TERRITORIALITY, NEST DISPERSION, 
AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN ANTS. 
By Sally C. Levings 1 and James F. A. Traniello 2 
Introduction 
The dispersion patterns of ant colonies have been reported for a 
variety of species having very different ecological characteristics 
(Pontin 1961; Yasuno 1963, 1964a, b, 1965; Brian 1964; Brian et al. 
1965, 1966; Greenslade 1971; Room 1971, 1975a, b; Bernstein and 
Gobbel 1979; Levings and Franks 1982), and typically, spacing 
studies involve discussions of territoriality. Recently, Holldobler 
and Lumsden (1980), using a cost/ benefit approach, examined the 
importance of the economic defensibility of territories and its 
influence on the use of space and dispersion patterns. Holldobler 
(1974, 1976a, 1979a, b) demonstrated the relationship between re- 
source distribution, territory shape and nest spacing. These studies 
also emphasize that in order to understand thoroughly territoriality 
and other intra- and interspecific relationships, it is necessary to 
comprehend the role of social design in the establishment and 
maintenance of territory. Without such a combined approach of 
behavior and ecology, it is difficult to assess accurately the signifi- 
cance of territoriality in social species such as ants. 
In many studies there have been problems in the application of 
the term territoriality and discrepancies in the identification of 
territorial phenomena. Terms describing the use of foraging area 
such as territory and home range have been rather poorly defined 
and vary in meaning between authors. Territory to some authors 
denotes a defended area (Baroni-Urbani 1979; Holldobler 1974, 
1976a; Holldober and Wilson 1977a, b; Holldobler and Lumsden 
1980) whereas to others it is synonymous with home range or is 
casually used (Dobrzanska 1958, 1966). There are also problems 
with the application of information on territoriality in the interpre- 
tation of spacing patterns. For example, mathematical evidence of 
Museum of Comparative Zoology Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, 
Mass. 02138. 
department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Mass. 02215 [To whom reprint 
requests should be sent]. 
Manuscript received by the editor June 19, 1981. 
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