Vibro-acoustic signaling outperforms pheromonal cues in coordinating fungus garden maintenance in leaf-cutting ants

The importance of vibro-acoustic and chemical (pheromonal) signals in the maintenance of the symbiotic fungus garden in leaf-cutting ants ( Atta colombica ). By selectively inhibiting either stridulatory signal production or pheromone secretion in workers, we found that garden maintenance was significantly more impaired in the vibro-acoustic-inhibited group (48.4% of initial garden mass) than in the pheromone-inhibited group (71.6%). Behavioral analysis indicated that a lack of acoustic signals decreased essential tasks like grooming and waste management. These findings demonstrate that vibro-acoustic communication is a primary coordinator for essential of social behaviors. We propose that the high temporal resolution of acoustic signals is indispensable for the synchronization of complex labor and a much larger importance factor than the pheromone in ant communication.