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2 Polish Journal of Ecology

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Replacement of species in wood ant colonies artificially established on islands in southern Finland

Czechowski W., Vepsalainen K.

Polish Journal of Ecology

2010

Vol. 58, nr 4

793-799

Wood ants, i.e. species of the subgenus Formica s. str., are known to be temporary social parasites of ants of the subgenus Serviformica For. However, not only Serviformica colonies are used by young wood ant queens to start their own colonies. They are also able to take over colonies, at least queenless ones, of related species of the subgenus Formica s. str. This study followed five experimental colonies of wood ants - three of hybrid Formica aquilonia x F. polyctena, one of F. aquilonia-like form, and one of F. polyctena - artificially planted on islands of the Tvńrminne archipelago, S Finland. After some years, the species identity of all colonies was F. polyctena, i.e. four of them had been taken over by heterospecific queens, whose offspring gradually replaced the old workers. These findings, together with already documented existence of hybrids in wood ants, partly explain the interspecific and intracolonial, until recently unaccountable, variability in wood ants of the Formica rufa group, frequently observed in southern Finland.

Around-nest 'cemeteries' of Myrmica schencki Em. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) : their origin and a possible significance

Czechowski W.

Polish Journal of Ecology

2008

Vol. 56, nr 2

359-363

Unusual rubbish piles of Myrmica schencki Em. colonies nesting within territories of Formica polyctena Forst. are described. The piles tightly surrounded M. schencki nest entrances and consisted mainly of remains of F. polyctena corpses (with a small addition of corpses of other local ant species) previously collected as food by M. schencki foragers in F. polyctena waste disposal zones. This observation shows that, under certain conditions, M. schencki can actually be a specialised myrmecophagous scavenger. The peculiar finding of M. schencki rubbish piles, in connection with other observations of using dead bodies and other remains by ants, suggests that such piles can play some role in interspecific relations in ants. This possibility is considered in the context of the competitive hierarchy of ant species.