Data from: Sources of intraspecific variation in the collective tempo and synchrony of ant societies

Populations of independently oscillating agents can sometimes synchronize.
In the context of animal societies, conspicuous synchronization of
activity is known in some social insects. However, the causes of variation
in synchrony within and between species have received little attention. We
repeatedly assessed the short-term activity cycle of ant colonies
(Temnothorax rugatulus) and monitored the movements of individual workers
and queens within nests. We detected persistent differences between
colonies in the waveform properties of their collective activity
oscillations, with some colonies consistently oscillating much more
erratically than others. We further demonstrate that colony crowding
reduces the rhythmicity (i.e., the consistent timing) of oscillations.
Workers in both erratic and rhythmic colonies spend less time active than
completely isolated workers, but workers in erratic colonies oscillate out
of phase with one another. We further show that the queen’s absence can
impair the ability of colonies to synchronize worker activity and that
behavioral differences between queens are linked with the waveform
properties of their societies.