6 replies to this topic

[Tai_pan1]

I’ve been reading up on these guys since I caught 5 queens a couple of weeks ago.  Here on the forum someone indicated that they were polygyny but everything I’ve read indicates that they are monogyn.  Example https://core.ac.uk/d...f/147247892.pdf pg 5.    Mississippi Entomological museum also listed them as monogyn.  I do note that most of the sources indicate that there is not much written on the dark rover ant.

 

Does anyone here have personal experience with multi queen colonies?  If so, we’re they multi queen from founding?  I have the 5 in separate test tubes and am toying with combining them once they are established.

 

Any specific or generalized info on this species would be appreciated. 

Edited by Tai_pan1, June 10 2022 - 1:52 PM.

[ZTYguy]

They are poly in my opinion. I have a two queen colony but it is also possible they are secondary Monogyne.

[Manitobant]

The interesting thing with brachymyrmex patagonicus is that they are monogynous in the wild, yet polygynous in captivity. For some reason, the wild colonies never have more than a single queen despite being perfectly capable of true polygyny.

[Tai_pan1]

Interesting.  I may try combining 3 and leaving the two others as separate colonies.

[ANTdrew]

Interesting. I may try combining 3 and leaving the two others as separate colonies.

Sounds good. Three is kind of the magic number when it comes to polygyny.

[That_one_ant_guy]

If this helps I, have a 12 queen colony with 50 or so workers and they are perfectly fine

[AntsCali098]

I have a 3 queen colony caught in the wild with 3 queens, although they all have wings. They have been growing so I am quite sure they are fertile. I think this colony of about 50 workers is too small to have alates, so may just be a rare occurrence of Brachymyrmex patigonicus polygyny in the wild. I've tried to found 2 queens together before, but one queen has always killed the other in my experience. It is a bit risky to found together with this species.