Information Processing in Social Insects

This book is a compilation of current research on information processi ng in insect societies. The first section concentrates on information flows between nest mates and group size effect on the regulation of ta sk allocation. The second section focuses on perception and behavioral response thresholds. The structuring role of these thresholds in soci al life as well as their determinants is discussed extensively. The la st two sections develop different though complementary approaches whic h either put the stress on the individual complexity of information ma nagement or refer to some simplicity of decision rules associated with amplifying phenomena.