Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Semi-claustral founding and worker behaviour in gynes of Messor andrei

  • Published:
Insectes Sociaux Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary:

Claustral founding is the common mode of colony foundation in ant species outside the Ponerinae. I report the existence of both semi-claustral founding and worker-type behaviour in new gynes of the myrmicine ant Messor andrei. Worker-type behaviour may be a non-adaptive corollary of semi-claustral colony founding, and represents little cost to colony reproduction. In contrast, semi-claustral founding is a high risk activity; numerous attacks on foraging queens were observed. Why non-ponerine ants exhibit semi-claustral founding behaviour remains unknown, and deserves further study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
€32.70 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Finland)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA, , , , , , US

    M. J. F. Brown

Authors
  1. M. J. F. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Received 28 January 1999; accepted 9 March 1999.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brown, M. Semi-claustral founding and worker behaviour in gynes of Messor andrei. Insectes soc. 46, 194–195 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s000400050133

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s000400050133

Search

Navigation