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Ant husbandry - a personal introduction
GeneralIn our ecosystem they are almost everywhere: ants - the secret world power. Ants represent the culmination of the evolution of social insects and the diversity includes around 14,000 species. This diversity of ants includes highly specialized species that have found their own place in the fauna and flora. Of these recorded species, are only around 175 species in Central Europe. Thanks to renowned myrmecologists, these are particularly well recorded and described. So-called 'novelties' and 'sensations' at the ant bazaar should be treated with caution. In addition to a lack of husbandry knowledge, direct sales are usually the top priority, but rarely a stable level of husbandry and the well-being of the invertebrates. Within the insect order Hymenoptera, which also includes bumblebees, wasps and hornets, the ants are counted to the family Formicidae. Structure and function The body of the ant is divided into three parts: ➥ Caput (the head) ➥ Mesosoma (the middle part, formerly known as the thorax) ➥ Gaster (the abdomen) In most ant species, the following morphological distinction can be made: ➥ The gynes (full female )➥ the males (not drones, as in bumblebees, bees,...)➥ the sterile female worker caste This sterile female worker caste can be divided into subcastes depending on the species.➥ Minor workers➥ Media workers➥ Major workersDepending on the species there are also so-called ergatomorph individuals in a colony. These act as egg-laying gynes, but look very similar to the workers. They are only characterized by their function as gynes and otherwise hardly differ. The functional definition from a myrmecological point of view as a queen is appropriate.
Terms Monomorph we understand a relatively uniform size of the workers within an ant species. Polymorph is divided into 2 to 3 subcastes. Here the female workers sometimes differ greatly from one another. In addition to the head, body and mandible size, the functions are also divided differently. The term soldier is not always appropriate here, since these individuals can also have completely different tasks than attacking other colonies and insects. On the contrary: large major workers definitely serve as storage ants or nest defence.
Part IThe founding of a specific species has a variety of differences. The first part is about the form of founding.
Claustral or also referred to as claustral foundation; stands for: Founding isolated from the outside world in a founding chamber until the first workers uncover exits and entrances to the outside world. The following applies to our keeping at home: ➥Avoid disturbances during this phase. ➥ Avoid sources of interference (music, bass), (vibrations), (direct sunlight). ➥ Feeding is usually not necessary ➥ The foundation chamber should be kept dark.
Semi-Claustral, or also referred to as semi-claustral foundation; stands for: Foundation in a foundation chamber connected with the outside world until the first workers take over activities such as foraging and brood rearing. In the transitional periods one occasionally finds queens looking for food [Manica, Myrmica].* The following applies to our home keeping: ➥ Avoid disturbances during this phase. ➥ Avoid sources of interference (music, bass), (vibrations), (direct sunlight). ➥ Feeding is usually necessary and important! Note: With the genus Manica*, make sure you look for a queen at the right time - and don't accidentally take a queen from a colony. The well-known swarm flight tables provide information about this.
Social-parasitic or also known as [social-parasitic foundation]; stands for: social parasitism between two species of ants. The social parasite comes from the same group. There are two forms of social parasitism: ➥ temporary social parasitism; The queen of a given species is incapable of founding on her own. Their approach is to gain a foothold in another colony (host) undetected. The host queen is often killed here. The parasitic ant queen accepts the scents beforehand and after a short time begins to lay her own eggs, which are cared for by the host colony - until there are only workers of her own species. ➥ permanent social parasitism; Similar to temporary social parasitism, the queen invades a host colony, but this form of social parasitism is tied to helper and host ants for life. A well-known example is the species Polygergus rufescens. Annual raids ensure a supply of "slave ants" - here called Serviformica.
Pleometrose:[Pleometrose]:Several queens of the same species come together during the founding phase.The following applies to monogynous species; (Pro)➥ increases the chance of survival, ➥ increases the number of workers (cons)➥ Queens select after founding and kill each other in the case of polygynous Species applies; (Pro)➥ increases the chance of survival, ➥ increases the number of individuals of workers➥ The queens usually continue a common strategy as *a colony. (Contra)➥ When kept at home, it is usually overdone.
Part IIThe foundation of a specific species has a multitude of differences. The second part deals with the foundation type, how one or more queens justify the start of a colony.
Monogynor also known as [Monogyny]. [Monogyny]: refers to the presence of a single mating and egg-laying queen in a colony. As a rule, the queen founds a company alone and independently.
Polygynor also referred to as [polygyny]. [Polygyny]: refers to the presence of multiple queens in a colony. There are usually several egg-laying queens.
Oligogynor also known as [Oligogyny].[Oligogyny]: Denotes the presence of multiple queens in a colony. Unlike [Polygyny], however, the queens are often physically separated. A clash is usually fatal. Well-known examples of [Oligogyny] are; (ff.)➥ Camponotus ligniperda➥ Camponotus herculeanus➥ Lasius (Dendrolasius) fuliginosus
Examples:Lasius niger is strictly monogynous and founds claustral.Lasius flavus is monogynous, but also oligogynous and founds claustral.Lasius (Chthonolasius) umbratus is monogynous(*) and founds via Lasius niger socially-parasitic.Lasius (Dendrolasius) fuliginosus is polygynous, oligogynous and grounds social-parasitic on Lasius umbratus. Camponotus ligniperda is monogynous to oligogynous (rarely) and grounds claustral. Myrmica rubra is polygynous and grounds semi-claustral. Manica rubida is monogynous, from a certain size onwards the queens are also polygynous in nature and are semi-claustral.Lasius umbratus:(*) Only one queen proves itself in the artistic posture, so my guess is that due to the takeover of the fragrance, similar to that of the host (Lasius niger), only one queen is tolerated. One indication is that their own workers do not defend their own queen, or quickly get rid of the remains. While only one queen - the socially parasitic Lasius umbratus - takes over the colony and acts as a new fertile gyne.