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Emigrating on the Fly: a Novel Method of Army Ant Colony Movement Observed in Eciton mexicanum

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Abstract

We describe an emigration of the Neotropical army ant Eciton mexicanum where the head of the emigration column was separated in time from previous raid column activity, and the emigration was not connected to the new bivouac site by a column of workers. Over 12 h elapsed between raid activity and the onset of emigration, suggesting the emigration followed a long-lasting pheromone trail. We suggest the bivouac site had been selected the night before the emigration by foraging workers.

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Acknowledgements

Data were collected during the 2017 Organization for Tropical Studies graduate course on Neotropical Social Insects. Observations were conducted under a course research permit from the Costa Rican government (SINAC/MINAET). Support was provided by the Organization for Tropical Studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Biodiversity Earth & Environmental Science and Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Sean O’Donnell

  2. Department of Biology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, CA, 90747, USA

    Terrence P. McGlynn

  3. Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA

    Terrence P. McGlynn

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  1. Sean O’Donnell
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  2. Terrence P. McGlynn
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Correspondence to Sean O’Donnell.

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O’Donnell, S., McGlynn, T.P. Emigrating on the Fly: a Novel Method of Army Ant Colony Movement Observed in Eciton mexicanum . J Insect Behav 30, 471–474 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-017-9635-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-017-9635-z

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