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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2012 22:45:25 GMT 1
After reading through the post Pupae Adoption seen here: myrm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=antresearch&action=display&thread=450&page=1I started thinking of other ways to use pheromones to switch up ant keeping. The one that i found to be the most intriguing was a colony with multiple queens of different species. For the most likely success, they would both need to be polygene Sp. and would both have to be egg-less so far. If you introduce pheromones of queen to another queen that already has brood, she might become agitated and eat them. The best way i have thought of so far to expose the two queens to each others pheromones would be to keep them both in two separate test tube set ups, and connecting them with a very narrow tube. The larger the queens the easier that would be since you wouldn't need quite a narrow tube. What do you guys think?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2012 22:59:53 GMT 1
Well it wpuld be VERY intresting, but it may end in disaster, what species will you use?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2012 23:21:47 GMT 1
Im not really sure yet. The experiment would have to have multiple set ups of the same queen combinations to insure that the out come wasn't a fluke. Do you have any suggestions?
Also on a side note, this would be something intresting to try with a monogene Sp. too, But rather than multiple species, its probably more safe to use just one as it is already likely to fail this would most likely give the most positive outcome... if there is one of course. Im sure they will turn on each other as sune as they are in contact but hey...you'll never know if you dont try.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2012 23:40:11 GMT 1
Hmmm, well I dont know about american ants to well. Maybe Limes or Batspiderfish could help when the come online.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2012 1:00:31 GMT 1
I don't know if you have them where you live, but good species to start with might be Myrmica rubra and M. ruginodis, as they are polygynous and very similar, and might accept each other as the same species.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2012 1:10:50 GMT 1
I don't think pheromones is the answer you're looking for. Scent is a language, and not necessarily a direct stimuli. Like ourselves, ants will react differently to the same information, depending on personal or social circumstances. Different species have slightly different languages, and while a colony odor might match ants with other ants, this does not mean that two colonies will operate as one. Ants are enthusiastic about putting resources to the best use, and if they don't identify well with other members of the nest, then these creatures will often be killed or neglected for the greater good of the species of the dominant colony. A "guest" ant (a kind of social parasite) may be a good way to achieve this objective, but these are often very difficult to find within their range. Temporary social parasites would be the next best option, but it is often in one species' biology to kill the queen of their host colony; there have been rumors that Formica parasites can coexist with host Formica, if the queens are introduced within days of their nuptial flight and are given brood to keep tensions low (this has been observed a few times, but not replicated, to the best of my knowledge.) I think you should look into social parasites; they are very good at exploiting a colony's domestic protocols. I happen to have a basic thread on the subject. ;D Oh! Thief ants ( Solenopsis molesta is an American example) might be worth a try. These are reputed to live largely off the brood of other ants. I don't know if this means that they can actually live inside of a host's nest, or if they are simply so small that they can tunnel into another nest and not be followed back to their own colony. It's likely that this won't work at all with other ants who are also on the small side.
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