The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

Batspiderfish wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:08 pm

To save the trouble of looking it up: A social parasite is a species which depends on the workers of another species or colony for some duration of the parasite species' existence. Parasitic Formica are temporary social parasites which usually drive out or kill the adult members of a small Formica host colony and care for the brood/pupae left behind. Those host workers help to raise the parasitic queen's first brood. By using this strategy, queens become much less expensive for a colony produce and also turns a potential competitor into the beginning of the queen's own parasitic colony.

In other words, I can't raise her?

If you can't find Formica pupae for her, then no.

Batspiderfish wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:25 pm

If you can't find Formica pupae for her, then no.

Oh well. That sucks. Quick question for everyone. Ladies or tetra. Which would you rather keep?

SamuelMamuel wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:33 pm

Batspiderfish wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:25 pm

If you can't find Formica pupae for her, then no.

Oh well. That sucks. Quick question for everyone. Ladies or tetra. Which would you rather keep?

I meant lasius or tetra. Which of the two would you want to keep? And how do you identify ants, do you just have every species of ant memorized?

i had a few more questions on social parasites. If they steal from other colonies, then how does their colony count go up? I was under the impression that they killed the opposing queen.

SamuelMamuel wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:32 pm

i had a few more questions on social parasites. If they steal from other colonies, then how does their colony count go up? I was under the impression that they killed the opposing queen.

There are three main types of social parasite: temporary, inquiline, and raiding.

Temporary social parasites have evolved to use the workforce of an existing colony until the first parasitic workers arrive-- after that, the parasitic species can take over the tasks of the nest and will behave more or less like a normal colony. Most of the social parasites that hobbyists keep come from this group.

Inquiline social parasites must live in the constant presence of their host species for the lifespan of either colony. Many inquiline species have even given up the worker caste entirely, and will produce only queens and males which are cared for by the host species. Others (often called guest ants) will try to make themselves chemically invisible to their host and simply live in their nest, helping themselves to the food which the colony produces or brings in.

The raiding social parasites are kind of a grey category between these other two. Many (but not all) must depend on their host species for their entire life, but rather than hiding in their host's colonies, they attack their host to steal the brood and young workers. Those which are raised in the raider's nest will imprint on the parasitic colony and provide for the raiders. Most raiders will kill the host queen if they reach her, but many new host colonies will inevitably be established in her place. Most raiders are semi-nomadic, and will move around based on the seasons and availability of host species.