Summary
Two new species of the dacetine ant genusKyidris from New Guinea are described. These were always found in mixed colonies with the larger, polymorphic dacetine speciesStrumigenys loriae Emery, which often occurs independently and is generally abundant in the lowland rain forests of New Guinea. The relationship of theKyidris to theStrumigenys is interpreted as a very primitive level of permanent, obligatory, nondulotic parasitism. Multiple queens of both genera occur together, and the brood is completely mixed. The worker population of the parasite is very large, and in one colony studied almost equaled that of the host. The parasite workers contribute to the colony labor by food-gathering and brood-handling, but are relatively inefficient in these tasks; they apparently do not participate in nest building at all.
Résumé
Cet article décrit deux espèces nouvelles deKyidris de la Nouvelle Guinée, genre de fourmis dacétines. Elles ont été trouvées toujours en colonies mixtes avecStrumigenys loriae Emery, grande dacétine polymorphe vivant souvent sans son parasite et commune partout dans les forêts humides tropicales à basse altitude de la Nouvelle Guinée. Les relations entreKyidris etStrumigenys sont interprétées comme un stade primitif de parasitisme permanent, obligatoire et non-dulotique. De nombreuses reines des deux genres se trouvent ensemble dans le même nid, et leur couvain est complètement mélangé. Les ouvrières du parasite sont très nombreuses et, dans une des colonies étudiées, étaient presque aussi nombreuses que celles de l'hôte. Les ouvrières contribuent au travail de la colonie en recueillant de la nourriture et en soignant le couvain, mais d'une façon relativement inefficace; elles ne paraissent pas participer à la construction du nid.
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Wilson, E.O., Brown, W.L. New parasitic ants of the genusKyidris, with notes on ecology and behavior. Ins. Soc 3, 439–454 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02225764
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02225764