9 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 7:20 PM.

[iXvXi]

I'm sure someone with more experience can help out a bit more than I can. I did a quick Google search and got a few things for you to look into.

Could it be that the major laid her own egg? Some documentary suggested this could happen.

Major could be a threat to the queen.

Due to limited resources, they need to cut down some big consumers.

Recycle the old aged major as food.

Infection.

[Huch]

That is strange behavior. I have never observed that before.

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 7:20 PM.

[antmaniac]

I think sometimes the majors and other workers get recycled or killed if they consider to be redundant. The role of major can be for defending and attacking, which when there is plenty of food and peaceful, excessive major would be useless. However, when the food is limited or competition is high, then major play a more crucial role. Other than that, sometimes major may go crazy (due to the fight with other species, insects, animals, human with chemicals, lost antennae, etc) and possess a threat to the colony, they will be killed too.   

[Vendayn]

65q24g4g5f

Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 7:21 PM.

[Huch]

I am thinking that the soldiers must be from a different colony. I don't know of any ant species that does this.

[Myrmicinae]

My Pheidole megacephala colony would do this occasionally, and I know of at least one other ant keeper who has also observed this behavior in his P. megacephala.  It certainly isn't due to reproductive conflict, as seen in many other ant species, because Pheidole workers (both minor and major) lack ovaries entirely.  As suggested by others, it could have to do with removing older workers or dealing with an excess of majors.  My Myrmica cf. americana colony has also been doing this lately, but I believe for different reasons.

Edited by Myrmicinae, November 20 2015 - 6:33 PM.

[Huch]

My Pheidole megacephala colony would do this occasionally, and I know of at least one other ant keeper who has also observed this behavior in his P. megacephala.  It certainly isn't due to reproductive conflict, as seen in many other ant species, because Pheidole workers (both minor and major) lack ovaries entirely.  As suggested by others, it could have to do with removing older workers or dealing with an excess of majors.  My Myrmica cf. americana colony has also been doing this lately, but I believe for different reasons.

So you actually saw the attack? I have seen my colonies cannibalize their dead, and or carry their dead outside the nest. But never have I seen an attack.

It's weird, I can't see the benefit of raising majors to kill them off, instead of letting them disappear through attrition.

[Myrmicinae]

 

My Pheidole megacephala colony would do this occasionally, and I know of at least one other ant keeper who has also observed this behavior in his P. megacephala.  It certainly isn't due to reproductive conflict, as seen in many other ant species, because Pheidole workers (both minor and major) lack ovaries entirely.  As suggested by others, it could have to do with removing older workers or dealing with an excess of majors.  My Myrmica cf. americana colony has also been doing this lately, but I believe for different reasons.

So you actually saw the attack? I have seen my colonies cannibalize their dead, and or carry their dead outside the nest. But never have I seen an attack.

It's weird, I can't see the benefit of raising majors to kill them off, instead of letting them disappear through attrition.

 

 

Yes, I have observed the attacks many times in both species.  

 

In my experience, it is very uncommon for ants to do this, but it does happen somewhat habitually in certain species.  In addition to Pheidole megacephala and Myrmica cf. americana, I used to see workers harassing others all the time in my old Aphaenogaster occidentalis colony, but, in their case, the attacks almost never resulted in injury.  All of the other species I have kept for long periods (Tetramorium caespitum, Pheidole ceres, Camponotus vicinus, etc.) never show any indication of conflict within colonies.  Definitely an interesting conundrum.

Edited by Myrmicinae, November 21 2015 - 12:06 PM.