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Australian Social Parasitic Queens?

Started By Leptomyrmx , Oct 13 2021 1:26 PM
parasite

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Leptomyrmx - Posted October 13 2021 - 1:26 PM

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I was just wondering if there are any ants with parasitic queens in Australia. If so, how many, and what species?
That's pretty much it. Thanks!


My Ants:

Colonies: Camponotus humilior 1w, Opisthopsis rufithorax 11w, Aphaenogaster longiceps ~5w, Pheidole sp. ~235w ~15m, Iridomyrmex sp. 2q 1w, Brachyponera lutea 6w, Crematogaster sp. ~20w, Podomyrma sp. 1w

Queens: Polyrhachis cf. robinsoni, Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) sp. (likely infertile)

Previously Kept: Colobopsis gasseri, Technomyrmex sp., Rhytidoponera victorae, Nylanderia cf. rosae, Myrmecia brevinoda/forficata, Polyrhachis australis, Solenopsis/Monomorium

Key: Q = Queen, W = Worker, M = Major

Youtube Channel: Ants of Sydney - YouTube

Patreon (for YouTube channel): https://www.patreon.com/antsofsydney

#2 Offline Manitobant - Posted October 13 2021 - 3:03 PM

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Australia is sadly quite lacking in the social parasite department, as with most tropical and subtropical regions. One parasitic species that i do know of however is papyrius nitidus, which uses iridomyrmex as hosts.
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My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#3 Offline Leo - Posted October 13 2021 - 4:52 PM

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Myrmecia inquilina


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#4 Offline Leptomyrmx - Posted October 13 2021 - 5:47 PM

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Myrmecia inquilina

Ooh, nice, parasitic Myrmecia!

An honour to have you on my thread.


My Ants:

Colonies: Camponotus humilior 1w, Opisthopsis rufithorax 11w, Aphaenogaster longiceps ~5w, Pheidole sp. ~235w ~15m, Iridomyrmex sp. 2q 1w, Brachyponera lutea 6w, Crematogaster sp. ~20w, Podomyrma sp. 1w

Queens: Polyrhachis cf. robinsoni, Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) sp. (likely infertile)

Previously Kept: Colobopsis gasseri, Technomyrmex sp., Rhytidoponera victorae, Nylanderia cf. rosae, Myrmecia brevinoda/forficata, Polyrhachis australis, Solenopsis/Monomorium

Key: Q = Queen, W = Worker, M = Major

Youtube Channel: Ants of Sydney - YouTube

Patreon (for YouTube channel): https://www.patreon.com/antsofsydney

#5 Offline Manitobant - Posted October 13 2021 - 6:07 PM

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There is also arnoldius, which are basically the Australian version of bothriomyrmex (a european social parasite), strumigenys xenos, another workerless inquiline and melophorus fulvihirtus, a slave maker of iridomyrmex purpureus.

Edited by Manitobant, October 13 2021 - 8:39 PM.

My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#6 Offline Leptomyrmx - Posted October 13 2021 - 7:47 PM

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There is also arnoldius, which are basically the Australian version of bothriomyrmex (a european social parasite), strumigenys xenos, another workerless inquiline and two species of melophorus fulvihirtus, a slave maker of iridomyrmex purpureus.

Thanks, I'll start researching.

 

Workerless inquilines are are confusing : P


Edited by Leptomyrmx, October 13 2021 - 7:54 PM.

My Ants:

Colonies: Camponotus humilior 1w, Opisthopsis rufithorax 11w, Aphaenogaster longiceps ~5w, Pheidole sp. ~235w ~15m, Iridomyrmex sp. 2q 1w, Brachyponera lutea 6w, Crematogaster sp. ~20w, Podomyrma sp. 1w

Queens: Polyrhachis cf. robinsoni, Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) sp. (likely infertile)

Previously Kept: Colobopsis gasseri, Technomyrmex sp., Rhytidoponera victorae, Nylanderia cf. rosae, Myrmecia brevinoda/forficata, Polyrhachis australis, Solenopsis/Monomorium

Key: Q = Queen, W = Worker, M = Major

Youtube Channel: Ants of Sydney - YouTube

Patreon (for YouTube channel): https://www.patreon.com/antsofsydney

#7 Offline Buglet - Posted October 17 2021 - 12:12 AM

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Myrmecia inquilla (Stated previously) and Myrmecia hirsuta are the only two social parasitic myrmecia queens found in Australia to my knowledge.

 


#8 Offline PurdueEntomology - Posted October 17 2021 - 2:02 AM

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Australia is sadly quite lacking in the social parasite department, as with most tropical and subtropical regions. One parasitic species that i do know of however is papyrius nitidus, which uses iridomyrmex as hosts.

I would say that of currently known species, that may be the case.  In the easternUS three species of parasitic Tapinoma have been identified, though this is personal communication I had with Stefan Cover the myrmecologist at Harvard.  The paper on this finding has yet to be published. I have found a new species of Tapinoma in Tennessee (soon to be published), the upshot, there are new things to find even today and even in our own back yards, let alone Australia!!


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