Summary
Polyrhachis laboriosa andP. militaris are two tree-inhabiting ant species, belonging to the subgenusMyrma common in Cameroon forest. WhileP. laboriosa live on pioneer trees on the edge of forest tracks,P. militaris inhabit dense equatorial forest. Foundation of societies is independent in these two species. Founding queens ofP. laboriosa made small cells under leaves, while foundresses ofP. militaris made cells in soil, hollowed dead branches, or old termitaria. The queens left their cells daily to forage. They collected water, sugared juices, and prey. They were also observed “grazing” the surface of leaves.P. laboriosa queens also collected vegetal matter which was then used to build their founding cells under leaves. This behavior was observed in both the field and the laboratory. This article is the first description of semi-claustral foundation in a formicine ant. It may be related to the fact that these ants are protected from predators by mandrels (hooks) on the thorax and the petiole. Bright yellow coloration of the gaster may also serve as an aposematic warning signal for potential predators. Prey capture was studied in the two species by offering both small (isolated or in group) and large prey to the foundresses. Hunting behavior ofPolyrhachis queens was similar to that of workers, and was identical in the two species.
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Lenoir, A., Dejean, A. Semi-claustral colony foundation in the formicine ants of the genusPolyrhachis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ins. Soc 41, 225–234 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242293
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242293