Structural Variation in the Underground Nest Architecture of Camponotus compressus

Abstract

Ant nests are dynamic structures that provide shelter and spatial organization for colony activities. In subterranean ants, tunnels and chambers are produced through collective excavation and may   vary among colonies and environmental conditions. The present study examined structural variation in underground nests of Camponotus compressus using quantitative measurements of tunnels, chambers, nest depth, external circumference, and total tunnel length. Eight apparently abandoned underground nests were examined. The number of tunnels ranged from 7 to 14, while the number of chambers ranged from 5 to 11. Nest depth varied from 9.3 to 17.9 cm, external circumference from 10.5 to 22.7 cm, and total tunnel length from 78.9 to 125.6 cm. A total of 75 tunnels and 57 chambers were recorded. Tunnel width ranged from 0.91 to 5.1 cm, while chamber length and width ranged from 1.1 to 9.3 cm and 1.6 to 8.1 cm, respectively. A significant negative relationship was observed between nest circumference and chamber diameter (r = −0.735, p = 0.038; R² = 0.540). Regression analysis also showed a strong positive relationship between the number of tunnels and number of chambers (r = 0.825, R² = 0.681, p = 0.012), whereas the relationship between nest circumference and total tunnel length was positive but not statistically significant (r = 0.655, R² = 0.430, p = 0.078). The observed variation indicates that underground nest architecture is multidimensional and cannot be adequately represented by nest depth or tunnel number alone. Because only eight apparently abandoned nests were examined, the findings should be regarded as preliminary and should be validated using larger samples and direct measurements of colony and environmental variables.