Interações diádicas e posição mandibular: explorando a organização social em Odontomachus haematodus

Abstract

Ants of the Odontomachus haematodus species are known for their mandibles, which can be opened at an angle of 180° and closed quickly. The defensive, escape and foraging function of these structures has already been documented in the literature. With this in mind, this study investigated a possible social function of the position of the mandibles, analyzing whether the maintenance of the opening is associated with social interactions between workers. To this end, videos of two colonies kept in the laboratory were analyzed, recording both dyadic interactions and the number of workers with open mandibles inside the nests. The results indicated that most encounters between workers take place in the first chamber of the nest -- an area where most of the ants are also concentrated. In addition, in dyadic confrontations, the presence of workers with different social statuses was observed, and it was possible to identify individuals with dominant and submissive behaviors. These findings suggest that the position of the mandible may be related to social organization within nests, pointing to a possible communicative function of this structure beyond defensive contexts.