15 replies to this topic

[dean_k]

That popped up in my mind.

 

From my google research, I read that an ant colony will release new queens and alates once a year.

 

So, what do you do when your indoor colony release them?  I don't suppose they are going to mate themselves. That'd be inbreeding, no?

 

Then what do you do?

[Myrmicinae]

Ant colonies will often produce alates in captivity, but they usually won't mate.  Inbreeding is actually very detrimental in most ant species, so they try to avoid it.  Of course, there are a few exceptions - Cardiocondyla spp., Plagiolepis spp., some Tapinoma sessile variants, many Monomorium spp., etc.

Edited by Myrmicinae, October 13 2014 - 9:04 AM.

[dspdrew]

I think most species don't produce very many alates until the colony is more mature, like somewhere around five years old or so is what I've read. Unfortunately, I don't think many people have colonies that last that long.

[Gregory2455]

Most species do not produce alates within the first five or so years. If they do, which they will eventually, you can attempt to artificially breed them, but it may not work because of genetics (nestmates). If you leave them, the workers will kill the males, and the females will tear their wings off and act like workers, which is pretty cool actually, they can be like majors of a monomorphic species.

[dean_k]

So, if you have two colonies of the same sp, it is at least in theory possible to breed them, and if it is a species that accept more than one queen, it is then possible to keep a colony going until you die?

[Gregory2455]

Probably, but you need certain factors to them to start breeding, which is close to impossible in captivity.

[Myrmicinae]

So, if you have two colonies of the same sp, it is at least in theory possible to breed them, and if it is a species that accept more than one queen, it is then possible to keep a colony going until you die?

 

Yes - theoretically, this would be possible.  However, there are a number of environmental conditions that trigger flights in nature and these would have to be somehow replicated in a captive setting.

[dspdrew]

It seems it's not as impossible as everyone thinks when it comes to species that mate on the ground outside the nest.

 

Retroman explains how he does it with Pogonomyrmex tenuispinus.

http://forum.formicu...11-2014/?p=5708

[Gregory2455]

I know, and actually P.tenuispus fly. I believe that you can breed any ant on ground, you just have to get that trigger. I have seen Nylanderia mate on the ground, even though the majority of the reproductives fly.

[dspdrew]

Mating on the ground doesn't mean they don't fly. Some ants fly to a spot, or mate just outside the nest and then fly away once finished. I've watched Pogonomyrmex do this as well as Acromyrmex.

[Gregory2455]

That is what was trying to say.

[Alza]

he said something completely different then you did 

[Gregory2455]

No, actually he didn't. The conclusion would be the same, we just worded it differently, and I was stressing a different aspect.

[Alza]

stressing a different aspect huh ? from my perspective you just contradicted yourself 

[Gregory2455]

No, actually.

[Alza]

sure you didn't