Harmony under threat: does resource‐mediated stress affect the (caste‐based) social network of leaf‐cutting ant colonies?

Managing pest species of eusocial insects, such as leaf-cutting ants, poses significant challenges. Controlling them requires understanding of how toxic plant substrates and ant baits are recognized by foragers, transported to the nest, shared among workers and managed by gardeners cultivating the symbiont fungus garden. Despite this, little is known about how unsuitable resources might impact social interactions within ant colonies. This study aims to investigate whether the provision of a suitable substrate (copperleaf) and a toxic substrate (nasturtium leaves) affects the social network dynamics within colonies of two leaf-cutting ant species: Acromyrmex molestans and Acromyrmex subterraneus. The interactions between castes were recorded and subjected to social network analyses.