Asian Myrmecology, Volume 2, Behaviour
Colony composition and behaviour of a queen and workers in the Oriental ectatommine ant Gnamptogenys cribrata (Emery) 1900 in West Java, Indonesia
FUMINORI ITO 1* & BRUNO GOBIN 2
1 Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Ikenobe, Miki 761-0795,
Japan.
2 PCS, Research Centre for Ornamental Plants, Schaessestraat 18, 9070 Destelbergen, Belgium
Abstract. We describe colony composition and reproductive and behavioural
characteristics of Gnamptogenys cribrata. Colonies are monogynous, composed of
one dealate queen and an average of 27 workers. This species shows the unusually
low number of two ovarioles (1 – 1) in both queens and workers. The queen shows
larval hemolymph feeding. Workers laid two distinctive types of egg depending on
social environment: in the presence of a queen workers laid small trophic eggs which
were not eaten by the queen. In the queenless condition, workers laid eggs that
looked similar to a queen’s egg, but did not develop into a larva.
Keywords: ants, Gnamptogenys, larval haemolymph feeding, ovary