Colony fission
- Pronunciation
- /kol-oh-nee fi-shun/
- Category
- Behavior
Definition
The process by which a social insect colony, such as ants or termites, splits into two or more separate colonies.
Etymology
From Latin 'fissio', meaning 'splitting', and 'colonia', meaning 'colony'.
Example
Colony fission allows for increased resource availability and reduces competition between sister colonies.