Combining Myrmica Rubra Colonies

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BelGarath
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri May 03, 2019 8:43 am

Combining Myrmica Rubra Colonies

Post: # 57750Post BelGarath
Fri May 03, 2019 8:45 am

Hi All,
I have two myrmica rubra colonies of about 20 workers ive recently acquired. As they are polygynous i was hoping to be able to place both test tubes in an enclosure and not have a war on my hands. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Thanks in advance.

Davion
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat May 04, 2019 12:08 pm
Location: Catbalogan City, Samar

Re: Combining Myrmica Rubra Colonies

Post: # 57908Post Davion
Sat May 04, 2019 12:31 pm

It is near impossible, in the wild they do fine but in inclousures they will team up then after a while, they will start murdering the frick outta of each other until one or all queens are ded

JoeHostile1
Posts: 409
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:51 am
Location: Canada
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Re: Combining Myrmica Rubra Colonies

Post: # 57962Post JoeHostile1
Mon May 06, 2019 8:33 am

The workers will be hostile towards eachother. I just read a study that in the wild a Myrmica Rubra queen has a 32% chance of being accepted into a colony that already has a queen and a 91% chance being accepted into a colony that doesn’t have a queen.

So if you got rid of the workers from one colony and tried to get that queen into the other nest you would have in theory a 32% chance they wouldn’t murder the new queen.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316215808_Acceptance_of_alien_queens_by_the_ruby_ant_Myrmica_rubra_Hymenoptera_Formicidae_Gene_flow_by_queen_flow
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfFtn6RegZ3F1NdS1g08NA

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