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Polyrhachis simplex The Weaver Ant of Israel

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Summary

The Weaver Ant,Polyrhachis simplex, which in India belongs to a tropical fauna, occurs in Israel in a circumscribed desert region which comprises the western limit of its spread. The biology ofP. simplex features a number of highly interesting phenomena:

  1. 1.

    Weaving occupies a central position in the life of the colony. The workers construct the nests with the aid of silk secreted by the larvae. The silk glands of the larva are consequently highly developed.

  2. 2.

    Aphids of several species are visited by the weaver ant for their honeydew, which constitutes a primary food source for the ant.

  3. 3.

    Seasonal vertical migration of the ants occurs twice a year-in the winter and in the late spring.

  4. 4.

    «Cemeteries» are marked off by the ants at considerable distances from the nests, for the purpose of disposing of their dead. A single «cemetery» may sarve several widely-separated ant colonies.

The present investigation is the first in which colonies ofP. simplex have been successfully reared in the laboratory, using a special sugar solution as a substitute for the natural food of the ants. The laboratory-reared colonies developed normally, maintained the usual daily activities (including weaving) and reproduced through several generations.

Résumé

La fourmi fileuse,Polyrhachis simplex, qui appartient en Inde à une faune tropicale, se rencontre en Israël dans une région désertique correspondant à la limite occidentale de son extension.

La biologie de cette espèce présente un certain nombre de caractères intéressants:

  1. 1

    Le filage tient une place de premier ordre dans la vie de la colonie. Les ouvrières construisent les nids à l'aide de la soie sécrétée par les larves et en conséquence les glandes séricigènes de ces dernières sont très développées.

  2. 2

    Des Aphidiens de plusieurs espèces sont visitées par les ouvrières qui trouvent dans le miellat une source importante de nourriture.

  3. 3

    Une migration saisonnière verticale a lieu deux fois par an, en hiver et à la fin du printemps.

  4. 4

    Des «cimetières» sont constitués par les fourmis à des distances considérables des nids afin d'y déposer les cadavres. Un seul «cimetière» peut être utilisé par plusieurs colonies bien séparées.

Au cours de cette étude, il a été possible, pour la première fois, d'élever des colonies de cette espèce au laboratoire en utilisant une solution de sucre particulière au lieu de la nourriture naturelle. Les colonies élevées au laboratoire se développaient normalement, maintenaient leur activité journalière (y compris le filage) et se sont reproduites durant plusieurs générations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Kibbutz Seminary, Tel-Aviv

    Jacob Ofer

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  1. Jacob Ofer
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Additional information

This study was supported by a grant from the Committee for the Encouragement of Research and Post-Graduate Studies, General Federation of Jewish Labour in Israel.

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Ofer, J. Polyrhachis simplex The Weaver Ant of Israel. Ins. Soc 17, 49–81 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223772

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