17 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

Scientific Name:  Camponotus nicobarensis
 
Common Name:  Sugar ants
 
Distribution:  Bangladesh, India, Laos, Nicobar Island, Thailand, Vietnam, China
 
Queen size:  13-15 mm (in a small colony) 

Worker size:  5-7 mm
 
Median size:  9-11 mm
 
Major size:  10-12 mm
 
Natural Habitat:  Rotting wood, underground
 
Circadian Activity:  Mostly nocturnal, but if provided with food, they are willing to come out and feed.
 
Mating Flight:  Warm sunny days or after a light rain during July to August.
 
Queen Founding Method:  Fully Claustral
 
Monogyne or Polygyne:  Polygmous, though it is best to introduce a queen to another when none have brood or a lone queen to a large colony.
 
Average time from egg to worker: 1 Month
 
Recommended Temperature:  Summer: 72 - 82 F/ 22 - 28 C, Winter: 57 - 73 F/ 14 - 23 C
 
Recommended Humidity: 
 
Preferred Foods:  A steady supply of honey water and sugar water, i supply a cricket every 3 days, they have a social stomach.
 
Hibernation Details: None, thought their reproduction rate slows down during the winter.
  
Escape Barrier Methods:  Alcohol + baby powder works best for me.
 
Difficulty rating: Very easy: Great for beginners. Hardy and do not panic (much) when put in broad daylight. Reproduce at a medium rate. Do not sting or squirt formic acid of any sort. Will accept many types of food.
 
Bite and/or Sting rating:  Can bite but the bites are hardly noticeable. Her majesty though will not hesitate to give you a mean chomp.

Special Care or Interesting Notes:  None
 
Additional Links: https://www.antweb.o...is&rank=species


Information submitted by Leo

[RushmoreAnts]

Polygynous and quick to develop? These contradict pennsylvanicus behavior completely. But what do you expect from a tropical species, anyways?

Edited by AntsDakota, March 3 2020 - 5:00 PM.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

coupled with their unique colors, the difference doesn't surprise me...

[RushmoreAnts]

Although color doesn’t affect growth rate any.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Yeah, I mean the North American species, Camponotus socius, has the exact same coloration, and they are strictly monogynous. Being tropical and having a bright coloration has no affect on polygyny.

[RushmoreAnts]

True. nearcticus is polygynous and temperate. I'm sure there is a long and tiring list of monogynous tropical species as well.

[Mdrogun]

On the care sheet it says they are "polygmous." I am assuming this is a typo?

I would also like to add, as with all ants, the temperature requirements will vary form region to region. Obviously specimens from Southern Vietnam will not need to spend winter at a cool temperature.

 

I have heard from many keepers that depending on where you get them from, they may not be polygynous at all. It seems that at the very least there is a fair degree of variation within the species. Possible that this is really a species-group that needs taxonomic work.

 

 

True. nearcticus is polygynous and temperate. I'm sure there is a long and tiring list of monogynous tropical species as well.

Camponotus nearcticus is not scientifically known to be polygynous, at least when I last checked. I couldn't find any papers published that contradict that, but if they exist, I'd happily change my views

 

Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

[RushmoreAnts]

Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.

[ponerinecat]

I have found that polygyny does not only depend on genetic lineage and location but also on the past experiences of certain queens. Queens introduced to each other early on get used to it and think this is normal, solitary queens sometimes simply refuse to be put together after a period of solitude because polygyny is abnormal to them. 

[Mdrogun]

 

Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.

 

In a colony with multiple queens, each individual queen has to share her resources with other competing queens. Therefore, a queen in a monogyne colony is more reproductively successful than a queen of a polygyne colony, even though the colony's collective output is less.

 

Typically, you only see polygyny in ants when the queens have a certain level of genetic relatedness, and when there is another external pressure to encourage it.

[Ferox_Formicae]

 

 

Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.

 

In a colony with multiple queens, each individual queen has to share her resources with other competing queens. Therefore, a queen in a monogyne colony is more reproductively successful than a queen of a polygyne colony, even though the colony's collective output is less.

 

Typically, you only see polygyny in ants when the queens have a certain level of genetic relatedness, and when there is another external pressure to encourage it.

 

Some species actually require polygyny, as is the case with Crematogaster minutissima. Without more than one queen, the single queen will die before producing any workers. It is unknown why they require polygyny to survive, but I suspect it's because they're egg-laying rate is so slow, due to their eggs being enormous, about 1/3 the size of their entire gaster. I'm beginning to doubt this however, as the related species, Crematogaster missouriensis, lays similarly sized eggs, and yet, they are strictly monogynous. Maybe they can produce faster than minutissima though.

[RushmoreAnts]

Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.

In a colony with multiple queens, each individual queen has to share her resources with other competing queens. Therefore, a queen in a monogyne colony is more reproductively successful than a queen of a polygyne colony, even though the colony's collective output is less.
 
Typically, you only see polygyny in ants when the queens have a certain level of genetic relatedness, and when there is another external pressure to encourage it.

True, although having multiple queens helps reduce the chance of an attack killing all the queens. Also, queens can take breaks more frequently when there’s another queen or so to take over when she’s resting.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Care sheets are back! I've always been jealous of European antkeepers who can get this species. Easy, fast-growing, huge, non-hibernating, and interesting coloration as well.

[T.C.]

 

 

Polygmous, though it is best to introduce a queen to another when none have brood or a lone queen to a large colony.

 

This is false to the best of my knowledge. Specifically I am speaking of introducing a new queen to an already existing colony. There are some rare cases of success in this when certain species are introduced "slowly" but in general, if you just threw a queen in the colony it would be dismembered within a few short minutes.

[OiledOlives]

 

 

 

Polygmous, though it is best to introduce a queen to another when none have brood or a lone queen to a large colony.

 

This is false to the best of my knowledge. Specifically I am speaking of introducing a new queen to an already existing colony. There are some rare cases of success in this when certain species are introduced "slowly" but in general, if you just threw a queen in the colony it would be dismembered within a few short minutes.

 

Leo is right.

[T.C.]

Shortly after my OP, I asked a friend who has quite a few colonies and queens of this species to test the results of adding queens to his colonies. He added a queen to one colony but he could not find it afterwards. I'm assuming it was dismembered somewhere in their trash piles or eaten. I am not sure. He also attempted adding two queens together that where founding. This you would think would go smoother than being introduced to a whole colony, but that was also a negative.

 

[futurebird]

Queen introductions go badly! I agree. Two queens lived together for a month then suddenly for no reason one was killed by the workers. 

I'm very curious about this "introducing a queen to a large colony" How is this anything other than "lunch" ?

[NicholasP]

Queen introductions go badly! I agree. Two queens lived together for a month then suddenly for no reason one was killed by the workers. 

I'm very curious about this "introducing a queen to a large colony" How is this anything other than "lunch" ?

This is not entirely true. All known records show Camponotus pennsylvanicus being purely monogynous but my colony has 2 queens and 17 workers with 25 new larvae for their second generation and there's been no aggression whatsoever.