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Outstations as stable meeting points for workers from different nests in a polydomous nest system of Formica exsecta Nyl. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Csata E., Marko B., Eros K., Gal C., Szasz-Len A., Czekes Z.

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2012

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Vol. 60, nr 1

177-186

EN

The mound building narrowheaded ant Formica exsecta builds guarding outstations, usually at the root of the aphid-housing plants. Colonies of this species can develop into huge polydomous systems, so-called supercolonies, made up of several hundred of related nests and outstations. Although the existence of these guarding structures is well-known, still there is little information available concerning their characteristics. In the frame of this study we analyze the characteristics and the integrative role of outstations within a large polydomous system of F. exsecta as a function of ant nest density. The study was carried out in Transylvania, Romania. Two areas with different ant nest densities were selected for the purpose of this study: high (HD) and low density (LD) sites. Parallel to the density of ant nests, the density of outstations was also higher at the HD site, while the size of outstations and the number of ants residing in them did not differ significantly between the two sites. Outstations were usually maintained by a single ant nest at the LD site, thus the common exploitation of food resources was less frequent, whereas at the HD site outstations were used by more ant nests. This article provides the first evidence to shared use of outstations in F. exsecta. In the view of our results outstations, in addition to guarding aphid colonies, also function as permanent meeting points for workers from different nests, which contribute essentially to the integration of nests within a polydomous system.

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Corpse carrying in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) : behavioural side effect of aggressive arousual or competitive signaling?

Czechowski W., Marko B., Godzińska E.

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2009

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Vol. 57, nr 2

341-352

EN

Some literature reports show that ants use bodies of their dead nestmates and other insect remains in conflict situations. The paper describes such phenomenon in a Formica rufa L. colony brought into conflict with a F. cinerea Mayr colony when the former tried to extend its own territory at the expense of the latter. A territorially stable F. rufa colony, neighbouring the same F. cinerea colony, served as control. Workers of the expansive F. rufa colony were repeatedly observed to carry numerous ant corpses, empty pupal cocoons and insect leftovers from their nest to the place of confrontation with F. cinerea, on a much bigger scale than workers of the stable F. rufa colony. Corpse-carrying intensity was not correlated with the general activity level of foragers which suggests that corpse carriers could be a separate task group. Workers of a small colony of F. cinerea were also observed to surround their nest entrance with corpses of their nestmates and prey remains, taken out from inside the nest, in response to intensified traffic of workers of F. rufa in the vicinity of their nest. These results are discussed in the context of a possible interrelation between ant aggressive behaviour and transport behaviour. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain the observed phenomenon: (1) explaining it as a by-product of the aggressive arousal of workers, and (2) ascribing to it a possible signalling function in conflict situations.

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Rubbish dumps reveal the diet of ant colonies : Myrmica schencki Em. and Myrmica rubra (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as facultative pollen-eaters

Czechowski W., Marko B., Radchenko A.

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2008

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Vol. 56, nr 4

737-741

EN

Myrmica schencki Em. and M. rubra (L.), common Palaearctic ant species, collect fallen male Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) inflorescence during the pine blossom time, take it to their nests and then gather it on rubbish piles close to nest-entrances. Dissection of M. schencki workers revealed the presence of numerous pollen grains in their crops and midguts proving at least periodical pollenivory of these ants. So far, only some Neotropical ants of the genus Cephalotes Latr. have been known to eat pollen.