By combining field work in Australia with mathematical modeling, three scientists from the laboratoire Fonctionnement et évolution des systèmes écologiques (CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie/ENS Paris) have shown that the quality and quantity of winged queens produced by colonies of the Rhytidoponera ant vary according to environmental conditions. In certain cases, colonies even stop producing founding queens and spread solely by splitting up the colony.
Ants have colonized every habitat on land in part because they have a number of strategies for establishing new colonies.
Queens can found new colonies independently: after aerial dispersion, each queen produces her first workers alone. Alternatively, queens can leave their original colony accompanied by a group of workers. Known as “colony fission,” this method increases survival rates for queens because they are never alone. However, because worker ants do not have wings, long distance dispersion is not possible.
Click here for the full article.
Add New Comment
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks
(Trackback URL)