Abstract: Anna Szczuka, Julita KORCZYŃSKA, Maria Kieruzel & Ewa Joanna GODZIŃSKA Dr. Anna Szczuka (contact author), Dr. Julita Korczyńska, Msc. Maria Kieruzel, Prof.Dr. Ewa Joanna Godzińska, Laboratory of Ethology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteur 3, Pl 02-093 Warsaw, Poland. E-mail: a.szczuka@nencki.gov.pl; j.korczynska@nencki.gov.pl; m.kieruzel@nencki.gov.pl; e.godzinska@nencki.gov.pl Myrmecol. News 10: 122 In ants, social isolation (preventing an individual from contacts with other colony members) is a strong stress factor. It significantly reduces the lifespan of the isolated individuals, although this effect may vary markedly depending on the species and the behavioural status of the worker. Isolated workers may survive as long as 8 weeks (Camponotus fellah Dalla Torre, 1893) (Boulay & al. 1999) or even several months (Ectatomma tuberculatum Olivier, 1792 and Camponotus ligniperda STÄRCKE, 1942) (GODZIŃSKA & al. 1999), or as little as a few hours only (Eciton burchelli Weber, 1941) (Franks & Partridge 1994). Young…