Journal
JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY
Volume 39, Issue 20, Pages 1735-1743Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/00222930400027462
Keywords
Attini; fungiculture; haplometrosis; hygiene; polygyny
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The genus Mycocepurus is a phylogenetically basal attine ant, so studies of its biology may provide insight into the evolution of behaviours associated with fungus-growing that characterize the tribe Attini. Mycocepurus smithii from Puerto Rico produces sexual females from July to September, but no males were observed in 2 years of observations, confirming previous observations elsewhere. Colonies were founded between July and August and most nests were haplometrotic (85% of 74 nests). After excavating a tunnel and small chamber, a foundress queen inserted her fore wings into the ceiling and used the wing surfaces as a platform on which the incipient fungal garden was grown. Foundresses foraged for substrate to grow the fungus garden. Growth of incipient colonies was slow: the first workers emerged 2-5 months after colony founding and, after 8 months, colonies contained on average only a single worker.
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