Реферат: | eng: Innate template for enemy specification in red wood ants Formica aquilonia Yarr was investigated by means of initiating collisions between ants and predatory ground beetles, their competitors for space. Alive beetles were used in experiments, as well as models with several characteristic features. In natural situations, ants respond selectively to different features of possible competitors such as coloration, the presence of "offshoots" (legs, antennae), body symmetry rate of movements, and smell. The comparison of the behavior in members of the natural ant colonies and of naive laboratory reared groups revealed that naive ants that had no experience of collisions with competitors reacted aggressively to an integral and realistic image of an enemy The red wood ants were suggested to enjoy an innate template of enemy. At the same time, it definitely demands the experience from ants to select key features and grasp significant details in order to interpret the whole image of a potential competitor.
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