Queen Raiding
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2015 8:47 pm
So, my stock room for Atta has, at times, around 100-200 colonies of Leaf Cutters. On occasion a twig or a leaf will fall in such a way that a bridge is formed either so a colony can forage around the room or, more often, they can reach their neighbour. I have seen many different behaviours over the years. Here's one or two observations for you to have a think about.....
1. If a large colony reaches a small colony of the same species the large colony, predictably, will raid the smaller colony and remove the antennae and often legs from the queen. The workers from the smaller colony will not try to defend the queen or the brood / fungus. The ;arger colony will then strip am of the assets from the smaller colony, fungus, brood and workers and carry it all back to the larger colony. The workers from the small colony will become active in the larger colony. The queen will die or be killed as part of this process.
2. If a colony of Atta reaches another colony of Atta and they are approx the same size, there is a very different type of behaviour exhibited. The colonies will scout each other out and there will be a standoff. Neither colony will raid the other and there will be little, if any, fighting. Rather the two colonies will begin cooperating with eachother. I have seen several colonies where this has happened. I have one at the moment where the two colonies have merged in to one. The two queens are seen beside each other and then, on other days, they are back on their own gardens.
I would be interested in your thoughts on this behaviour!
I will post more examples later.
1. If a large colony reaches a small colony of the same species the large colony, predictably, will raid the smaller colony and remove the antennae and often legs from the queen. The workers from the smaller colony will not try to defend the queen or the brood / fungus. The ;arger colony will then strip am of the assets from the smaller colony, fungus, brood and workers and carry it all back to the larger colony. The workers from the small colony will become active in the larger colony. The queen will die or be killed as part of this process.
2. If a colony of Atta reaches another colony of Atta and they are approx the same size, there is a very different type of behaviour exhibited. The colonies will scout each other out and there will be a standoff. Neither colony will raid the other and there will be little, if any, fighting. Rather the two colonies will begin cooperating with eachother. I have seen several colonies where this has happened. I have one at the moment where the two colonies have merged in to one. The two queens are seen beside each other and then, on other days, they are back on their own gardens.
I would be interested in your thoughts on this behaviour!
I will post more examples later.