11 replies to this topic

[Miles]

Join me on the second episode of The Ant Explorer as we check out the ants of Swan Creek in Southwestern Montana. The Ant Explorer is a new series of documentary-style videos from The Ant Network that are designed to take viewers along with us on our research and outreach filming expeditions in the great outdoors.

 

Edited by Miles, January 16 2019 - 8:58 AM.

[YsTheAnt]

Great video! One thing I would like to mention is that C. vicinus isn't in fact the only polygenous Camponotus in the United States and Canada. Camponotus clarithorax is polygenous as well.

[TennesseeAnts]

Great video! One thing I would like to mention is that C. vicinus isn't in fact the only polygenous Camponotus in the United States and Canada. Camponotus clarithorax is polygenous as well.

I'm pretty sure C. modoc is too.

[nurbs]

Montana is really beautiful.

[Miles]

Hi YsTheAnt and Ant_Dude,

 

Thanks for the feedback! We did some research prior to making that claim. I reviewed literature, and what I found indicated that Camponotus clarithorax is pleometrotic, meaning that they found with multiple queens but will eventually reduce down to a single. Additionally, I've heard the rumor about C. modoc, but I've never found any literature that actually supported that rumor. Over the past decade I've only come across that claim on this forum, and having kept C. modoc (and tried it), I can confirm that I've never seen any pleometrotic or polygynous behavior. Of course, if either of you have supporting information for those species being polygynous, I'd genuinely like to see it!

 

Also, please note that it is spelled polygynous (gyne meaning queen), not polygenous. 

Edited by Miles, January 16 2019 - 4:31 PM.

[FSTP]

The Anting community direly needs more quality content like this. Keep up the great work Miles, and I look forward to more episodes from you and the Ant Network.

[YsTheAnt]

I wasn't aware of the spelling, thanks for letting me know!

As for polygeny, I and @nurbs have kept polygynous colonies. I didn't have any deaths in queens, but maybe they kill each other later on. I believe nurbs has also kept C. sansabeanus polygynous colonies, but it may very well be a region specific thing.

We definitely need more quality videos like this in the hobby, keep up the great work!

[Mdrogun]

Great video! One thing I would like to mention is that C. vicinus isn't in fact the only polygenous Camponotus in the United States and Canada. Camponotus clarithorax is polygenous as well.

Many of the smaller Camponotus spp. in the East are polygynous, too. Such as Camponotus subbarbatus, or Camponotus planatus. Camponotus vicinus is certaintly not the only polygynous Camponotus sp. in Canada and the United States.

[Miles]

 

Great video! One thing I would like to mention is that C. vicinus isn't in fact the only polygenous Camponotus in the United States and Canada. Camponotus clarithorax is polygenous as well.

Many of the smaller Camponotus spp. in the East are polygynous, too. Such as Camponotus subbarbatus, or Camponotus planatus. Camponotus vicinus is certaintly not the only polygynous Camponotus sp. in Canada and the United States.

 

You may have me on a technicality there, as Camponotus planatus is not native to the United States but has been collected in extremely southern localities in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. I was referring to native species, and I should have been more specific in that description.

 

I would love to see some citations for the claims for C. subbarbatus. While I found no indication that they or C. nearticus are polygynous, I did find nest sampling literature that indicated that Camponotus nearticus is monogynous. I suppose it's possible that some of these ants are oligynous and/or have major locality differences for polygynous behavior. At any rate, my conclusion is that C. vicinus is likely the only documented, native species of Camponotus that exhibits polygyny at a high frequency. 

 

Irrespective of the unexpectedly controversial claim about polygyny, I hope you all enjoyed the video.

Edited by Miles, January 17 2019 - 10:30 PM.

[AnthonyP163]

 

 

Great video! One thing I would like to mention is that C. vicinus isn't in fact the only polygenous Camponotus in the United States and Canada. Camponotus clarithorax is polygenous as well.

Many of the smaller Camponotus spp. in the East are polygynous, too. Such as Camponotus subbarbatus, or Camponotus planatus. Camponotus vicinus is certaintly not the only polygynous Camponotus sp. in Canada and the United States.

 

You may have me on a technicality there, as Camponotus planatus is not native to the United States but has been collected in extremely southern localities in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. I was referring to native species, and I should have been more specific in that description.

 

I would love to see some citations for the claims for C. subbarbatus. While I found no indication that they or C. nearticus are polygynous, I did find nest sampling literature that indicated that Camponotus nearticus is monogynous. I suppose it's possible that some of these ants are oligynous and/or have major locality differences for polygynous behavior. At any rate, my conclusion is that C. vicinus is likely the only documented, native species of Camponotus that exhibits polygyny at a high frequency. 

 

Irrespective of the unexpectedly controversial claim about polygyny, I hope you all enjoyed the video.

 

Hi, Miles. I like the video. About that C. subbarbatus, someone in Illinois is doing polygynous experiments this year. They'll likely post them here, so watch out for that.
 

Also, the Formica in the video may not be new to Montana as there's dozens of species that look like the specimens. I've differentiated some species by mere patches of setae, so it's a very tricky thing to figure out.

EDIT: The Formica may have been Formica dakotensis since they're known to still have alates and nuptial flights in September.

Edited by AnthonyP163, January 18 2019 - 1:31 PM.

[Mdrogun]

 

 

Great video! One thing I would like to mention is that C. vicinus isn't in fact the only polygenous Camponotus in the United States and Canada. Camponotus clarithorax is polygenous as well.

Many of the smaller Camponotus spp. in the East are polygynous, too. Such as Camponotus subbarbatus, or Camponotus planatus. Camponotus vicinus is certaintly not the only polygynous Camponotus sp. in Canada and the United States.

 

You may have me on a technicality there, as Camponotus planatus is not native to the United States but has been collected in extremely southern localities in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. I was referring to native species, and I should have been more specific in that description.

 

I would love to see some citations for the claims for C. subbarbatus. While I found no indication that they or C. nearticus are polygynous, I did find nest sampling literature that indicated that Camponotus nearticus is monogynous. I suppose it's possible that some of these ants are oligynous and/or have major locality differences for polygynous behavior. At any rate, my conclusion is that C. vicinus is likely the only documented, native species of Camponotus that exhibits polygyny at a high frequency. 

 

Irrespective of the unexpectedly controversial claim about polygyny, I hope you all enjoyed the video.

 

I did enjoy the video

 

You are right. I know the guy in Illinois trying stuff out, but there was also someone in Missouri I knew who claimed he had observed polygyne colonies. I assumed there would be scientific literature to back up these claims, but there does not appear to be. Hopefully they're correct and I'm not making a fool of myself 

[kalimant]

Great job! *thumbs up*

 

Too bad you guys aren't a bit more southern in location...need more Pheidole and other desert or tropical species ;-)