Data from: Collective response of leaf-cutting ants to the effects of wind on foraging activity

One advantage of sociality is to mitigate environmental restrictions through collective behavior. Here we documented a colony-level response of leaf-cutting ants (LCA) to wind, an environmental factor that impedes foraging. Given that larger ants adhere more strongly to the substrate, increasing forager size in windy conditions should reduce the negative effect of wind. We tested this idea for Acromyrmex lobicornis in windy regions of Patagonia. We examined whether (1) the fraction of larger ants versus smaller ants increased in windy conditions; and (2) the effect of wind on the ants' movement was lower for larger ants. The size frequency distribution of foragers was skewed more towards larger ants in nature under more windy conditions. The mobility of smaller ants was more reduced under windy conditions in the field than was that of larger ants. The change towards larger foragers in windy conditions reduced the negative effect of wind by 32%, illustrating how a social
organism can collectively mitigate the adverse effects of the environment.