Ants build complex nest structures by reacting to simple, local stimuli. While underground nests result from the space generated by digging, some leaf- and grass-cutting ants also construct conspicuous aboveground turrets around nest openings. We investigated whether the selection of specific building materials occurs during turret construction in Acromyrmex fracticornis grass-cutting ants, and asked whether single building decisions at the beginning can modify the final turret architecture. To quantify workers' material selection, the original nest turret was removed and a choice between two artificial building materials, thin and thick sticks, was offered for rebuilding. Workers preferred thick sticks at the very beginning of turret construction, showed varying preferences thereafter, and changed to prefer thin sticks for the upper, final part of the turret, indicating that they selected different building materials over time to create a stable structure. The impact of a single building choice on turret architecture was evaluated by placing artificial beams that divided a colony's nest entrance at the beginning of turret rebuilding. Splitting the nest entrance led to the self-organized construction of turrets with branched galleries ending in multiple openings, showing that the spatial location of a single building material can strongly influence turret morphology.

蚂蚁通过对简单的局部刺激做出反应来构建复杂的巢结构。虽然地下巢穴是挖土产生的空间，但一些割草和割草的蚂蚁还在巢穴开口周围构造了明显的地上塔楼。我们调查了特定建筑材料的选择是否发生在Acromyrmex fracticornis的炮塔建造过程中割草蚂蚁，并询问一开始的单一建筑决策是否可以修改最终的炮塔结构。为了量化工人的材料选择，拆除了原来的巢式转塔，并在两种人造建筑材料（细木棍和粗木棍）之间进行了选择。工人在炮塔建造的一开始就偏爱粗棒，此后他们表现出不同的喜好，并改变了炮塔上部，末端的细棒，这表明他们随着时间的推移选择了不同的建筑材料来形成稳定的结构。通过在塔楼改建开始时放置人造梁来分割殖民地巢穴入口，评估单个建筑选择对塔楼建筑的影响。