I plan to census and mark Veromessor andrei harvester ant colonies at Sedgwick, then collect daily behavioral observations of colonies undergoing experimental manipulation of the microhabitat at their nest sites to directly test the impact of environmental factors on colony behavior. By taking advantage of the environmental heterogeneity at the site and frequent nest relocations undertaken by this species of harvester ants, these observations will allow me to characterize the relative contributions of environmental conditions, personality driven by genetic factors, and habitat modification to the expression of colony behavior. In addition, I will collect reproductive alates from colonies during their mating flights to bring back to our lab at UCLA to be reared for lab experimentation.

Approved