Superorganism

A superorganism is a group of organisms of the same species that interact so closely, and divide labor so completely among specialized members, that the group functions as a single coordinated unit rather than as an assembly of independent individuals; a comparable arrangement among organisms of different species is called a holobiont instead. Ant colonies are the best-known example, cooperating to gather food and defend against predators, and honey bee colonies show the same pattern, collectively choosing a new nest site as one unit. Coral colonies and termite mounds, with the elaborate structures some termites build, are cited as further examples of the same collective-organism principle.