Behavioral plasticity of Myrmica rubra ants during learning in a multi-alternative symmetrical labyrinth.

The problem of behavioral plasticity in insects was studied with red ants, Myrmica rubra, by altering a habit developed in a multi-alternative labyrinth with care for offspring as motivation. In altering the habit, location of reinforcement was changed: in the first series, the brood was transferred from the target areas to relatively symmetrical areas of the transverse axis of the labyrinth; in the second, reinforcement was left on one area that had not been preferred during learning of the target area. In both situations, the ants displayed the ability to alter labyrinth habits. The first alteration was the more complex, and 62.5% of the ants were able to manage it while 87.5% managed the second. Such indices as the first correct solution, the average number of movements in the cycle, and total number of correct cycles were also poorer for the first alteration. Development of a new motor habit was accompanied by a change (intensification) of the initial spatial-motor asymmetry. Individual variability in ant behavior were more evident in alterations. The animals not able to manage alterations exhibited definite preneurotic traits. It is suggested that ants have high plasticity and ability to successfully modify their behavior to correspond to change in the experimental situation.