Re: The extreme, workerless inquilines.
Verfasst: Dienstag 6. Juni 2023, 12:57“Salata, S., van Delft, J. P. L., van Delft, J. J. C. W., Georgiadis, C., Borowiec, L., 2023.”, for Teleutom…, no, Tetramorium albenae.
“Biology. The type locality is situated at the border between the mountainous north and the hilly south of Pelion. The collecting site, situated at 57 m a.s.l., is a slightly south-southwest facing slope situated approximately 50 m northwest from a small river (Miotiko) that flows through a narrow strip of Platanus-forest with many massive trees. The nest was situated under a flat, fairly round stone with a diameter of approximately 30 cm. The stone lied 1 m from a low dry stone wall in an old and rocky olive grove. This part of the olive grove was lightly grazed by horses. The undergrowth consisted of a slightly ruderal, herb- and flower-rich grassland. Within some 5 m around the nest, olives, Quercus coccifera and many herbaceous plants were growing. Among them: Trifolium spp., Lotus sp., Bellis sp., Malva sp., yellow Asteraceae sp., white small Allium sp., Origanum vulgare, Geranium spp., Medicago sp., Vicia sp., Anagallis arvensis, Onobrychis sp., Urtica dioica, Plantago lanceolata, Sonchus sp., Orlaya sp., Catapodium sp., Rubus sp. and Verbascum sp.”
“Immediately after turning the stone, the host gyne with the inquiline gyne attached on her gaster were spotted among numerous workers of the host species. Both specimens, along with numerous workers and brood, were collected with an insect aspirator and taken for observation in captivity. The nest was infested with mites that were also collected. In captivity, the inquiline was riding upon the queen of the host colony, regularly laying eggs and almost constantly tapping with her antennae on the thorax and legs of the host. All eggs of the parasite were collected and taken care of by workers. Later, the majority of its pupae died soon after they started moving. Subsequently, the inquilines that managed to develop into mature specimens were deformed and died shortly after they hatched."
“Biology. The type locality is situated at the border between the mountainous north and the hilly south of Pelion. The collecting site, situated at 57 m a.s.l., is a slightly south-southwest facing slope situated approximately 50 m northwest from a small river (Miotiko) that flows through a narrow strip of Platanus-forest with many massive trees. The nest was situated under a flat, fairly round stone with a diameter of approximately 30 cm. The stone lied 1 m from a low dry stone wall in an old and rocky olive grove. This part of the olive grove was lightly grazed by horses. The undergrowth consisted of a slightly ruderal, herb- and flower-rich grassland. Within some 5 m around the nest, olives, Quercus coccifera and many herbaceous plants were growing. Among them: Trifolium spp., Lotus sp., Bellis sp., Malva sp., yellow Asteraceae sp., white small Allium sp., Origanum vulgare, Geranium spp., Medicago sp., Vicia sp., Anagallis arvensis, Onobrychis sp., Urtica dioica, Plantago lanceolata, Sonchus sp., Orlaya sp., Catapodium sp., Rubus sp. and Verbascum sp.”
“Immediately after turning the stone, the host gyne with the inquiline gyne attached on her gaster were spotted among numerous workers of the host species. Both specimens, along with numerous workers and brood, were collected with an insect aspirator and taken for observation in captivity. The nest was infested with mites that were also collected. In captivity, the inquiline was riding upon the queen of the host colony, regularly laying eggs and almost constantly tapping with her antennae on the thorax and legs of the host. All eggs of the parasite were collected and taken care of by workers. Later, the majority of its pupae died soon after they started moving. Subsequently, the inquilines that managed to develop into mature specimens were deformed and died shortly after they hatched."
