Robust memories of individual identity in ant queens

Abstract

Individual recognition (IR) has been demonstrated in some Pachycondyla ants. The maintenance of such memories is challenged when queens are separated for the few hours of forage (attenuation) or when they are simultaneously interacting with conspecifics in a reduced space, that is, the nest (interference). By quantifying the level of aggression among familiar and unfamiliar queens of P. inversa, we showed that memories of social partner’s identity are robust to attenuation over the course of 2 days and to interference from subsequent interaction with five other individuals. Because wasps and crabs also remember familiar partners after separation and interaction with other conspecifics, we propose that robustness of social memories is widespread in invertebrates with IR abilities.