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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Myrmicinae » Crematogastrini » Pavement Ants (Tetramorium) » Tetramorium atratulum
Photo#147559
Tetramorium caespitum and Anergates atratulus - Tetramorium atratulum - male
Copyright © 2007 Claude Pilon

Tetramorium caespitum and Anergates atratulus - Tetramorium atratulum - Male
Repentigny, Lanaudière County, Quebec, Canada
September 22, 2007
I have observed Tetramorium caespitum carrying Anergates atratulus over a distance of 15 cm and then just dropped it, unhurted. I wonder what was the purpose of this behavior.
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Contributed by Claude Pilon on 23 September, 2007 - 8:40am
Last updated 13 February, 2025 - 9:09am

Moved
Moved from Anergates atratulus.
… Oliver Yung, 13 February, 2025 - 9:09am login or register to post comments

Note that the host ant is now properly called ...
Tetramorium immigrans

Great observation and nice photo!
… James C. Trager, 14 February, 2024 - 10:13am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
Thanks to let me know about Tetramorium immigrans
… Claude Pilon, 14 February, 2024 - 1:22pm login or register to post comments

I wonder too...
But I suspect this is a way to get rid of these supernumerary and useless males. This also explains why you found your first male specimen outside a nest. Once expelled, they are obviously doomed to starve quickly. a bit like Honeybee drones.
Claude, thank you indeed for sharing these fantastic pictures, probably among the best available worldwide of this so rarely encountered species.
… Richard Vernier, 23 September, 2007 - 10:49am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Richard!
There were a couple of spiders (Salticidae) around the nest today. If you are right, an unguarded and weak Anergates could have been an easy prey.
… Claude Pilon, 23 September, 2007 - 6:23pm login or register to post comments

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