14 replies to this topic

[ctantkeeper]

Symbiotic Inter species relationships between ants!!!! Has this ever been witnessed in other species before, or is this a first? I swear, these things get stranger and stranger by the day....

 

Link: https://www.newscien...nt=ANTODDCOUPLE

[Martialis]

Many small ant species have been known to live alongside larger ones, in the same space.

[Nathant2131]

Very interesting. I'm surprised I haven't heard of this until now.

[ctantkeeper]

can you name a few?

Very interesting. I'm surprised I haven't heard of this until now.

Me neither!!!

[Martialis]

can you name a few?

Very interesting. I'm surprised I haven't heard of this until now.

Me neither!!!

 

I believe this has been documented with Brachymyrmex.

 

Edit: Don't go and attempt to create a multi species formicarium. Your ants will die.

 

All of them.

 

Seriously, stop thinking about it.

Edited by Martialis, February 18 2017 - 5:38 PM.

[MrPurpleB]

That is very neat. I wish I could have an ant colony like that, but this would be impossible to replicate. 

[ctantkeeper]

That is very neat. I wish I could have an ant colony like that, but this would be impossible to replicate. 

not necessarily, if you had both species, It could theoretically be possible.

[ctantkeeper]

 

can you name a few?

Very interesting. I'm surprised I haven't heard of this until now.

Me neither!!!

 

I believe this has been documented with Brachymyrmex.

 

Edit: Don't go and attempt to create a multi species formicarium. Your ants will die.

 

All of them.

 

Seriously, stop thinking about it.

 

But which species of Brachymyrmex, and what other species does it interact with? just curious.

[Canadian anter]

Gigantiops and Paraponera frequently do this

[Alabama Anter]

I have ran into a Solenopsis molesta colony living side by side in the same rock barely 2 inches from a Aphaenogaster sp colony. When the Aphaenogaster ​ran into its partners nest, the ants did nothing at all. Was pretty cool.

[ctantkeeper]

I have ran into a Solenopsis molesta colony living side by side in the same rock barely 2 inches from a Aphaenogaster sp colony. When the Aphaenogaster ​ran into its partners nest, the ants did nothing at all. Was pretty cool.

This is a bit different, what you are referring to is a "lestobiotic" relationship between two species of ants, a form of social parasitism in which one colony lives with or in close proximity to the nest of another in order to gain resources such as developing ant brood and pre-killed insects to feed on. In the case of the two ants mentioned earlier, each gain from being in close proximity to one another, making their relationship a form of symbiosis. Still very cool though, I love Solenopsis molesta!!!! I am actually writing about this kind of behavior in my paper.

[Alabama Anter]

 

I have ran into a Solenopsis molesta colony living side by side in the same rock barely 2 inches from a Aphaenogaster sp colony. When the Aphaenogaster ​ran into its partners nest, the ants did nothing at all. Was pretty cool.

This is a bit different, what you are referring to is a "lestobiotic" relationship between two species of ants, a form of social parasitism in which one colony lives with or in close proximity to the nest of another in order to gain resources such as developing ant brood and pre-killed insects to feed on. In the case of the two ants mentioned earlier, each gain from being in close proximity to one another, making their relationship a form of symbiosis. Still very cool though, I love Solenopsis molesta!!!! I am actually writing about this kind of behavior in my paper.

 

Sorry just read the topic...     Well, I hope your paper goes well! (With your secretive Monomorium one

[ctantkeeper]

 

 

I have ran into a Solenopsis molesta colony living side by side in the same rock barely 2 inches from a Aphaenogaster sp colony. When the Aphaenogaster ​ran into its partners nest, the ants did nothing at all. Was pretty cool.

This is a bit different, what you are referring to is a "lestobiotic" relationship between two species of ants, a form of social parasitism in which one colony lives with or in close proximity to the nest of another in order to gain resources such as developing ant brood and pre-killed insects to feed on. In the case of the two ants mentioned earlier, each gain from being in close proximity to one another, making their relationship a form of symbiosis. Still very cool though, I love Solenopsis molesta!!!! I am actually writing about this kind of behavior in my paper.

 

Sorry just read the topic...     Well, I hope your paper goes well! (With your secretive Monomorium one

 

NP bro!!! Thanks for the support btw. really appreciate it . I plan on doing more research on these kinds of relationships in my paper. I will also be taking several paraffin wax castings this spring in order to obtain some valuable data on the nest's layout and what the various chambers are utilized for (after a detailed description is written and pictures are taken. I plan on melting each of the individual chambers in order to remove their contents. This will allow me to learn about their diet, lifestyle and relationships with other organisms, including Solenopsis molesta.). If all goes well, I might find a Solenopsis "compound nest" attached to the host colony as well as some other arthropods as well!!! 

Edited by ctantkeeper, February 19 2017 - 2:19 PM.

[MrPurpleB]

Well theoretically it is possible to have to colonies together, but what I meant it would be difficult to replicate that relationship because it would probably demand a lot of space and food for the colonies. I should have used a different word for impossible because it has different connotation then what I actually meant, sorry about that. 

[MichiganAnts]

there are a couple people in the main anting FB group who've done this.