Different ant species mixing in one colony?

[Ed]

Want to ask the ant experts something:

In the Formicarium - so far - we have at least 3 different ant species, f. fusca, f. rufa and f. ereptor.

How likely is it IRL that these ants would work together in a colony? I had the impression that the same species merely from different colonies would fight, let alone ants of different species.

In your experience, is it possible to successfully raise a colony of mixed ant species? It's very interesting from a gaming viewpoint, I just wondered about RL.

Thanks.

[darkrajin]

I think it could be possible. I mean the slaver ants kinda do that. It just comes down to chemicals and pheromones.

[Ed]

OK, I just learned from Google that F. ereptor is a fictional ant type...

[Serafine]

Originally posted by Ed:

In your experience, is it possible to successfully raise a colony of mixed ant species?

Not at all. But then Formica ereptor is a functionally artificial genetically engineered species so it doesn't really matter.

(And yes there are a few ants that can live in symbiosis but it's very rare, even slavetaker ants aren't very common).

[Ed]

Thanks, serafine

[bushviper]

There is a bug species that mimics other queens n takes over the colony then breeds its own n they end up slaughter the slave bugs. Not sure if its ants or bees but i kno its a bug lol

[Serafine]

It's ants. Basically all the hill-building wood ants are social parasites and work that way. There's also a ton of parasitic Lasius garden ants, the Lasius genus even has a hyperparasite (Lasius fuliginosus) that does this to other social parasite colonies.

[Cataclysm]

The "bug species" you talk about are usually parasitic ants that sneak into a colony kill the queen and then allow the workers to raise the parasitic ant's own offspring. Parasitic wasps and flies are problems as well. They will either wait until a nest has its mating flight and then land on the queen and lay an egg on it or inject the queen with its egg or eggs. You could get ants from different species to live together but it would require refrigerating both species of ant in low temperatures then combine them and leave them out to warm up so that they slowly awaken. It is a low possibility that they will not fight. Usually this works by taking eggs from a colony of the same species and putting them together in this manner. Its called brood boosting and most times it works. Several times I have witnessed ants eatting the newly introduced eggs or larve.

[阿魔固斯]

cmon guys. slug disco is using imagination. something which isnt in alot of new games anymore.