Regulation der Temperatur in Waldameisen- Nestern (Formica polyctena Förster) / Temperature Regulation in Wood Ant Nests (Formica polyctena Förster)

Abstract

The interior of wood ant nests (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formica polyctena Förster) and artificial piles of nest material has been heated with heating wires in the field. In the artificial piles a heating power of 1 - 5 Watt is suffi­cient to cause a temperature increase equivalent to that caused by ants in their nests without additional heating. Whereas in artificial piles temperatures increase with in­creasing heating power, the ants prevent temperatures to exceed 34.6 degrees C in their natural nests, even if these are heated with a power of more than 20 Watt.