| Polyergus breviceps | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Polyergus |
| Species: | P. breviceps
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| Binomial name | |
| Polyergus breviceps (Emery, 1893)
| |
Polyergus breviceps is a species of ant endemic to the United States. It is a social parasite of other ants, namely of Formica gnava but also of Formica occulta and Formica argentea.[2] Polyergus is an inquiline parasite, having lost its ability to take care of its young and themselves. "The workers do not forage for food, feed the young or the queen, or even clean up their own nest".[3] To survive, Polyergus workers raid Formica nests to steal the pupae—which, once hatched, become workers of the mixed nest. This sort of relationship is not unique, of the approximately 8,800 species of ants, at least 200 have evolved some form of symbiotic relationship with one another.[3] What makes Polyergus special is the way a newly mated queen can, all by herself, take over a Formica nest and start a new colony.
- ^ Social Insects Specialist Group (1996). "Polyergus breviceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T17927A7636744. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T17927A7636744.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Mark Moffett (2010). Adventures among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26199-0.
- ^ a b Howard Topoff (1999). "Slave-making queens". Scientific American. 281 (5): 84–90. Bibcode:1999SciAm.281e..84T. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1199-84.