Queen Replacement in Dequeened Colonies of the Argentine Ant Iridomyrmex Humilis (Mayr)

Queen Replacement in Dequeened Colonies of the Argentine Ant Iridomyrmex Humilis

Replacement of killed or damaged queen by a new inseminated queen produced in the same nest is regularly accomplished in honey bees (Butler, 1967; Wilson, 1971; Michener, 1974). In the lower termites, e.g., Calotermes, it has been known for a long time that the removal of the sexual pair leads to the differentiation of neotenic reproductives from larval, pseudergate or nymphal forms (Grass6 and...

Kin structure and queen execution in the Argentine ant 1

Cuticular hydrocarbons correlate with queen reproductive status in native and invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile, Mayr)

In insect societies, chemical communication plays an important role in colony reproduction and individual social status. Many studies have indicated that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are the main chemical compounds encoding reproductive status. However, these studies have largely focused on queenless or monogynous species whose workers are capable of egg laying and have mainly explored the mec...

Model of droplet dynamics in the Argentine ant Linepithema Humile (Mayr).

The formation of droplets of ants Linepithema humile (Mayr) is observed under certain experimental conditions: a fluctuating aggregate forms at the end of a rod and a droplet containing up to 40 ants eventually falls down. When the flux of incoming ants is sufficient, this process can continue for several hours, leading to the formation and fall of tens of droplets. Previous work indicates that...

Queen-Queen Competition by Precocious Male Production in Multiqueen Ant Colonies

Arriving earlier in the breeding area than his rivals may be beneficial for a male when females mate only once or during a short time span. The timing of a male's entrance is usually determined by the male himself, e.g., through returning early from his winter quarters or through accelerated larval development . Here, we document a surprisingly simple way of "first come, first served" in a spec...