3 replies to this topic

[Croux]

Hi guys, I just had this happen to me, and I'm in a bit of a shock trying to understand why this would happen.

I had a two queen colony raised from the same tube, since spring. They are now in a formicariu.

Today I noticed the workers trying to move one of the Queens, puzzling, but ok. And now, I see the same queen dead in the corner of a chamber with a clustered group of workers around her, repletes and regular workers.

The other Queen is minding her own business at the other end. I don't see any eggs of pupae around.

Any idea what happened? Did they just up and cannabalize a queen? I've been providing them with insect proteins and sugars in liquid feeders in the outworld, so I'm not sure if it's driven by hunger.

Since they're supposed to be polygynous, it's not some sort of regicide, is it?

Thanks for any ideas.

[antwall]

Sometimes, the two queens do not really join together and become polygynous, and instead they are pleometroic(spelling?), and they work together during founding, but when the workers arrive, they kill the inferior queen. It does not have to be the first batch of workers that kills, sometimes the colony waits to grow to a certain stage, then kill the inferior queen. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Edited by antwall, October 20 2019 - 5:14 PM.

[Croux]

That makes sense, thank you.

[TennesseeAnts]

There are two different subspecies of Prenolepis imparis. You seem to have the monogynous one.