13 replies to this topic

[awesomezhnathan]

In NorCal where I live, there are two introducted species of ants that seem dominant, the argentine and pavement. Although the pavement ant is much stronger as it can cut down five argentine ants in five minutes (I tested it, I put two pavement ants with ten argentine ants in a tic tac box and five minutes later all the argentine ants were dead and bitten into bits while one pavement and had two legs and an antenna ripped off while the other only had one leg ripped off) seems like the worst argentine ants are able to do to a pavement ant is rip off a leg but I wonder why pavement ants usually back down to argentine ants in encounters. I observe that pavement ants are great fighters and have beaten larger black wood ants in a fight before but are still scared of argentine ants although if there is a new colony of pavement ants the argentine ants usually back down even if the argentine ants outnumber the pavement ants.

[LC3]

I have never seen an Argentine ant although I have seen a pavement ant (Even though various sources indicate that they don't live in BC or aren't sure if they are in BC). Ants don't seem to fight for fun and stuff which might be why larger colonies might not mess with smaller colonies; ants fight when there is a clear reason why they should fight. I have hunch that this may have to play out with T. sp e's biology as they are known to be very territorial, it could be that new colonies are still actively setting their borders and must deal with rivaling colonies of different or same species while older colonies have already established a clear border. I assume that N.Cali doesn't have very snowy/cold/rainy weathers so their borders don't need to be re-established  during spring.

[William. T]

I heard that Argentines can launch massive attacks on colonies if provoked. Sort of like "not a threat, so I'm not going to attack." Since Argentine colonies forge alliances and will aid each other if attacked, I get the idea that the Tetramorium realized they will be outnumbered and cower. There is a far large body of Argentine ants in the area, and the Tetramorium know they will be seen as a threat and there will be reprisals. Ants have their own way of thinking. I have observed something like this with the normally placid T. Sessile and a very aggressive Pheidole that would cower to the T. Sessile. When huge T. Sessile colonies  fight smaller colonies, their chemical defenses and numbers cause them to win.

[awesomezhnathan]

Well, tetramorium are probably pound for pound the best fighting ant without a sting, I have seen them go through ten argentine ants and also had one behead a larger earwig. Well, that's about all the ants in NorCal urban area. Other than carpenter ants, wood ants, and red and black ants that look like harvester ants. There aren't much interesting ants here. Do you know about any interesting ants in my area that are easy to keep? I have kept pavement ants and argentine ants but nothing else.

[Alza]

Its not that the tetramorium are strong, its that the argentine ants are weak.

[kellakk]

You're approaching ants as if physical might matters, when in fact the smaller species will often just overwhelm larger species with numbers.  Also, fighting is very costly for animals no matter the outcome.  It's easier to compete by just getting to resources first and taking as much of it as possible, which argentines excel at.

[awesomezhnathan]

but pavement ants have defeated larger earwigs and black wood ants on 1v1 combat

just because they don't have a stinger doesn't mean they are weak

so I'm probably not gonna favor them over a fire ant cuz a fire ant could sting them but against a similiar sized ant without a stinger I favor pavement ant

[LC3]

Tetramorium sp e actually has a stinger, except its so small it's useless. Like what Kell said ant wars are often fought in numbers not superb weaponry although most Tetramorium do have tough armour/exoskeletons. Even though Argentines are better at securing resources T. sp e are pretty good at it too, they're also pretty energy efficient.

[William. T]

Look at ponerines, with all their stingers, venom, and jaws. Are they very successful in creating an empire? What about Argentines? They can confiscate every food source, and will outnumber the Tertramorium past 10-1.

[awesomezhnathan]

I'm not sure about past 10-1 because I have seen pavement ant supercolonies before

[LC3]

Pavement ants can have really large colonies but even than Argentines outnumber them especially since you can have 3 or more Argentine super colonies all allied together (and possibly part of a global supercolony) while you can have 2 or more pavement ant super colonies (in an area) constantly at war.

[William. T]

I'm not sure about past 10-1 because I have seen pavement ant supercolonies before

Pavement ants are constantly warring, and their supercolonies are very small, whereas Argentines form global supercolonies. Even within a local area, they still are larger than the pavement ants. Argentines always outnumber them.

[awesomezhnathan]

what about odontomachus haemotodus, don't they have a florida empire

[William. T]

what about odontomachus haemotodus, don't they have a florida empire

They might, but they are nothing compared to the Empire of the Argentines.