Network-based model of the growth of termite nests
Résumé
We present a model for the growth of the transportation network inside nests of the social insect subfamily
Termitinae (Isoptera, termitidae). These nests consist of large chambers (nodes) connected by tunnels (edges).
The model based on the empirical analysis of the real nest networks combined with pruning (edge removal,
either random or weighted by betweenness centrality) and a memory effect (preferential growth from the latest
added chambers) successfully predicts emergent nest properties (degree distribution, size of the largest connected
component, average path lengths, backbone link ratios, and local graph redundancy). The two pruning alternatives
can be associated with different genuses in the subfamily. A sensitivity analysis on the pruning and memory
parameters indicates that Termitinae networks favor fast internal transportation over efficient defense strategies
against ant predators. Our results provide an example of how complex network organization and efficient
network properties can be generated from simple building rules based on local interactions and contribute to our
understanding of the mechanisms that come into play for the formation of termite networks and of biological
transportation networks in general.