Theory 66/Population/Social insects
Colony Size Is Range Against Body
The claim
Maximum colony size is set by the ratio of foraging range to body size, so small workers support larger colonies because they cover more ground per unit energy.
01Mechanism
A colony is limited by the area its workers can provision; range per unit cost sets the achievable size.
02Prediction
Colony size should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Colony size tracking food density alone would remove body size.