years, and workers differ in that they can be of both sexes. Their main task is order in the "house".

There are some characteristic features public behavior in the following insects:

• earwigs - they are characterized by the care of the female for offspring
• bedbugs that live in large families
• and even in aphids that come into contact with ants
• crickets and Japanese bugs bring food for their larvae
• thrips have the highest social degree of life. They also build families of up to almost 200 thousand individuals, lay paths with a characteristic smell and take care of their laying

IMPORTANT: Only ants are fully related to social group. All other insects belong to the class Hymenoptera. Because they are characterized by all the transitions from a solitary lifestyle to social behavior.

Video: Social insects: the secret of collective intelligence

1. What features of behavior and lifestyle are characteristic of the inhabitants of the anthill?
Most of the ants living in the anthill are wingless working individuals - these are barren females. Their number sometimes reaches a million. In addition to them, a queen lives in an anthill. She doesn't have wings either. She breaks them off after the nuptial flight. All her life she lays eggs, and all the care of the anthill lies with the worker ants. They forage, repair and clean the anthill, feed the larvae and the queen, defend the anthill in case of attack by enemies. Once a year, at the beginning of summer, winged females and males appear from pupae in the anthill, which go on a mating flight. After mating, the males die, and the females shed their wings and found a new anthill.
Most ants are predators. Some feed on the sweet secretions of aphids. To do this, ants preserve, "graze" these insects that feed on plants, and sometimes build shelters for them. Other types of ants are bred in underground chambers to feed on mushrooms, bringing crushed plant leaves there. There are herbivorous ants. Ants communicate by touching each other with antennae, legs and head. In addition, they have a "chemical language" - they secrete special substances with which they mark their paths. By smell, ants recognize relatives and enemies.

2. Describe the composition of the bee family and the functions of each group of bees.
A large family of bees has up to 100 thousand individuals that live in a hive. Most of the insects in the hive are worker bees. These are barren females in which the modified ovipositor serves as a sting. They clean the hive, collect nectar, take care of the queen and larvae, protect the hive from enemies. They live only one season (about a year). In a bee family, the main bee is the queen, which lays eggs - up to 2000 per day. She lives for about five years. In the spring, in May-June, a new queen and several dozen males, who are called drones, appear in the bee family from the pupae: they do not take any part in the work, and their main task is to fertilize the queen. The old female leaves the hive with part of the worker bees - swarming occurs. The beekeepers collect the swarm and settle it in a new hive. In autumn, the worker bees drive the remaining drones out of the hive and they die.

3. Why are ants and bees classified as social insects? Explain their significance in nature and in human life.
Most insects lead a solitary lifestyle. Bees and ants organize communities that are one big family. The family has separate groups that perform different functions.

4. On the basis of what signs is the silkworm classified as a domestic animal? What is the meaning in economic activity human has this insect?

It is the only fully domesticated insect that does not occur naturally in the wild.
Silk secreted by silkworms is used in light industry for tissue production, in medicine (threads are made from it for stitching wounds) and in aviation.

Insects living in large families are called social insects. family members social insects are divided into two groups: males and females, which perform the function of reproduction, and workers, who do not participate in reproduction, but jointly perform all the work to maintain the life of the family and protect the individuals of the first group. Only representatives of two series form families: Hymenoptera and Termites.

The Hymenoptera series combines insects with complete transformation, which have two pairs of transparent wings, fused (Fig. 69). Another feature of Hymenoptera is that males are born only from unfertilized eggs. The Hymenoptera series includes about 90,000 species of insects.

Developed hymenoptera - stinging insects: wasps, bees, ants. All of them take care of their offspring.

Wasps are both social and solitary insects. They feed their larvae with animal food, which they obtain by paralyzing their victims with a sting. Adult wasps feed on plant nectar or aphids. They build nests from a kind of semi-finished paper: they bite off small fibers of wood with their jaws, moisten them with saliva and fray.

