DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hx3ffbgps
title: Data from: Task-specific and seasonal differences in individual nutritional status of red wood ant workers

description: Diet plays a crucial role in caste differentiation and division of labor
 in ants, but relationships between behavioral specialization and the
 nutritional status of workers in monomorphic species remain understudied.
 We used the red wood ant Formica aquilonia, a key species of forest
 communities in North Eurasia, to examine whether (i) nurses are fatter
 than foragers; (ii) task groups collected on the nest surface, ground
 surface, and trees have different fat reserves; and (iii) task groups
 differ in the diet and trophic level. Higher fat content in nurses,
 including sunbathing workers, compared to foragers was shown by abdomen:
 thorax dry mass, C: N ratio, and δ13C values in the abdomen and thorax.
 Colony fat reserves were minimal in summer and maximum in autumn,
 especially in nurses. Ground foragers restoring the foraging territory in
 spring showed signs of starvation according to the thoracic δ15N values.
 Nest guards and foragers were similarly lean in summer. Tree foragers
 collecting honeydew were leaner than ground foragers (hunters) in autumn.
 Workers were of similar trophic level. Differences in crop content between
 nurses and foragers were indicated by the δ15N value in the abdomen. Our
 study suggests that the seasonal dynamics of energy reserves and
 nutritional differences between task groups are linked to the annual life
 cycle of the colony, contributing to its reproductive success.
description: # Data from: Task-specific and seasonal differences in individual
 nutritional status of red wood ant workers ## Description of data and file
 structure #### Iakovlev_Reznikova_Tiunov_Data_Isotopes.csv The file
 contains data on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope composition, C:N
 ratio, and dry mass variables for *Formica aquilonia* ant workers
 collected in different seasons, colonies, and spatial zones within colony
 territories. **Description of variables:** * **body_part** - Ant body part
 * **colony** - Ant colony ID * **season** - Season of the year in which
 the ants were collected * **zone** - Spatial zones of task group activity:
 inside the nest, on the nest surface, on the foraging ground, and on
 foraging trees * **select_pupae_data** - Data selection variable for
 comparing pupae values ​​with those of workers (thorax, abdomen) from four
 spatial zones * **d13C** - d13C value in selected part of ant body (‰) *
 **d15N** - d15N value in selected part of ant body (‰) * **CN_ratio** -
 C:N ratio in selected part of ant body * **d13C_abdomen** - d13C value in
 abdomen (‰) * **d15N_abdomen** - d15N value in abdomen (‰) *
 **CN_ratio_abdomen** - C:N ratio in abdomen * **abdomen_to_thorax_mass** -
 abdomen:thorax dry mass of individual ant * **body_part_mass** - dry mass
 in selected part of ant body in mkg ####
 Iakovlev_Reznikova_Tiunov_Data_Dry_mass.csv The file contains extended
 data on dry mass variables for *Formica aquilonia* ant workers collected
 in different seasons, colonies, and spatial zones within colony
 territories. **Description of variables:** * **colony** - Ant colony ID *
 **season** - Season of the year in which the ants were collected *
 **zone** - Spatial zones of task group activity: inside the nest, on the
 nest surface, on the foraging ground, and on foraging trees *
 **abdomen_to_thorax_mass** - abdomen:thorax dry mass of individual ant *
 **thorax_mass** - thorax dry mass of individual ant in mkg