Semi-Claustral and Social Parasitic Queens - AntsCanada Tutorial #22

Summary

In this educational video, ANS Canada's Mikey Boos explores two lesser-known types of ant queens: semic-claustral queens, which forage for food while raising young, and social parasites, which infiltrate and take over host colonies. He discusses setup techniques for these queens and the challenges of raising social parasites in captivity.

Takeaways

• 🐜 There are two types of queens that haven't been extensively discussed: semic claustral and social parasites.
• 🌳 Semic claustral queens are similar to fully claustral queens but they forage above ground for food while raising their young.
• 🔍 Examples of fully claustral queens include ants from the genera Pogonomyrmex (harvester ants), Ponea, and Mmia.
• 🧪 For semic claustral queens, a test tube setup is needed, similar to fully claustral queens, but they also require access to an outworld for foraging.
• 🐛 Social parasite queens do not establish colonies on their own and need a host colony to infiltrate and take over.
• 👀 Social parasites are identifiable by their larger heads, larger mandibles, and smaller gasters, which are adaptations for killing the host queen and not needing to store much food.
• 🌐 Social parasites like Lasius claviger (citronella ants) cannot establish colonies in isolation without a host colony.
• 💡 The success of establishing a social parasite colony in captivity is rare and challenging, with many attempts often failing.
• 🌱 The process of introducing a social parasite queen to a host colony involves careful timing and matching of species, which can be tricky.
• 📚 Documenting the process of introducing a social parasite queen to a host colony is crucial for understanding and potentially succeeding in this endeavor.

Q & A

What are the two main types of queen ants discussed in the video?

The two main types of queen ants discussed in the video are fully claustral queens and semic-claustral queens.

How do fully claustral queens establish their colonies?

Fully claustral queens go into the ground, completely seal themselves off, and form colonies on their own without eating throughout the entire process.

What is the difference between fully claustral and semic-claustral queens?

Semic-claustral queens, unlike fully claustral queens, forage above ground for food like ordinary workers while raising their young, continuing this until the first workers arrive.

Which ant species are examples of fully claustral queens?

Examples of fully claustral queens include ants belonging to Pogonomyrmex (harvester ants), Poneroides, and Mmia in Australia.

What is the basic setup required for semic-claustral queens?

The basic setup for semic-claustral queens is similar to fully claustral queens, requiring a test tube setup, but with the addition of an outworld for the queen to forage.

What are social parasites in the context of ant colonies?

Social parasites are queens that do not found their own colonies. They infiltrate a host colony, kill the host queen, and take over the colony, eventually replacing the host workers with their own offspring.

How can you identify a social parasite queen ant?

Social parasite queens can be identified by their larger heads with larger mandibles for killing the host queen and their smaller gasters, indicating they do not need to store much food as they rely on the host workers.

What is an example of a social parasite ant species?

An example of a social parasite ant species is Laconotus, which is also known as citronella ants due to the strong lemony smell they release.

What challenges did the ants Canada store face when trying to establish a social parasite colony in captivity?

The ants Canada store faced 11 failed attempts to establish a social parasite colony in captivity, with issues such as fighting and incorrect pairing or timing of the introduction of the social parasite queen to the host colony.

What is the significance of the social parasite queen's behavior in relation to the host colony?

The social parasite queen's behavior is significant as it disrupts the host colony's natural order by killing the host queen and replacing the workers with her own offspring, creating a new colony under her control.

What advice does the video give for those attempting to introduce a social parasite queen to a host colony?

The video advises to carefully match the species and timing, possibly after hibernation, and to document the process with photos and videos since successfully establishing a social parasite colony in captivity is rare and not well understood.