American harvester ants Veromessor pergandei remain faithful only to a strong queen. During the flight, workers do not interfere with the return of fertilized females to the nest (both related and not). However, the families of these harvesters are still monogynous (with 1 female). Among many females, some time after arrival, battles for leadership begin (not only with direct contact, but also by secreting pheromones), after which the losers in this “game of thrones” are carried out of the nest by the ants and thrown out.
This continues until only one remains. Thanks to this interesting reproduction strategy, Veromessor anthills exist in one place for decades, reproducing steadily and maintaining a population of more than 50,000 individuals!
Leave a comment