Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Even after years of research on navigation in the Red Honey Ant, Melophorus bagoti, much of its life history remains elusive. Here, we present observations on nest relocation and the reproductive and founding stages of colonies. Nest relocation is possibly aided by trail laying behaviour, which is h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2010-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/435838 |
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| author | Patrick Schultheiss Sebastian Schwarz Antoine Wystrach |
| author_facet | Patrick Schultheiss Sebastian Schwarz Antoine Wystrach |
| author_sort | Patrick Schultheiss |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Even after years of research on navigation in the Red Honey Ant, Melophorus bagoti, much of its life history remains elusive. Here, we present observations on nest relocation and the reproductive and founding stages of colonies. Nest relocation is possibly aided by trail laying behaviour, which is highly unusual for solitary foraging desert ants. Reproduction occurs in synchronised mating flights, which are probably triggered by rain. Queens may engage in multiple matings, and there is circumstantial evidence that males are chemically attracted to queens. After the mating flight, the queens found new colonies independently and singly. Excavation of these founding colonies reveals first insights into their structure. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c4fd7759f0945cd90af2bbf6267f50b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c4fd7759f0945cd90af2bbf6267f50b2025-02-03T05:48:17ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382010-01-01201010.1155/2010/435838435838Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Patrick Schultheiss0Sebastian Schwarz1Antoine Wystrach2Department of Brain, Behaviour & Evolution, Macquarie University, 209 Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaDepartment of Brain, Behaviour & Evolution, Macquarie University, 209 Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaDepartment of Brain, Behaviour & Evolution, Macquarie University, 209 Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaEven after years of research on navigation in the Red Honey Ant, Melophorus bagoti, much of its life history remains elusive. Here, we present observations on nest relocation and the reproductive and founding stages of colonies. Nest relocation is possibly aided by trail laying behaviour, which is highly unusual for solitary foraging desert ants. Reproduction occurs in synchronised mating flights, which are probably triggered by rain. Queens may engage in multiple matings, and there is circumstantial evidence that males are chemically attracted to queens. After the mating flight, the queens found new colonies independently and singly. Excavation of these founding colonies reveals first insights into their structure.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/435838 |
| spellingShingle | Patrick Schultheiss Sebastian Schwarz Antoine Wystrach Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) |
| title_full | Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) |
| title_fullStr | Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) |
| title_short | Nest Relocation and Colony Founding in the Australian Desert Ant, Melophorus bagoti Lubbock (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) |
| title_sort | nest relocation and colony founding in the australian desert ant melophorus bagoti lubbock hymenoptera formicidae |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/435838 |
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