Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Interesting RIFA Observation


  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1 Offline cpman - Posted June 26 2017 - 1:52 PM

cpman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 317 posts
  • LocationAustin, TX
So, the RIFA in my neighborhood flew today, and I used his to conduct a simple experiment to see if the polygyne ones truly live here (as I've suspected).

I gathered three queens from my pool. Two were larger and slightly lighter, one was a bit smaller and darker.

I stepped on an RIFA nest, and dumped the queens on top. All three were immediately surrounded by workers. The smaller, darker queen became calm and was rapidly escorted into the nest, nudged along by workers, who directed her to the entrance. The other two became more and more agitated, and were driven off by the workers.

This confirms my suspicion that both polygyne and monogyne RIFA exist here. It also appears as if the polygyne queens have very slight morphological differences.

From the numbers of the two kinds of queens, the monogyne ones are still more prevalent here (or they produce more queens).

Interestingly enough, the presence of workers initially calmed all the queens, but more exposure made the job polygyne ones agitated.

I wonder if the two strains are reproductively isolated? They flew on the same day, under the same conditions.

EDIT: As this experiment wasn't rigorous, the queen that was adopted could simply have been originally from that colony, and thus was accepted back in. However, the behavior seemed more like adoption as opposed to nestmate recognition -- she was surrounded by a good sized group of workers, who rushed to her to escort her in.

Edited by cpman, June 26 2017 - 1:57 PM.

  • FeedTheAnts likes this




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users