The life cycle of the forest wasp family, common in the forests of Ukraine, is as follows. In the spring, a female flies out of the storage - some kind of crack in the wood. AT convenient location she arranges a nest hanging from the ceiling of the vault and consists of several cells. In each cell, the female lays an egg, from which a larva emerges. The female feeds the larvae chewed by insects. She brings them food, like a bird, feeds the chicks. The larvae pupate, and after the pupal stage they turn into workers. Now they themselves arrange nests and take care of new larvae. In addition, the workers feed the female, whose sole duty is to lay eggs. Workers are also females, but they do not participate in the breeding process. Outwardly, female workers do not differ from the female queen and after her death they are able to lay their own eggs. During the summer, the number of individuals in the nest grows, the family increases. At the end of summer, not workers appear from eggs, but full-fledged females and males mate. The males then die and the females hide until spring. With the onset of winter, a “real tragedy is played out” in the nest: the old female and workers kill all the larvae and pupae, do not have time to develop, and then they themselves die.

Hornets are large wasps that sting very painfully. They make their nest in the hollows of trees. how construction material for the nest, they use not wood, but the bark of branches of young birches. The larvae are fed on insects, including honey bees.

bees. The honey bee is one of the few insect species that humans have domesticated (Fig. 70). A bee family consists of a queen (queen), workers (underdeveloped females, which, unlike wasps, are not capable of reproduction) and male drones. After mating, the drones are not allowed into the hives, so they die or the worker bees kill them. Bee larvae develop in wax cells, from which the bees build special rows - honeycombs.

Did you know that in order to produce 1 kg of honey, a bee brings 150,000 servings of nectar from 100,000,000 flowers to the hive, while covering a distance of up to 300,000 km? This is enough to go around 5 times Earth along the equator.

Young worker bees perform a variety of work: they clean the cells of the combs, feed the larvae, the queen, build the combs, and then begin to collect pollen and nectar from the flowers.

Bees move to new places in families, called swarms, and consist of a queen and workers.

bees are very beneficial insects. Firstly, they give honey - a tasty and nutritious product. Secondly, wax is obtained from honeycombs, which is used for the manufacture of varnishes and paints, as well as in the electrical industry. Thirdly, these insects produce bee glue, or propolis, which has an antimicrobial effect, promotes wound healing. The composition of propolis includes resinous substances, wax, pollen, etc.. Bees use propolis to cover cracks in the walls of the hives, and humans use it in medicine. However, the most important thing is that bees pollinate plants.

Bumblebees are, in fact, big bees. They lead a social lifestyle. They make their nests in secluded places. In early spring single females fly low above the ground, looking for a place to found a new family - a gap or some kind of mink in the ground. The nest of a bumblebee is spherical and consists of several cells. One cell develops larvae, while the other contains honey reserves. The development of larvae lasts 20-30 days. Worker individuals emerge from the pupae, much smaller than the queen. After the death of the queen, the workers are able to multiply.

Bumblebees are one of the most vulnerable groups of insects. In many European countries, a large fine is levied for catching only one bumblebee. However, despite conservation measures, many species of these useful furry insects resembling teddy bears have almost disappeared. Of the 38 species of bumblebees living in our country, 10 species need special protection.

Did you know that in the world of insects there are cuckoo bumblebees that lay their eggs in the free cells of the nests of other species of bumblebees? Since all bumblebees are very similar, the owners of the nests treat the larvae that appeared from other people's eggs as if they were their own.

Termites belong to insects with incomplete metamorphosis. By way of life and features external structure they are like ants, they are often called “white ants”. Termites live in numerous families in the soil or wood and rarely appear on the surface. They build huge cone-shaped buildings, similar to anthills, where millions of individuals live. Termite colonies consist of winged males, a queen (queen), and workers. The largest worker individuals become soldiers, they have strong jaws, so their purpose is to guard the nest. The rest of the workers provide food for the soldiers and the queen, who are unable to feed themselves. Only males and queens can fly, but after the mating season, the males die, and the fertilized female loses her wings and begins to lay eggs. Only one species of termites live in the steppe zone of Ukraine - photophobia termites.

Social insects form families consisting of males and females capable of reproducing, and worker individuals who serve them. Such a distribution of individuals by function is a special phenomenon in the animal world.

Check yourself. 1. Which insects are called solitary, and which ones are social? 2. What are distinctive features hymenoptera insects? 3. Describe life cycle families of wood wasps. 4. What is the difference between the life of a bee family and the life of a family of wasps? 5. How is an ant family formed?